Anyone hand wash their clothes?

[Kala]

Kala, I think you hit the nail on the head, basically, it's "your mileage may vary".

I raise my own meat chickens, but I pay someone to process them. Not because I can't, it's because we only do one or two large batches per year, and I don't have the time to do it all myself. Would I feel more self-sufficient if I did, absolutely! Could I, if I had to, yeppers. It's a trade-off I have the luxury to make right now.

I remember my mom's first washing machine - she still had to run the clothes through a ringer to get the water out of the clothes before hanging them on the line to dry....and unless we got the jeans filthy, we would wear one pair all week.

Yes, let's continue the conversation and idea exchange!

 

[Denim Deb]

Jamie, unless they get extremely dirty or wet (like mine did yesterday), I still wear 1 pair of jeans all week. All I'm doing is working in them around animals, so why put on a clean pair everyday when I KNOW I'm just going to get them dirty.

 

[FarmerJamie]

Yep, me too.

 

[Country Momma]

I too visited the washboard factory in logan. My husband and I got married at Hocking Hills' Ash Cave. Anyway, have used my washboard for smaller articles of clothing (diapers, kids' clothes), nothing big. I should have got a larger washboard. Right now for me it is about saving money on electricty and not using my machine. Dont have the money for a new high efficiency one either. I also just ordered a hand washer (looked like a toilet plunger) from Emergency Essentials catalog. Havent tried it, going to wait until it stops all this crazy raining, and then wash some clothes outside by by line.

 

[FarmerJamie]

I too visited the washboard factory in logan. My husband and I got married at Hocking Hills' Ash Cave. Anyway, have used my washboard for smaller articles of clothing (diapers, kids' clothes), nothing big. I should have got a larger washboard. Right now for me it is about saving money on electricty and not using my machine. Dont have the money for a new high efficiency one either. I also just ordered a hand washer (looked like a toilet plunger) from Emergency Essentials catalog. Havent tried it, going to wait until it stops all this crazy raining, and then wash some clothes outside by by line.

Two testimonials for the factory, I'm going to have to look this place up. We love visiting the Logan area and the Hocking Hills- a college buddy of mine is a pastor of a church in the area. Thanks!

 

[miss_thenorth]

I love my washing machine. My drier only gets used in the winter, since i can't hang it outside, and it is too damp in the house. I usually do a load a day, and in the warmer weather, i will save up my laundry for a nice day, so I can hang it all on the line. If my washing machine broke, (and it did last year, but was an easy fix)but if it broke, I would probably try handwashing until we had the money saved to buy a new washer. I won't go into debt for one. But it would be a priority.

 

[Kala]

I too visited the washboard factory in logan. My husband and I got married at Hocking Hills' Ash Cave. Anyway, have used my washboard for smaller articles of clothing (diapers, kids' clothes), nothing big. I should have got a larger washboard. Right now for me it is about saving money on electricty and not using my machine. Dont have the money for a new high efficiency one either. I also just ordered a hand washer (looked like a toilet plunger) from Emergency Essentials catalog. Havent tried it, going to wait until it stops all this crazy raining, and then wash some clothes outside by by line.

Two testimonials for the factory, I'm going to have to look this place up. We love visiting the Logan area and the Hocking Hills- a college buddy of mine is a pastor of a church in the area. Thanks!

Who is it that you know? You can just PM if you want. If you don't mind me asking that is. we're local yocals so I was just curious.

 

[miss_thenorth]

I love my washing machine. My drier only gets used in the winter, since i can't hang it outside, and it is too damp in the house. I usually do a load a day, and in the warmer weather, i will save up my laundry for a nice day, so I can hang it all on the line. If my washing machine broke, (and it did last year, but was an easy fix)but if it broke, I would probably try handwashing until we had the money saved to buy a new washer. I won't go into debt for one. But it would be a priority.

There is no way I would take the time to hand wash and/or line dry them. Why spend 20 minutes hanging them outside when I can toss them in the dryer in seconds? Also, what happens to you clothes if it storms or snows while you are at work? It just seems like so much work. I like convenience.
To each their own, I guess.

Chickenone, since this is a self sufficiency forum, it is rarely about convenenience, and more about being able to do for oneself, and about saving money/resources.

time is a resource.

Yes, but not one most on here, who enjoy doing things for themselves, are as concerned about.

 

[moolie]

I actually try not to "hand" wash and don't buy items that require it (other than a few dainties that I have), but have done it as needed over the years... when I was a student and didn't have change for the laundromat, at times when the washer didn't work over the years, for really muddy/dirty work or camping things etc.

But I just wanted to note the "non-powered" ways I've used to wash clothing that that are a step above washing by "hand". I've never used a washboard, and have always wondered if it is wearing on clothing?

The toilet plunger in a 5-gallon bucket method works really well for most clothes that can move about freely in the bucket (jeans and other heavy items are better in a larger tub). I've got stains out this way and find that it works just like a powered washer if you run through similar "cycles" of agitating and soaking. I'm seeing the vented "plunger"-type things that are actually meant for laundry showing up in discount stores so they must be becoming more popular?

A few years ago we picked up an old wringer washer (listed on Kijiji--like Craigslist) for $15. It was noisy and smelly to run (leaked oil) so we eventually passed it on to others, but the tank was great to wash in and the wringer was wonderful! If you use a wringer you need to mind your fingers and fold things with the buttons padded inside or they'll break.

We hang nearly all of our laundry year-round despite not being able to hang it outside when it is wet or too cold--we have a folding laundry rack and also have really long railings between levels in our home (step down from kitchen to front living/dining room and back family room) that we hang our jeans and sweaters on. I say most as we do run out of "line" on bigger laundry days!

Question: how often do most people do their laundry?

We are four (with two teenage girls) and hubbie and I do our darks and whites once a week (usually Thursday) and the girls do the towels and lighter colours once a week (usually Friday--they started on laundry at ages 12 and 13 as I did when I was a girl). We find doing it over two days spreads it out almost enough to have enough "line" to dry everything on.

 

[miss_thenorth]

time is a resource.

Yes, but not one most on here, who enjoy doing things for themselves, are as concerned about.

So basically you are saying that my opinons are not welcome. Got it.

No. Basically what I am saying is that this is a self sufficiency forum where we discuss doing things in a self sufficient manner- i.e.-washing clothes by hand. It is perfectly fine that you choose to use a machine, as do I, but others, the op included is pondering doing laundry by hand.

Why spend 20 minutes hanging them outside when I can toss them in the dryer in seconds?

Because people want to, and because they can.

Moving on now.