Manual Laundry

Blaundee

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SSDreamin said:
Beekissed said:
Liz Demag said:
Manula laundry can stink to do sometimes especially with a teenage boy aorund that changes his clothes 5 times a day and throws them in the hamper even though he's worn themfor grand total of 20 mins... if that... but it is really rewarding and when you don't have a bill for electricity for the washer and dryer it's really a wonderful feeling!
Suggestion~the boy will promptly change his ways if HE is the one having to do the manual washing of his own laundry...this I can almost guarantee. ;) My elder and youngest did the same thing until I would sort their laundry separately from the family's and require they did their own laundry. The total amount of their clothing hitting that dirty laundry basket decreased drastically and immediately.

As a single mom of three boys I often had to deal with their wastefulness, their sloth and their natural feelings of entitlement....for some reason this is just the hallmark of teens or just males, I don't know. The only way to break this cycle or instill any sense of responsibility for their actions, I have found, is to require they do their own laundry, dishes, cleaning, etc. Also they can do their own cooking.

One example of my methods is this: I don't buy store bought bread and really enjoy making my bread by hand but noticed that as quick as I could make it, it would disappear. Found out that when all other quick meals were depleted, my boys would often eat several pieces of bread with honey and peanut butter, PB&J or tuna fish salad sandwiches~whatever was quickest to shove in their mouths and without having to cook~whenever they got home from school(while I was still at work).

I made a rule that whoever ate the most bread had to make the next batch. They all got very proficient at making homemade bread~even better than my own in some cases~and the bread consumption slowed down drastically to a more normal rate of consumption.
Would you be willing to write a book?! I'd be first in line to buy it!!! :D My 12 yr old son thinks I am the maid (and I promise, I have insisted he do things for himself since age 8 - he USED to cook, clean, wash dishes and has done his own laundry). He has taken to talking down to me, and being VERY insulting. :barnie
If I or my sisters or brother had talked to and treated my mom like that, she would have given us a good spanking. I think I was 16 when I got my last spanking, and my brother was 17- he was bigger and taller than my mom, but bent over the table to take his licks anyway. We were quickly dealt with if we were ever disobedient or disrespectful, though as we got older grounding became more of a discipline than spanking- we dearly loved to be outside, so being grounded was the worst thing you could do to us! We had to go do our chores, but then spend the rest of the day indoors, in our bedrooms. I don't remember when we started doing our own laundry, but I remember helping my mother do laundry from age 5, as well as other household chores- I'd have never dreamed of NOT doing my chores. Also, the standing rule for animals was that you either do your chores for your own animals or your animals would be sold. We were allowed to trade jobs with each other and make deals, etc, but it had to be taken care of and it was up to US to do it, NOT my parents. Now, all 4 of us are well adjusted, very responsible, honest, hardworking adults who are well liked in our community and known for being great workers and good people- I'd say my parents did an excellent job.

Spank his disrespectful little self.
 

Britesea

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I'm a little late jumping in again here, but oh well...

I've been having to do at least some of my laundry manually lately, because something is blocking the drain for the washing machine so that the water overflows onto the floor when the machine empties. We don't have the money to call in a plumber and haven't been able to figure out what's going on, although my husband thought we might have an ice dam (the washing machine and kitchen sink in this 20's-era house are apparently connected to a gray water system that dumps the water out in the wild land behind our house). Once every 2 weeks on payday, I take the biggest stuff in to the laundromat. I've been using the 5 gallon bucket and plunger system, with a washboard that I just got from the local junk yard/antique dealer. I can still use the washing machine on the spin cycle only without flooding (small favors!) and I have wash lines hung in the long and narrow laundry room.

I ran across an interesting idea for getting the water out of clothes without wringing... you take 2 buckets and drill a series of holes near the bottom of the first one. Not so many as to compromise the strength of the bucket, but enough so the water will run out easily. Dump your clothes in that bucket. Now take the second bucket and put the lid on it. Put it on top of the wet laundry and............. SIT on it. Supposedly it work even for things like jeans, but I haven't tried it yet.


On the subject of people not cleaning their clothing or bodies very often..... I read about an older bachelor farmer that had to have his clothing cut off because it had been so long since he had changed his long underwear that his hair had grown through it!
 

frustratedearthmother

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The bucket system sounds like it would work.
But on the subject of wearing clothes until your hair growing through them..........ugh......
 

Denim Deb

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I was in the supermarket yesterday and got talking to someone whose washer had broken and doesn't have the money to get it fixed. She's been going to the laundromat. So, I told her about the bucket and plunger method as well as using the mop wringer. She got all excited and is going to try it. :lol:
 

Wannabefree

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:lol: Awesome! I hope she does and loves it!!!
 

Hinotori

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One of the many antique stores here has two old plungers washers for $35 or $40. Both are metal but a bit different styles. The handles are very long and came up to about my armpit. That would making using them less back pain I think.

DH didn't want one taking up space if I wasn't going to be using it, but I was very tempted to get one. I should go back and see if they still have one and get it.
 

danielburns271

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I am washing my clothes manually, it gains exercise and have your self get enjoyed! :)
 

Jubilee101.com

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Britesea - When we have gotten plugged drains in the past we just put a garden hose in the drain and tape the H*** out of it then turn the water on for a couple of minutes and the pressure is usually able to clean out whatever was blocking the drain. The actually make rubber hose attachment with a small hole through them that you can put on a drain and it will seal well before turning the water on - would post a photo but me being a newbie around here I'm pretty limited to what I post. Hope this helps.

As for manual washing of clothes there are some great ideas on hooking up a bicycle to an old washing machine. I have a few DIY plans on how to do it if you are interested but the videos on YouTube will probably show more detail.

Scott
 
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