City-raised fag here. I got a barn in the middle of nowhere with the upstairs loft converted into an apartment (with a shower stall). How do I wash clothes without a 220V outlet and water line, just a hose or my shower head? I was looking into manual washing machines like this for RVs, a wringing machine, and biodegradable soap so I can dump it outside or into the septic. Is this the best way to do this?
Thanks anons <3
I wouldn't overcomplicate it, just get a trashcan or some kind of big tub, use regular detergent, then hang the clothes to dry. You'll get a feel for how to wash by hand well after a few tries, I would usually take my time with it and let the clothes soak quite a bit, then agitate them, spread them out in the water then agitate them again, and repeat until they seemed clean enough. Wringing by hand takes a fair amount of effort but is necessary to get the best results. I recommend only washing one or two sets of clothes at a time especially at first.
I'm curious about this too. In my experience of hand washing, wringing things dry is the worst part. It's exhausting and anything bigger than a towel is heavy when soaked. So I would say you probably want to buy or build an old fashioned wringing machine.
This also helps with ironing the clothes later.
Those wringers destroy anything with buttons. Find or hey rig a spin dryer if you can.
>(with a shower stall)
How are you pumping hot water for the shower?
If you've got hot water, (or even if you don't) they make 110v washers and driers that you could run off a gasoline generator.
There's a LP tank/furnace that does the hot water and heating
I'd prefer to stay away from electric so I can live more off the grid. Up there, there's a decent chance the power will go out often because it's heavily forested and in the middle of nowhere
Thanks anons. I was also looking at these "washing wands" to use with a plastic garbage can; are they gimmicks or is there a more tried-and-true method? I'm wary of plastic things that can break though.
As for a generator, I'm about 30 minutes from a gas station and honestly I have PTSD from my time overseas. In the third world where there isn't means of distributing power, everyone has a generator. All you hear at night is the constant WRRRRR of them, I can't stand it. Being around them running for too long gives me panic attacks.
But yeah, I might just have to get a spin dryer or hand-wring them. I'm pretty big and strong so I don't think hand-wringing would be too hard, but I also appreciate my time and value efficiency. Is there some sort of book of how people used to wash clothes before the invention of electricity/motors? From my research (wiki/youtube) I've also come across the crank ones and washboards, but I don't think that could fit in the shower stall.
>fem-boy cleaning his cum rags in a handjob motion
I wouldn't trust a product that has that as the ad image.
Also- fun fact- if you pick up the bucket and put it on a low table or a stump, you can move the stuff around without a three foot pole
Good points, anon, thanks. Would I have to presoak the clothes? And if so, for how long?
I use two large buckets, ideally I would have a third but I rinse the first out and use for the third step:
>One large bucket filled halfway with water, then put in a little powder of good quality clothes detergent, then more water to get the powder activated, then add in the clothes
>Let it be submerged, then rotated around enough so the clothes are all wet and exposed to the detergent
>Here I let it sort of settle for a few minutes
>Periodically rotate the clothes around by hand, the same way a washing machine rotates it
this is the main cleaning part; after a few rotates
>remove from bucket, attempt to let most water leave the clothing into the bucket
>place into another bucket or just water
>allow to re-absorb water, and let the soap and dirt leech out of the fabric
>rotate by hand in a similar method, exposing all sides and nooks to water
>when it seems so, remove from this bucket, allowing to drip the same, and place into a third bucket or the original bucket that has been rinsed out atleast twice to rid any soap
>repeat the same process in this second bucket of water
make sure you have rinsed off your hands between steps. the purpose of the first bucket is to do the majority of cleaning, the second is to get it back to no soap, and the third is the ensure the suds have left
>then place onto a rack or line to dry until constant dripping stops
>continue to dry by wind, or move to a machine for gentle low-heat dry
This is what I do for wool socks, delicate clothing, even fabric tarps or rucksacks when I first get them
don't put too much in, or the soap wont reach it all to clean and/or the soap wont leave the fabric easily during the water phase
Thanks anon, I love you. What brand of powdered clothes detergent do you use?
Mrs. Meyer's
got two bags of it in the clearance aisle, otherwise a little premium
I cut a little packet and pour it in, each packet is good for about 4-5 good sized loads
>I'd prefer to stay away from electric so I can live more off the grid.
You're posting to a on-line Tibetan fingerpainting forum, so you'll obviously need electricity at least sometimes.
I'm posting from my apartment in the city, there's no internet connection up there unless I get a satellite. But there is a normal power hookup like anywhere else, but the problem is that it'll go out during hurricanes/storms from trees taking out the lines and the crews taking a while to get to it
Thanks brother!
No problem, man
I was hoping I had a picture of it here but-
get a nice rack for drying things on. A line is nice, but having atleast a triangle helps open things up/dry more per square foot
>But there is a normal power hookup like anywhere else, but the problem is that it'll go out during hurricanes/storms from trees taking out the lines and the crews taking a while to get to it
So how are you getting water pressure for the shower, are you hooked up to a conventional municipal water system or do you have a well powered by an electric pump?
Seems to me you're trying to hard to be "off the grid" when you don't need to be. If you don't want to use electricity, then pull the main fuse in the breaker box and pretend you're living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland but why not utilize that barn/apartment to enjoy the rural countryside and still be comfy?
I'm not trying to go off the grid completely. Like I said, the power will go out a lot. I'm doing it out of practicality, not a fantasy.
And yes, it is a well w/ electric pump
>Like I said, the power will go out a lot.
Get yourself a generator for those times and if you're worried about maintenance, get a propane powered one and you won't have to worry about buying fresh gasoline or the carb getting gummed up over time.
And if you get a power inlet box installed, you can easily run all the stuff in the barn/apartment (though not everything at once with a 2000w generator as pictured) without extension cords all over the place by simply plugging the generator into the inlet box which is wired into the home breaker box.
>And if you get a power inlet box installed
Thanks anon!
You can do the same thing with a stick or a toilet plunger (make sure to label it so that it never gets used for its intended purpose), but those wands have grooves and channels that are supposed to shove the water through the clothes with a little force. It's probably a little better than just doing it by hand, and would let you stand up while doing it.
too rough for clothing
by hand is best
never skip leg day what the fuck
>110 volt drier
That sounds like a weak piece of shit. Do the clothes dry before they need to be washed again?
Do you use two hands in a T pose when you give you hand jobs? What the hell are you jacking off?
That looks fine. I mean, ye olden way you just get a couple buckets and a washboard and then hang them up to dry. I used to do clothes in a tub when I was young before we got a washing machine. Washing clothes isn't all that complicated. Just don't overdo it and put a hole in them.
the aussie version looks like this
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also this is one of the best PrepHole tv programs ever made
wtf I love australia now
Literally just soap and water in a bucket
I'm a plant manager at a commercial laundry. There are 4 parts to the wash pie. Time, temperature, agitation and chemicals. How you wash will depend on those 4 factors. More time then less everything else. Since you have a shower I'd do 3 step wash for heavy soil and 2 2 step for light soiled. For heavy I'd rinse in cold water to get off the bulk. In the shower with a shower head wand. I'd then spot treat with zoat soap or a soap bar. 2 would be putting the clothes in a bucket to soak in the detergent. Then I'd take a plunger and use that for the agitation. The water being pushed by the plunger should agitate more than spinning. If there's a bunch of dirt I'd dump and add fresh water maybe repeating. 3 rinse the soap out completely in the shower. Left over soap will eventually smell and irritate your skin.
Wringing it out will be the hardest part. Especially if you wear cotton. Bring as much 100% polyester or nylon fabrics as you can. They are hydrophobic and don't absorb water like cotton does. Faster dry times and clean easier. You could probably make a water extractor with a drill or some sort of motor to spin out the easy stuff or a stationary bike could be cool. You can always line dry it just might take a long time.
Something like this does the job. Buddy in Oregon took a few pages out of the hippie’s books there and rigged one up to the rear wheel on a bike with an engine belt. Bout thirty minutes a load which isn’t terrible, and it’s a fantastic workout. As for drying I suggest a wringing machine. Wringing by hand fucking sucks and simply hanging to dry is hardly ever quick unless they’re out in the sun, which then you get a stiff texture to your clothes, especially jeans.
https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2015/06/25/make-camp-washing-machine-using-paint-bucket-plunger/