# Laundry after SHTF?



## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

I've noticed a weakness in my preps. How am I gonna do laundry without power? This question is directed towards a full blown collapse of society. So no electricity is involved. Hygiene is important. I need a simple way to wash clothes and sheets, etc. An old washboard seems ok yet inefficient. What is your solution to this problem? I have plenty of washing powder but I would like to hear about how to go about it off grid.


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

How's about a mangle??


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Same way we did it in the field. Pail and water. Only we will be using home made soaps are the stock piles run down. At least here we will have all the water we want.


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## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)




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## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)




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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

solar electricity and my high efficiency clothes washer. Line drying.


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

There is washing implement (don't know the name), that looks like a funnel with holes, on a handle, used to agitate clothes in a tub/bucket.
Rinse, wring and hang on a line.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

I have my grandmothers scrub board, almost identical to the one in post #5. 
Can wash cloths in the river behind me during the summer.
Arklaytex, do those powders dissolve in cold water?
We have liquid ALL put away, enough for about 5 years.
Can make soap from the potash after that.
Line dry or use a laundry rack inside during the winter.


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## Stick (Sep 29, 2014)

First try to load a pic...did it take?


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

stick said:


> first try to load a pic...did it take?


no it did not.


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## Stick (Sep 29, 2014)

Tango, I have two of those things. They set me one with no handle, so I called and they sent me another. The short handled one I use for delicates, the long handled one for regular washing. Works pretty well for undies and t-shirts and socks and the like. Bigger bucket for bigger loads. As per usual, my pictures do not want to load...


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

A 5 gallon bucket and a toilet plunger to agitate it.

Mamasan used to beat our jungle fatigues against a rock down at the river.

Combat deployments to third world hell holes teach a lot about self sufficiency, field expedients, and doing without many things people think are essential to life. 
Right Smitty?


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## OctopusPrime (Dec 2, 2014)

You could use vinegar to kill mold smell in a non electric senario. You could make a manual clothing washer from a barrel with a revolving spine in it to turn the clothes. The spine could be attached to a bar and harness. It doubles as a work out station too. Could be powered by the wind as well.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

rice paddy daddy said:


> A gallon bucket and a toilet plunger to agitate it.
> 
> Mamasan used to beat our jungle fatigues against a rock down at the river.
> 
> ...


Now we're talking. I have buckets and plungers. And a free flowing water source.

Socom, my washing powder does work with cold water. I need to look up how to make my own soap. I have the info in my library. But no personal experience.

All, keep the info flowing.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

There was a maytag gasoline washing machine that had a two cycle engine to run it.
Marines had them on the pacific islands during ww2.
It had a plunger 18 inches in diameter, operated through a pipe in the center of the tub.
Also had a hand cranked rubber wringer.


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

Mobile Washer (Hand Operated Washing Machine)

This really works. When I am at our cabin, I do all our laundry with this. Much easier than a washboard, and it works better than the pressurized rotator drums you will also see online. Get a 5 gal bucket and start with the whites. Wash several loads, ending with the jeans. You plunge and twist a bit, and it gets real good agitation going. Now for the hard part - wringing. That is really rough when you are dealing with towels, jeans, and bulky items. I've read all the reviews on wringers and none of them seem like they will hold up well and all are too expensive. The easiest and cheapest way is to use a "bucket press." Drill some holes in the sides of a bucket. Put your wet clothes in. Put another bucket on top and then sit down. Your weight will press the water out a lot easier than trying to wring by hand.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

this is how you wash clothes....


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

I'd go with a dasher washer. and use the Non electric clothes press RN posted above.


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## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

The old style wash basin with the manual wringing out rollers on top. About the size of a modern hotwater heater. Thats my first thought. I dont have one. Now i want one. 

This board makes me spend money!!


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

Stores like Lehmans sell all sorts of non electric washers, plungers, you know-- Amish stuff.


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## Real Old Man (Aug 17, 2015)

tango said:


> There is washing implement (don't know the name), that looks like a funnel with holes, on a handle, used to agitate clothes in a tub/bucket.
> Rinse, wring and hang on a line.


Toilet plunger works very well in a garbage can


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## MI.oldguy (Apr 18, 2013)

We used the plastic bucket and plunger route and some ivory liquid dish soap up on our month long trek in our truck camper at a rural site in Montana on our honeymoon some years ago.you just need to boil some water to get the soap to get frothy.we used luke warm water to start and had more warm water to add as it got cold.rinse well.then,strung a piece of rope across two trees to dry.KISS.


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

TacticalCanuck said:


> The old style wash basin with the manual wringing out rollers on top. About the size of a modern hotwater heater. Thats my first thought. I dont have one. Now i want one.
> 
> This board makes me spend money!!


Tell me where to find a quality one!!! I've looked. I used to have an old electric Maytag washer with an electric wringer when I lived overseas. The thing was made of cast iron and looked like a giant white bedpan. But oh that thing could wash clothes and I loved the powerful wringer. All the manual wringers I can find now look wimpy and the reviews talk about rusting and not holding up well. I'll stick with the bucket press until I find a wringer that seems worth spending the money for.


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## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

RNprepper said:


> Tell me where to find a quality one!!! I've looked. I used to have an old electric Maytag washer with an electric wringer when I lived overseas. The thing was made of cast iron and looked like a giant white bedpan. But oh that thing could wash clothes and I loved the powerful wringer. All the manual wringers I can find now look wimpy and the reviews talk about rusting and not holding up well. I'll stick with the bucket press until I find a wringer that seems worth spending the money for.


Not found one either. The quest starts now!


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

A dasher washer would be a great project for a permanent location. Immediately after SHTF, the little plunger washer will be fine. It's light and portable, easy to store away. No matter what method, laundry is hard work without power machines. A whole day of the week was devoted to laundry in many homes. Your arms will get strong, for sure. Be sure to have a lot of clothes line and clothes pins in your preps.


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

I've done it in the bathtub for a week and I can tell you... It is a waste of time, effort and water to do it in the bath tub. We failed MISERABLY.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

RNprepper said:


> Tell me where to find a quality one!!! I've looked. I used to have an old electric Maytag washer with an electric wringer when I lived overseas. The thing was made of cast iron and looked like a giant white bedpan. But oh that thing could wash clothes and I loved the powerful wringer. All the manual wringers I can find now look wimpy and the reviews talk about rusting and not holding up well. I'll stick with the bucket press until I find a wringer that seems worth spending the money for.


I agree RN. We had one when I lived overseas and it made life so much easier than all the hand washing. Why can a 3rd world country have a quality washer that doesn't plug in but the USA can't? Maybe we should import some?


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## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

if all else fails boil that stuff then rinse in clean cool water wring out and hang dry.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

Wringing out laundry will peel the skin off your hands. A roller/wringer is better than hand wringing but a centrifugal wringer is even better.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

anybody have an opinion

Best Wringer Washer | Stand, Wash Tubs, and Wringer | Made in USA:


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

Medic33 said:


> if all else fails boil that stuff then rinse in clean cool water wring out and hang dry.


You missed the point entirely. Wringing hot heavy fabric by hand is virtually impossible. You may manage it for a day, but you will quickly be looking for a better way to do it. A good quality wringer is great, but I have yet to find one. The bucket press wins over hand wringing.

Furthermore, if you don't wring them out well, you'll have a real hard time getting them to dry.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Like RPD said:


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## Prepadoodle (May 28, 2013)

I'm thinking my woman will haul all my dirty undies down to the nearest river and like, pound them with a rock or something.

Well that's MY plan anyway. <shrug>


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

Check out Leahmans--- they have all that stuff


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

tango said:


> Check out Leahmans--- they have all that stuff


Just haven't been impressed by cost or quality of any of the wringers.


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