# Washin Duds?



## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

So, anybody given any thoughts on washin clothes in a situation?

I was thinking bout one a these:










Would be handy in the motorhome an if ya needed to do some clothe's in a emergency. Either this er a wash board, ain't sure I can get momma to do the washboard thing.

We got a creek real close ta the house, so as long as the water ain't muddy, that could be used fer wash water. The way the sales pitch reads, sounds like they would work perty good. Seen some in RV mags to, so just wondered what everbody thought or what yall plan on doin.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Done thought of that ourselves! MMM and I have been doing laundry this way, full time, for 7 years.









That's a hand-cranked wringer, too.


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## mdprepper (Jan 22, 2010)

On another site one lady had a 5 gallon bucket with a new plunger through the lid for an agitator then she used an industrial mop wringer to squeeze out as much water as she could. Just another thought.


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

My wife posted the picture of how we do it here. One thing we learned right away was the value of a wringer. There're lots of ways to wash clothes but wringing the water out by hand is slow, tedious and A LOT OF WORK. It's very hard on your hands. Especially with jeans.

We've been known to put our clothes in a barrel half full of water and soap and drive into town (seven miles). Dump the wash water and refill with rinse water and drive home again. The clothes are clean and rinsed by the time we get home. Of course we don't do it just to wash clothes but if we need to go in anyway ... 

If you're just looking at washing a couple things at a time like keeping current on the wash when camping the unit pictured will probably do fine.

Regarding washboards ... you're better off with a flat surface to lay the clothes on then work them over with soap and a scrub brush.


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## nj_m715 (Oct 31, 2008)

I was going to suggest the 5g bucket with plunger. They make a special plunger built for washing, but a standard one works for me. They say 3 or 4 mins of plunging does the job. Greentrust.org has a couple god vid on youtube. He wrings the clothes placing the wet laundry into a bucket with some holes on the bottom. You insert your wash bucket (nest it) on top of the wet clothes and sit down on it to push out the water. 

I looked into the little wonder washer and found a few bad reviews. One of those deal or dud shows gave them to a few camper and rv guys. No one liked it and a few even broke,


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

We wore out a few toilet plungers before we bought the metal "rapid washer" plunger in the picture above. The rubber on regular plungers eventually gives out from the use.

That's a double set of washtubs in my picture but you can only see one of them from this angle. 

In the winter we use a 5-gallon bucket on the shower floor, plunge it with the metal plunger, then run outside and roll it through the wringer. We have clotheslines in the cabin near the woodstove, outside on a covered porch, and out in the back yard.

Even better than a mop wringer, for those who go that route, is one of those wringers gas stations had in the old days for the rags from washing windows. They really squeeze the water out.


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## OldFashionedMama (Jun 18, 2009)

If I didn't have 4 other people and myself to wash for, I'd already have a wringer washer. I've also considered purchasing clothing that is naturally antimicrobial and does not need to be washed often, like wool or hemp-but its so prohibitively expensive I can't do it right now


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## lexsurivor (Jul 5, 2010)

Mosquito are you married to sue? 
Also if worse came to worse you could just wash it in a creek and then use sand.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Yes, mosquito is married to sue! 

By the way, in case anyone wondered...our place is called "mosquito mountain ranch", hence his name, mosquito mountain man!

Yup, can wash in a creek and use sand or rub clothes on rocks. Then spread the clothes over bushes or other brush to dry. The air can get to them from both sides that way. Don't even have to wring them out much that way.


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## Genevieve (Sep 21, 2009)

We have the bucket and plunger set up set aside for the washing post shtf. We also have an industrial sized bucket with ringer. And a large galvanized tub for the bigger stuff like sheets and towels.
Staying on top of the laundry IMO would be something you'd want to do. Maybe a load a day. You can always hang it near the heating in the winter. You'd just have to add it to the chore list. I had planned to do it when I had finished the dishes in the mornings. The laundry could be soaking while I did the dishes and then I could finish the laundry up and get it outside early enough to dry in time. I mean, I'll be needing to heat water for the dishes, so might as well do enough for the laundry at the same time. lol
And really, if you think about it,most clothes don't get dirty all over ( unless you're a real clutz* raises hand* lol). Some things just need a quick wash and a good rinse. And if you use aprons, you can catch a lot of dirt and stains, making laundry easier. Coveralls would work good for the guys when they're doing something very dirty. And then that way you would only have one or two really dirty loads to do.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Well thought-out plan, Genevieve. Especially the part about heating all the water at once! Yeah! I've always liked aprons in the kitchen so I didn't have to worry about getting dirty, and I could whip it off in a minute and be presentable! The idea of coveralls for outdoor work is a good one! It would really save work in the long run! 

When I do laundry I sort by cleanest to dirtiest. Underclothes go in the water first, run through the ringer and into the rinse tub. Then I work my way through until I get to the dirty jeans or grubby socks. I have two washboards but scrapped using them. I pin the clothes against the side of the washtub with my hand on the rim and scrub at stains with a brush. Same with socks. 

In the winter, especially, things don't get real dirty. Just smelly after a while!


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

For me, if things got really bad, I will be going "back to nature" full-time. Skip the clothes, skin washes quicker anyway :sssh:


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

naekid, guess that means you'll be hanging out with friends, eh?


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

NaeKid said:


> For me, if things got really bad, I will be going "back to nature" full-time. Skip the clothes, skin washes quicker anyway :sssh:


You moving to a warmer climate?


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

mosquitomountainman said:


> You moving to a warmer climate?


Noppers - nothing better than to be playin' in the snow wearing god-given clothing! :wave:


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Yall wanna be carefull wearin them sorta cloths Naekid if yer gonna be working around fire er movin parts!

Might just loose somthin ya wanna keep!

I think we might give the metal plunger one a try. Bout 16 bucks an won't take up alotta room with a wash tub what could be used for other things and a couple a buckets. I've already got one a the old gas station wringers so that be covered.

I found a recipe fer homemade dry laundry soap. Gonna whoop up a batch and see how it works.


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

OldCootHillbilly said:


> Yall wanna be carefull wearin them sorta cloths Naekid if yer gonna be working around fire er movin parts!
> 
> Might just loose somthin ya wanna keep!


I haven't lost anything yet that I wanna keep. I don't think anything is worse than weldin' with flux-core'd mig-wire in the buff, or grindin' steel without guards in place in the buff - or even cookin' up some fresh bacon over a fire.

The only thing that really bothers me is when the skeeter's wanna make lunch outta me


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## Aemilia (May 27, 2010)

NaeKid said:


> even cookin' up some fresh bacon over a fire.


I really, really hope you mean Canadian Bacon (what we call ham?). Because I can't imagine cooking splattery bacon in my birthday suit.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Now thats a itch what be hard to scratch!


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Hey, oldcoot, if that homemade dry laundry soap turns out any good, ya wanna share the recipe with the class?


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Sure will. Might be just a bit, gonna be awfull busy the next 3 weeks. Oldest boy gettin ready to deploy to Afghanastan. Gonna be tough, he just had his 2nd daughter this month. Were hopin this will be his last tour.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Best wishes to your boy, and I hope he comes back safely. Yep, it'll be hard on the family. 

Take your time on the laundry soap recipe. Your family needs you.


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## Barbie2 (Jul 13, 2010)

Hey, gypysue, my Mom had a wash tub and hand crank set up like yours when I was a little girl. I didn't know they still have some around. Mom use to tell a story about how my aunt got her hair caught in the wringer one time, when she was a young girl.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Barbie2 said:


> Hey, gypysue, my Mom had a wash tub and hand crank set up like yours when I was a little girl. I didn't know they still have some around. Mom use to tell a story about how my aunt got her hair caught in the wringer one time, when she was a young girl.


Oh my goodness, she got her HAIR caught in the wringer? Ouch! That's funny and not funny all at once! We've stopped short of getting our fingers in it, but that's all!

When the kids were growing up they loved to have their turn to feed clothes into it, or to be the one on the other side "catching" the clothes to drop them into the rinse water!

You should check to see if your Mom still has it around! They're getting hard to find nowdays, but so handy to have, even for "just in case!"

I see this is your first post, welcome to the forum!


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## mdprepper (Jan 22, 2010)

OldCootHillbilly said:


> I found a recipe fer homemade dry laundry soap. Gonna whoop up a batch and see how it works.


Did you ever make the laundry detergent?? If you did, what were the results?

Thanks!


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Finally got the stuff gathered up ta make it, just ain't had time, but it be on the short list!


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## josephines (Sep 20, 2010)

I made lye soap from a recipe on a lye can bought at a grocery store. I used it for over two years--just one recipe, and I had a child in diapers. A butcher shop got me the fat--also some fat for mincemeat using a recipe from my grandmother. Just be cautious; lye gets hot when it gets wet. The soap has to age about 6 weeks to give the lye time to be integrated chemically into the fat--so it does not burn skin or clothing.

Lye can be made from hardwood ashes, too. Drip water, in drops, over a day or a night, through a few gallons of ashes. Collect the water; that contains the lye. I don't know how to measure it, though.

I have a small Wonder-Washer tub. I really like it; it does a great job. The pressure lid sometimes shrinks a bit and has to be locked-on using even hand-pressure all over it. 

It is small, though--a bother for large batches of clothing, even if the wash water is saved and used over. So, instead of it, I put water and my shampoo that I am not allergic to (from a health-food store) into my bathtub, stir-in the clothes well, and let it all sit for up to several hours. In the summer, here, mildew will come in on anything not submerged, so if the clothes are just needing a quick wash, i don't soak them at all. Then I take a toilet plunger dedicated to this job and plunge it all for a few minutes. If I trusted the flooring under the tub, i would just walk on it for a while, singing to music and doing arm exercises. 

Rinsing takes the most energy, and the most water. Wringing takes some time, and then dripping and drying in the sunshine takes time. If I don't use gloves, my cuticles get dry.

I love the commercial laundry detergents, but most have plastics contamination, harmful chemicals, and allergy-producing scents. I do keep a baby-clothes stain-remover on-hand. It's fragrance fades as the clothes are rinsed out.

Two big factors in washing textiles: a big tub (Remember the bedding.) and a big clothesline. Some climates would do well to have a frame around the clothesline--at least part of it--so plastic can be draped to capture the sun's heat and keep off rain. Even in winter, though, with dry air and sunshine, the clothes dry if I get them out early enough. I have started my clothes in the middle of the night at times, just to coodinate with all of the extengencies.


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## townparkradio (Mar 30, 2010)

My only real problem is trying to find a wringer for a sane price. I'm looking to homestead in about a year here, so the wife and I are already downgrading our expectations and trying to do things the old fashioned way, but there's just no wringers to speak of. Do mop bucket wringers work allright?


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

I got an old one from dad's gas station what works real well. Keep an eye out on ebay, ya can pick em up there from time ta time. Lehman's has em new, but boy they sure be high priced!


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

OldCootHillbilly said:


> I got an old one from dad's gas station what works real well. Keep an eye out on ebay, ya can pick em up there from time ta time. Lehman's has em new, but boy they sure be high priced!


If you happen to find any other more those old gas station wringers please let me know. They are ten times better than those bought at Lehman's.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

OldCootHillbilly said:


> I got an old one from dad's gas station what works real well. Keep an eye out on ebay, ya can pick em up there from time ta time. Lehman's has em new, but boy they sure be high priced!


$20-$75 on craigslist in my area... not a single ad had a pic tho... :hmmm:


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

The_Blob said:


> $20-$75 on craigslist in my area... not a single ad had a pic tho... :hmmm:


Would you send me a link please?


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## Clarice (Aug 19, 2010)

I have a large double sink, found at the dump, out side my kitchen door for washing fresh picked vegies. I have a old fashion scrub board (yard sale $3) and salvaged a ringer from a old industrial mop bucket. I think these will work. A number 3 wash tub and a plunger would also work.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

MMM: if I find one I'll let ya know, there hard ta come by, when the price a junk wen't skyhigh, folks crushed allota stuff. Some of it was a true shame, lots a good stuff gone inta soup cans.


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## townparkradio (Mar 30, 2010)

So... as I can't find an affordable clothes wringer.. is a mop wringer decent enough for the job?


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

It's gonna beat doin em by hand!


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

townparkradio said:


> So... as I can't find an affordable clothes wringer.. is a mop wringer decent enough for the job?


They're better than nothing. They don't get your clothes as dry as a wringer does.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

mosquitomountainman said:


> They're better than nothing. They don't get your clothes as dry as a wringer does.


Yeah, true, but you can still hang them on the line and they'll dry fine. Doesn't matter if they're not as wrung out. Even a mop wringer is easier on the hands than, well, wringing by hand! They might take a little longer to dry, but in this climate (Montana) they're going to dry pretty fast either way.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

Years ago (the 60s ) my brother modified wringer washers with small gasoline engines, for years I thought the small gas engine was called a washing machine engine.

This could be done on a modern washer with a bunch of work , prolly a lot easier to run a gen for the wash cycle , the newer washers have a pretty effective spin cycle and clothes hanged to dry do so quite quickly

There is also a manual washer called the James, basicly a half drum on a rocker pivit with a handle and something to bonk against the clothes, but you would still need a wringer

:scratch


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