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Laundry with resource limitations

 
gardener
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As a student of history, I’m keenly aware that improved laundry technologies went a long way toward freeing up time to do other things for people in history—especially female people. I’m also keenly aware that my spouse and I will be living in our travel trailer for some period of months. As we are getting ready for that, I’m thinking about laundry. Drying is no problem, as I’m well acquainted with clotheslines! Washing is a different problem. I’ve done laundry in the sink and it takes up far too much of my limited time, plus there’s the fact that sinks in our trailer are not big enough to wash one pair of trousers/pants by themselves!

Washing clothes only when they are truly dirty is a habit we’re developing now. That helps. We’ll have access to my in-laws’ washer for bedding. That helps. What am I hoping to hear about here? Glad you asked.

What are your favorite off-grid or low-resources laundry tools that can be used in a small space? Which ones would you avoid like the plague? Which ones have a lower time investment per wash? (I still have a day job that I love and we’ll be establishing a new homestead at the same time.)
 
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Hey Shawn;
A five-gallon bucket with a removable lid.
One new toilet plunger.
Drill a hole thru the lid for the plunger handle.
Water (hot) and soap of choice.
 
gardener
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Hi Shawn,
I am no expert, but I had a few thoughts, and I'm sure others will chime in too.

Personally, I would make use of your in-law's washing machine.. a lot :), the other possibility might be a laundrymat.

Historically people would make good use of aprons, frocks, and a specific set of clothes that they used for the particularly dirty shores like cooking, barn cleaning, etc. The specific set of overclothes or coverings could be dirty and stay dirty and not be washed often, while the normal clothes would stay cleaner and not need to be washed as often.

Good luck
 
Rusticator
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We lived without washer and dryer, for a few years (OK, 8 ), and I used to have a plastic version of this, but (along with to many other items!) it disappeared, in our last move. I picked up another one - metal, this time, at a local flea, for about $10. Back then, I used it in the bathtub. Now, I have a similar setup to what Thomas described, minus the lid, and I use 2 buckets - one to wash, one to rinse. One of my favorite things about the whole setup, is it all nests together, nice and compact, right along with the laundry soap & vinegar. I'm not using it regularly, anymore, but keep my kit on hand, for power outages. The laundry must get done, right? https://www.walmart.com/ip/Rapid-Laundry-Washer-Plunger-Tin-Plated-Steel-Fir-Wooden-Handle-USA-Made/721845493

P.s. I think I'm going to drill a hole in a lid, even if just to keep it all enclosed, when not in use.
 
steward & bricolagier
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I agree with Matt, change clothes or shielding devices for types of tasks so things don't need washing as much, and I also agree with laundromat or in-law's washer when you have to. That's the easiest in this day and age.
Other than that, soak clothes before you agitate them if you are washing by hand.
 
Shawn Foster
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Matt McSpadden wrote:

Historically people would make good use of aprons, frocks, and a specific set of clothes that they used for the particularly dirty shores like cooking, barn cleaning, etc. The specific set of overclothes or coverings could be dirty and stay dirty and not be washed often, while the normal clothes would stay cleaner and not need to be washed as often.



Aprons and "grubby clothes" are already in my daily practice and I've got plans to make a set of detachable sleeves (think medieval clothing) for that purpose as well. Historical people were practical.

Those of you that have used the bucket-ish method, what do you do as a replacement for spin cycle/wringer? Clothes take so much longer to dry without that.
 
steward
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Shawn Foster wrote:
Those of you that have used the bucket-ish method, what do you do as a replacement for spin cycle/wringer? Clothes take so much longer to dry without that.



I mostly do this with pants. But I roll the pants up like one would a sleeping bag. I try to get it tight, than I try to push the water out with my weight. The other method I have done is to Twist the clothes. However I believe twisting the clothes puts unnecessary stress on the joints/seams.
 
pollinator
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We've gone the take the laundry to the parents' route, so I don't have much to say about low tech methods. The only thing I'll mention is that if you're washing in a bucket or other small container, do not skimp on water or crowd the container, otherwise your clothes will stink when they dry.
 
steward
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A bathtub is a great laundry tool.



Added a pair of feet:


From here:


A plunger is another great laundry tool.


from here:

Manual Washer:


From here:

This thread has lots of ideas for doing laundry by hand:

https://permies.com/wiki/108429/pep-nest/laundry-hand-PEP-BB-nest

Take some pictures and earn a PEP BB (Badge Bit).
 
Carla Burke
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You can use a bucket with drain holes drilled into it, inside the wash bucket. Then, lift the clothes out, leaving your soapy water for another load, set the holey bucket on the ground or in the tub, and press the clothes with the plunger, to smush the soapy water out, before plunging the holey bucket into the rinse water. It's not going to be as effective as a spin cycle or a wringer, but much easier on the hands, than trying to squeeze or wring by hand. And, I'm sure Jordan is spot on, about twisting the clothes being hard on them - as well as on your hands.
 
pollinator
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Doing laundry by hand is not that difficult if you have modern detergents.

1. Have a 15 gallon bucket on a stool so you can work with a straight back.

2. SOAKING is your friend. Have enough water so that clothes are not packed.

3. Use a laundry plunger to work the dirt out.

4. Rinse with a bit of vinegar in the water - disinfects so that there are no microbes in the textile to start smelling

5. Invest in a clothers squeezer.

6. Iron clothes that get most use. Ironing makes the textile "slippery" so dirt does not stick so easily. I would iron pillowcases, but not sheets. Aprons but not skirts..

7.  hang to dry. In Scandinavia, we used to hang clothes outside to dry even when it was freezing outside. The clothes do dry, but you have to remove them carefully in order not to damage them since they will be stiff with frost 😄.

All this can be done without electricity.

s-l400.jpg
Laundry plungers sold everywhere including Amazon
Laundry plungers sold everywhere including Amazon
81Ec2BnirkL.jpg
Clothes roller
Clothes roller
normal_wanha_silitysrauta.jpg
Iron does not need to be electric
Iron does not need to be electric
 
gardener
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I've heard a salad spinner can double as a washbasin and spin cycle for your smalls.
 
pollinator
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Stomping on the clothes while you shower is good agitation.
 
Shawn Foster
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I’m loving seeing the solutions that people are actually using. Our plan is to do trial runs/experiments while we’re still in our current home. That way, we can minimize the impact of the learning curve by having the washer available if needed. I’ve ordered the plunger-type thingy and we have buckets already. Wringer/roller is a bit more of an investment, so that may wait until after the holidays.

Keep those experience-based suggestions coming! I have a BB to earn…
 
pollinator
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I always thought that a Rubbermaid trash bin and a concrete vibrator (used to remove air from wet concrete) would make short work of the washing process. Haven't tried it yet.
 
Shawn Foster
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Related question! I've been searching for wringers in various places, both new and used. Definitely not interested in the "antique" ones that are just for pretty; that's nice, but I want to put this to a practical use! I'm guessing that the state of the rollers makes a pretty big difference in the actual usability of the wringer, but what do I know? I've never used one.

Those who've used wringers, either free-standing or as a part of a wringer washer, what would be the dealbreakers in a preowned wringer? I don't want to have to reconstruct it completely, so I'm thinking that structural integrity of the frame is pretty important. Can the rollers be re-covered in some way if the rubber is perished? Or replaced with wooden rollers? Any other parts that can be fairly easily repaired, thereby keeping the item in use?
 
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thomas rubino wrote:Hey Shawn;
A five-gallon bucket with a removable lid.
One new toilet plunger.
Drill a hole thru the lid for the plunger handle.
Water (hot) and soap of choice.



Only was clothes when they are dirty if they don't look dirty don't wash them. The same goes for bathing when you feel dirty that way you will save on water.
 
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I used five gallon  bucket soaking for quite a few years when living off-grid in Hawai'i.
There is no need to do much (thoughtless and protracted) labor. The absurd amount of laundry labor you read about historically was mostly culturally imposed, not required to clean the clothes.
Soaking for ~24 hours, the water (an ultimate solvent) will do most of the work, in clean water with some soap in it. Put clothes & soap in, agitate by hand for a few minutes, come back 24 hours later. Or agitate a few times briefly in between if you want.
There's a book I've lost the title of, by an Amish woman decades ago, who says all this.

If you want to stack some functions, try something like in "Travels With Charley" - the protagonist puts clothes, water, soap in a 5-gal bucket with sealable lid, secured it in his vehicle, and driving (partly unpaved) to town for errands & supplies gave it plenty of agitation.

Ditto comments about not over-packing the clothes. Like cooking pasta, too little water is not good for the outcome.
Ditto the manual roller-wringer if you want to squeeze out max water with minimum effort.
Otherwise it's however much you can wring out by hand. Which, if you do it appropriately in terms of body mechanics/not hurting yourself, can be one or both of gym-free workout and emotional catharsis.
Also ditto the winter line drying outside works. If below freezing the water will sublimate (go from solid directly to gaseous form, skipping the liquid form) out of the clothing, unless you are somehow in an extremely humid but also below freezing context.
I've also used those great old style wooden collapsible indoor drying racks.
 
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we use one of these.https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Wringer-Commercial-Bucket-Wheels/dp/B072VBNT17/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=mop+bucket&qid=1667660698&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1
 
pollinator
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Mop bucket works for jeans and towels. Twisting and squeezing for lighter stuff.

Wisemen trading sells good wringers but they will cost you. They are made for car washes so they are meant to withstand minimum wage laborers using them all day every day.

The right answer for a travel trailer for remote computer workers just sight seeing is very different than homesteading in a tiny house vs full house.

I will be building a wash house like grandma had asap when I get on my homestead, before the house. Small shed with heat that has enough space to get all the laundry done and shower. I am thinking a pebble RMH in the floor to keep water from freezing.
 
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12 DVDs bundle
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