Just a little lesson in case my readers are wondering how to wash clothes without a washing machine.....This is a new experience for me, so I thought I'd share because so often we take for granted the little things, like washers, and dryers.
Items you will need:
- Bucket
- Laundry Detergent
- Two Hands
- Warm Water
- Dirty Clothes
- Clothesline
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Step 1: Pour a small amount of detergent into the bucket. Don't get carried away with the detergent or else you will regret it when it comes time to rinse everything out.
Step 2: Fill bucket with hot water. How much water depends on how many clothes you are washing. It should be enough to cover the clothes so that they can be completely submerged. Don't put too much water, or you will splash yourself during Step 4!
Step 3: After the hot, soapy water is prepared, submerge your clothes in the water. Let them soak for 20-45 minutes. The longer they soak and the hotter the water, the less scrubbing you have to do! (I learned this today).
Step 4: After clothes have been soaked to your liking, it is time to scrub. It is best to put a towel down if you are sitting on the bathroom floor so that you don't get wet, and so that your body doesn't get sore. After you are situated on the ground, scrub. This can mean rubbing clothes together, or just pumping them up and down. They should be "scrubbed" until they are no longer soiled in any way. I like to grab every item and make sure it is completely clean before beginning Step 5.
Step 5: Rinsing. This is the hard part. There are two methods. You can either:
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Items you will need:
- Bucket
- Laundry Detergent
- Two Hands
- Warm Water
- Dirty Clothes
- Clothesline
.JPG)
Step 1: Pour a small amount of detergent into the bucket. Don't get carried away with the detergent or else you will regret it when it comes time to rinse everything out.
Step 2: Fill bucket with hot water. How much water depends on how many clothes you are washing. It should be enough to cover the clothes so that they can be completely submerged. Don't put too much water, or you will splash yourself during Step 4!
Step 3: After the hot, soapy water is prepared, submerge your clothes in the water. Let them soak for 20-45 minutes. The longer they soak and the hotter the water, the less scrubbing you have to do! (I learned this today).
Step 4: After clothes have been soaked to your liking, it is time to scrub. It is best to put a towel down if you are sitting on the bathroom floor so that you don't get wet, and so that your body doesn't get sore. After you are situated on the ground, scrub. This can mean rubbing clothes together, or just pumping them up and down. They should be "scrubbed" until they are no longer soiled in any way. I like to grab every item and make sure it is completely clean before beginning Step 5.
Step 5: Rinsing. This is the hard part. There are two methods. You can either:
A) Rinse each item under the faucet piece by piece - do not set them back into the bucket or they will get soapy again! This requires a clean surface for your clothes to lay, that you don't mind getting wet.
B) Fill up the bucket with water and pump clothes around until all the soap is out. This will require at least three repetitions if your clothes are properly soapy. I prefer this method.
Do not slack on the rising or else your clothes will feel like cardboard once they're dry.
Step 5: Your clothes should still be [dripping] wet. DO NOT RING THEM OUT. They will dry wrinkly, and you will look like a ragamuffin [speaking from experience here]. Gently squeeze the water out of your clothing until you are satisfied. The more you squeeze, the faster they dry.
Step 6: Hang clothes up on clothing line to dry. If you have multiple clothing lines, I would suggest starting from the clothing line furthest away. Hang up all personal items here, and your other clothes will block them :)
Step 7: Wait until they're dry. Wear. Repeat.
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Helpful tips
- Wash jeans sparingly. They are a real pain and take forever to dry.
- Don't wash more clothes than you have space to hang up on your clothing line.
- If it looks like it may rain, today may not be the best day to wash your clothes (Again, speaking from experience).
- Be gentle with knits. They stretch very easily.
We continue to take for granted the access to so many amenities, such as washer and dryers. It’s interesting and learning about how to wash clothes by hand, but I hope I never have to apply this learning to practice! The process seems very rigorous process but necessary when you don’t have the amenities of a washer and dryer.
ReplyDeleteDad,
DeleteI will never complain about washing clothes using a washing machine and dryer again! I can't wait to get home and have that luxury once again.
LOL ragmuffin! Jazz, I can't begin to imagine what its like to wash things constantly by hand. Washing few items by hand every so often doesn't seem like a big deal but when its every time.. Dang.. You must be getting some buff arms! Haha
ReplyDeleteMy arms are always sore after washing, and my legs too from crouching down while I wash! I will definitely be more grateful for amenities like washing machines when I return!
DeleteAHHHHHH you've been washing your clothes by hand!!!!! that is too much work! we have a line in the backyard that my housemates use sometimes... I personally give it the side eye.. but I might try it.. just to ya know get a little bit of your experience
ReplyDeleteHanging things up on the clothing line is overrated, but as hot as it is there, your stuff would probably dry really fast!!!!
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