[Marcella]

“but I can’t imagine living without a washing machine.”

I don't think we have talked about washing clothes in a SHTF situation. My method is this:

To have hot water to wash clothes, put a couple of filled camp showers in the sun to heat up. Once that water is hot, continue:

1. Use dishwashing liquid for the soap. A very small bit makes a huge around of suds. Don't use much ‘cause you have to get the suds out.

2. Use 1/2 of the sink and have a clean plunger for that purpose. Get one now and put it away. Use the plunger to get the soap through the clothes. When you get tired plunging, wring out the clothes and put them in the other half of the sink with water in it.

3. Get the soap off the plunger, and use it to get soap out of the clothes. When you get tired plunging, wring them out and take outside.

4. There are two ways to hang clothes. Buy clothes line and pins at Walmart. String the line between two objects and pin the clothes on there.

4A. I bought a metal extending clothes dryer Christmas tree looking thing. Right now it's folded inside a not big box in the outside storage room. The metal bar in the center fits in the hole in the center of the iron table on the deck where the folding umbrella is right now. Once the bar is in the hole, extend the limbs of the clothes hanger and pin the clothes on all the extending bars. It's a steady and firm way to pin up clothes and they aren't going anywhere on those metal spokes.

That is the end of Clothes Washing 101.

[JRandomFreeper]

That ain't the way granny taught me to boil laundry in lye soap. Besides, you forgot to mention that Monday is the traditional laundry day. ;)

/johnny

[Kartographer]

A Sustainable Laundry Washer

http://birminghampoint.co/blog/2012/08/09/sustainability/a-high-performance-washer-for-sustainable-laundering/

[greeneyes]

I’ve used that method too.LOL

[Bigg Red]

Okay, thanks.

I am not a stranger to handwashing laundry, as I used to do that on extended camping trips when my children were small, and I have done some laundry by hand when we have been away on our boat for weeks.

But my experience has been with clothing only and in warm weather. I just cannot imagine doing my weekly sheet and towel washing by hand. I could, of course, if I had to, but I would hate it.

As for hanging out laundry, I do that quite frequently, even in the winter, if the weather permits. I do use the dryer for towels, though, as that makes them much softer and fluffier.