Van Life Essentials How to Do Your LAUNDRY While Living in a Van
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- Опубліковано 14 лип 2022
- Finally! Doing my Laundry in CAMP! I am always asked "How do you do your laundry on the road?" This washboard actually works well for me and it is easy to use and easy to store. And most of all is is very effective for cleaning clothes!
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Thanks for watching!
No matter which method you use, letting laundry soak for an hour (in the sun if you can) really does a fine job of loosening dirt before you do the job. I soak a minimum of one hour. Makes all the difference in the world.
I used my wash board while I lived in an apartment every time I did laundry. I bought an industrial or commercial mop bucket with the press wringer to use as a rinse bucket and a wringer. It works well.
Good idea on the bucket! I will look out for one at Lowes.😁
Clever to use industrial wash bucket. Thanks for the tip.
🤗
Good idea on tbecwssh bucket & easy to dump also & has wheels.
Good idea👍
A wringer…I’d have never thought of that 😊 Clever!
My grandma would put buckets in the shower when we would take showers catch the water and use it to hand wash things like that 😊
I’ve used just about every method to wash clothes, and my favorite is to just put them in a 5-gallon bucket and let them soak. As little as two hours, but usually overnight with occasional agitation, then rinse/wring/hang in the morning. The soaking releases the dirt the same as agitation does, it just takes longer.
Thank you, will use this!
I found using a bucket with a toilet plunger works great with an up and down movement. Easier on your back standing up. Placing black plastic bag cut to size on top lets the sun heat the water.
👍Good idea 💡
I'm like the idea for heating up the water.
Cut 3 holes in the top of the rubber so water can pass through. Have a second bucket for rinsing. If you get buckets with lids you can use them to store water. Hang dripping wet clothes on a clothesline. Works really well.
I was gunna suggest this as well. My mom lives in the mountains and washed her clothes in the bathtub until I made her one of these. I found plenty of tutorials on UA-cam how to make them---just don't tell ma; she thinks Im a genius now.
50 yrs ago in Haines Alaska I bought a stainless steel plunger, made for washing clothes....it had all th holes already in .....it worked good but was a chore because I had cloth diapers....🙃
Just brought back memories of when my mother would put a load of clothes in the bathtub with soap and water and had me walk back and forth in the tub swishing the laundry. I was a human agitator. I loved it, it was fun to me. Ahhh the good old days!
💜😁
Great story!
I did that when we first moved with no electricity. My MIL told me my 'agitators' were plenty long enough. Size 10.🙏❤️🙏🤣👵
Yep- used to wash in my tub, esp lightweight clothing. Little swish-swish, rinse, wring out. Snap clothes in air to straighten out a bit then hang up. Lightweight clothes dry fast.. Jeans and big thick towels were a pain- too hard to wring all water out and longer drying time.
I did that for my daughters when our washer broke down. Told my girls to get their bathing suits and their water shoes on....It was beach day in February 1993.lol.they loved it
A family who took me camping as a little girl would put the previous day’s clothes in a 5 gal bucket with water and detergent (on travel days). The vibration of the vehicle did a good job getting everything clean. They rinsed and hung everything up when they arrived.
My favorite method for washing clothes while traveling!
I grew up without a dryer. My mom taught me to roll up then fold over and stomp and jump like crazy on it...then unroll and hang. (That's with rolling with a towl as in the video)
Yes You could buy a large plastic pail with a tight fitting cover. It was for diapers but made a great washer for on the road. You put it in your tub/shower in your rig and it washed the clothes as you went down the road.
For the bucket method, there is a grit trap insert available that separates and filters any dirt and sand particles to the bottom of the bucket while washing your clothes. It was originally intended to keep dirt off of a sponge and prevent it from scratching your car's paint when washing your car. While I do not use the bucket method myself, I've heard about this combination being used on sailboats and that it works well and can help reduce the number of rinse cycles. The insert is inexpensive and It might be worth trying.
CLOTHESLINE TIP: Turn your clothes inside-out and hang so they don't fade. Also, don't hang the shirts doubled-up like that... pin at the ends of one side of the shirt (upside-down) with the open end towards the wind. The wind will fill the shirt and dry much faster. Same with pants... just pin the back half of the pants with the zipper towards the wind and you'll catch wind, drying the clothes much faster. Pinning the clothes in half like shown in the video makes it 4 layers instead of 2. Have Fun!
Great grandma would let the really dirty clothes soak overnight first before she scrubbed them. She would boil any dishrags or towels that were musty or were contaminated with germy stuff.
The wringing out is what's hardest on my Rheumatoid Arthritis, so I bought a Janitor's mop cleaning bucket with built on Wringer. Less than 60 bucks at home depot. Worth it for me so I don't have to drive somewhere to use a laundromat and pay money I don't often have.
Used to do this a teenager at our cabin. Turn clothes inside out (especially T shirts w logos or designs on them). Be extra careful if any fabric is delicate or has beads etc. Presoak clothes for an hour or more for best effect. Softens new jeans nicely. Here's another idea - John Steinbeck (the author of "Travels with Charlie") would throw his clothes, some soap and water in a large bucket with a tight fitting lid in the morning. He would fasten down the bucket securely in his truck camper. Then he would drive all day and the bucket would naturally agitate! By the time he got to his camp spot at night, the clothes were super clean. He just had to rinse them and hang them up. No elbow grease needed!
Definitely the least labor intensive and most effective method! Add to that a rolling pin to eliminate squeezing out the water.
Wash boards do work well. I used one for years. Clothes hung in a line just feel better, in my opinion
That's a good idea might give that a try
Some years ago I got very angry at the washing machine industry after our 2nd machine broke in 5 years. I begged my husband to let me use a tub, washboard, and hand crank Amish wringer system. I did laundry like that for 5 years until I had my knees replaced. I miss it very much. My clothes were MUCH more clean than using the washing machine. I still use some variation of washboards to clean certain things.
You can wash clothes from your sink
I grew up doing this back in the 1950’s. Nothing new. Even now I wash out my littles each night and hand to dry in the bathroom.
I saw someone once use a picnic table and rolling pin to wring that worked well.
Brilliant!
I would encourage everyone to look into linen as an option specifically towels and possibly clothes. Linen is stronger, more absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. It’s also more expensive, but it lasts for a long time.
Microfiber towels hold an odor. Look into it.
I find linen skirts, pillow shams, etc at thrift stores and turn them into hand and kitchen towels. Very easy to do, and they hold up great.
If I were living on the road, I would absolutely use this scrub board to wash clothes! Laundromats are expensive and it always concerns me what was left in the washing machine from the load prior to mine.
I know, that bothers me too!
.... And people bring their bugs from their homes when they come to the laundromat
Jana, so do I.
I remember using a wash board as a kid… mum taught us all how to wash our clothes without using the washing machine. Then we had a machine we could use that we had to agitate and use the manual wringer. When we got older we were allowed to use an electric washing machine that was always available but mum wanted us to know how to do these things. She was a 70’s hippy and I’m grateful for so many of the lessons she taught me 🙂
I puts my mind at ease knowing that we don’t have to depend on electricity and machines to do laundry. This is a great backup if the machines break. Just like our great grandparents used to do.
Also good exercise!
I love it!!!
I have seen the ladies in India was their clothes. One way is to go to the river. Find a big flat rock. They spread the garment out and scrub it with a brush and for some reason they slap it and slap it on the rocks. Then rinse.
At my friend’s home, they had a concrete slab poured. She spread out the clothes splashed with water and scrubbed with a brush. And the rinsed. If she slapped the clothes on the concrete, I missed it.
In the Amazon, I fell down in the mud a lot. One of the native gals felt sorry for me because I wasn’t getting anywhere with my washing. She scrubbed them. She knew what she was doing. But she still couldn’t get all the mud out.
When I got to town, I scouted around, found a laundry. They washed, dried, and then put each garment in a plastic bag and sealed it. When I opened a bag, my clothes were clean and it was the first time they actually got dry due to the humidity and the constantly intermittent rain.
So much for my laundry tales!
I’m sure most of your viewers know but, as a reminder, always spread laundry (and dish) wastewater at least 200’ from all water sources.
If an outhouse only has to be 100 ft away I think your dishwater and laundry water could do the same.
Irony is I live in an apartment and wash with the Bucket Method for most things (I only go to the laundromat for bigger things: blankets, sheets ,ect.). I mainly do this because frequently our laundry room is closed because of broken machines and I HATE going to the laundromat (plus paying the prices 😝). I'm glad I also found years ago a good fold open drying rack from Walmart I put on my patio (and in this Texas heat is dries in 2 hours max).😁
Yep, it sure does. Last few days have been great clothes drying days.
Yep, Florida as well!! 🙏❤️🙏🥵👵
In TX too. Short drying time in summer, esp past week! I hate laundromats- never know bc people wash their work clothes- can be from greasy fast food or construction..one time saw what looked like small bit melted tar stuck inside dryer. Guess one wouldn't want to ruin own washer with that stuff. Something to consider.
Pp
I use a 5 gallon bucket and a ole toilet plunger. Works fantastic. My hands are weak so the plunger simplified me washing clothes. That's what I did when we were all shut in from Covid. Had clothes handing all around my apartment with a fan blowing on them.
The fan method works! I do it all the time.
Same, the fan has got to be cheaper than the dryer, and it doesn't get them all hot. I think that ages them faster.
If I use our washer then it spins out so much water I don't have to wring.
I have used that method, too, and it works great.
My problem with the washing at camp is the use of so much water. Due to space, I can't really carry that much water.
if you have the time it's good to pre soak the laundry for at least 30 minutes. The stains come out easier.
Agree
I saw a bucket half the size of the 5 gal bucket on amazon with a slanted washboard built into the side. It looked interesting, but then you can't do your agitation idea. I've also seen flexible washboards with suction cups on the back to stick to the inside of a bucket. For me, the bucket method is too hard on my weak hands due to autoimmune disease, so I use a mini 2 gal electric washer and then hang everything on hangers on the clothesline outside. My outside line is evenly spaced with clips so the hangers do not slide. When all dry, I just transfer my already hung clothes to the closet. I cannot travel, but I enjoy watching your channel. If I were healthier and didn't have to rely on med equip, I would love to travel full time.
Thank you Dee!
@@Renata-4love Anytime. Blessings of good health to you.
The hangers are great. We wash in the machine usually, and that spins so much water out that we put on hangers or the line, then put a fan on. Works really well and doesn't use a lot of electricity producing heat. We do have a dryer, but learned to use the fans long after drying it.
I saw that bucket with the built in washboard and kind of like it but haven’t ordered it yet.
@@HuddlesAbound thank you and blessings to you too Dee! 💖
The answer to your smelly clothes problem? Merino wool! Seriously, friends, it's a miracle product, though it's pricey compared to cotton. I regularly wear a merino shirt for two weeks at a time and it has absolutely no smell. The merino/poly blends last longer than 100% merino. Warm when it's cold, cool when it's hot, comfortable and insulating when it's wet. I have washed them and put them on immediately because they dry so fast. You'll wash a lot less clothes if you wear merino!
Where can you purchase merino clothing?
I concur, indubitably! Before I hit the road, I invested in Darn Tough socks (lifetime warranty!), and a light weight, long sleeve SmartWool top, as a "test". I've always been a 100% cotton guy, but merino wool is the way to go! I can't say enough good about those DT socks. The SmartWool top is great, but will fray at the end of the sleeves, over time.
Thumbs up on the Darn Tough Socks - and made in Vermont! My smart wool socks don’t last as long as the Darn Tough. Around here, they sell them at Farm and Feed stores where they sell the other long lasting things!
Most of us already have a bucket, and the scrub board looks easy to store. Great idea!
Always hang your T-shirts by the bottom hem, they dry faster! An old fashioned tin scrub board works great too!
Bob, good old vinegar is great on shirt collar stains. It can even remove old, set stains, if you spray it on and let it sit for at least 30 minutes or so, then wash as usual. As for towels, I prefer turkish towels because they are highly absorbent, all cotton, and take up no space (not big and bulky). I have laundry hanging outside on my clothesline right now - probably the only person in a population of 10K+ who still does it just because it saves electricity and my clothes feel & smell so fresh.
I hang out my laundry too & the Sun 🌞 is a natural disinfectant to add to tbe drying.
I do too!
Clothes last longer too, less wear and tear
I have a dryer but still use a clothesline. I love the scent of sunshine dried bed sheets. Far, far, nicer than perfumed dryer sheets. I also refuse to pay to heat up the house with the dryer and then pay again for the A/C to cool it down. In the summer the clothesline is faster anyway.
What is the name of it?
My grandmother had a wringer washer. She only filled it once to wash. Beginning with her whites, pastels, colors then darks. Using the wringers to squeeze out the water. Then rinse in the same order. I liked the wringer because it eliminated a lot of ironing. The old days they conserved but didn’t call it that
My mom had a wringer washer. when I wash about 10, I remember helping her. We used the concrete wash tubs in the basement to rinse, then hung on lines in the basement to dry.
I remember my mother using an old ringer washer setup. But we always had to iron. The wrinkles didn't dry themselves out. My mom would just stuff them in the ringer and how they came out was an incredibly wrinkled mass
Yep, grew up using a wringer washer, into a two compartment concrete rinse basin, could use the wringer between rinse basins, and then hung clothes out to dry, even in the winter!
I still hang my clothes out, when the wind isn’t blowing too hard!
Also, for heavy clothes like sweatshirts, jeans, etc. A large tub, dels Naptha grated into the hot water and a rubber toilet plunger agitayes the clothes without wearing out your hands.
The way things are going, it's going to be the norm for even folks in sticks & bricks! Reset, back to the wash board days, thank goodness for the nomadic life style, nothing will change!🤗...
Great video. I use a $1 plunger from Dollar Tree to agitate my laundry in a 5 gallon bucket. It works better than the washing machine.
Dollar and a quarter tree
Takes me back to the days in my youth fresh out on my own with no cash to buy quarters for the machines me and my roommate used the bathtub and our feet to agitate. The worst part is always the wringing out.
For small items like socks and underwear, after washing and rinsing, I have placed them in the spin basket of my O'Cedar Spin Mop Bucket and give them a thorough spin. Easy way to remove excess water.
Just put your clothes in the bucket with soap and water ,put the lid on and drive on a bumpy road that should get them clean.That should take care of the soaking and moving around.
Most of my clothes maybe are good for a year. But my girl in the Philippines still has clothes I sent 12 years ago that still look perfect. They wash everything by hand
I’m 61 and I have wanted an old-fashioned scrub board for so many years. Sometimes I don’t wanna walk down my stairs to go to the laundry. I would like to just do it in my sink. Or you can do it in the tub. Thank you so much I’m going to buy one of these on Amazon. Well honestly I’m going to have my daughter look on Amazon and find it. Lol 😉
I lived in an off grid log cabin with a small baby and cloth diapers. The best soap to use is Fels Naptha. It will take stains and dirt out of any cloth and has been the go to soap for manual laundry for hundreds of years.
I scrub my delicates between my knuckles with both hands, like Mom & Grandma showed me. I also use a designated plunger first, to agitate then let soak for about 10 to 15 minutes before scrubbing. I like this plastic wash board better for heavier clothes like pants & shirts. The original metal one seems that it would be more hard on fabric. I can see me using this to save my knuckles.
Back in the 50's I helped my grandma build a small wood fire under a large iron pot. Dipping and stirring the cotton clothes with a old broom handle in the hot water,using soap powders, then into a tub using a rub board. Then into a big tub of cold well water for the rinse. (I'm sure I got the order mostly right). Together we wringed the clothes by hand then to the clothes line. We threw clothes over the garden fence when we ran out of clothes line and spread the clothes over small bushes where sunshine hit. It was work but efficient country solution to no wash machine or dryer. 60+years later..this video brings back the memories, the heat of the day, the wood smoke and soap powder smells and my grandma's sweet voice and face. I miss my grandma and her country wisdom/ways. Thanks Bob and Linda.
Funny how old practical items are making a comeback. I'm glad I have the original washboard, still using it. Can't beat the quality and durability.
I recommend turning the clothes inside out while rubbing them against the board. Staines usually go away just the same, and the clothes look fresh longer. Stubborn staines could be given an extra effort at the end.
I also hang out to dry inside out. Mom always told me that and not to leave them out to long or they would bleach out.
I keep a spray bottle with detergent and water mixture that I spray on stains right after I take off the garment. It gives more time for the stain to break up instead of setting in. Then wash by any method you prefer. This is especially good for grease spots.
Bob, remember the toilet plunger? Amazon clothes plunger, bucket of water, gentle up and down 5 to 10 minutes, few clothes done
Yep, five gallon bucket, Amazon clothes plunger and a clothesline. Washboard for tough stains. Love it 14:01
Also, using a quick dry microfiber towel would be beneficial as well... easy to wring out and quick to dry as well 💚
Those microfibers are direct descendants of the oil patch family of products and degrade (age) into micro ‘plastic’ particles that truly avel by air and water which and are now found virtually everywhere on earth, including in fish and human tissue. So unsustainable. And it turns out, recycling plastic ain’t working out to be anywhere near as good as it sounds. Just sayin
What works also is to have a bigger washing pan and stomp on your clothes ..,you wash your feet at the same time!!!
Leave your socks on and you never have to change them
@@gooddaygoodprayerskevingre793
Great idea!!😁
This is a great video! I like the plastic board. No more busting my knuckles on the metal one!! Thank you Bob
Don't forget about the value of long soak times to help dirt dislodge from the fibers of the fabrics -- especially useful on dirt and stains if soaked BEFORE the stains dry out and 'set' into the fabric.
I use Zote soap and it's really good. It doesn't get soggy and difficult to work with. I use a handwash plunger. Mine is one with a wooden shaft, not the fully plastic one. I like this because you can exchange it for a longer handle so I'm not stooped over so much. I would soak clothes then plunge them listening to music. One song, flip things around, and do it again. It used very little water, takes up very little space and the 5 gal bucket becomes a diverse tool. Probably will get a washboard to use for detail work or whatnot. Thanks for the video!
A small scrub brush takes up less room.
I'm not a nomad at this time, but I would use it. The electric goes out periodically and so I have my off grid back ups ready. Bucket, liners, battery shower, solar lights, charger, all from watching your videos. Thanks Bob.
You can use a fumigator manually to take a shower. Just put warm water and pump.
Just watching, my back, arms,hands all are killing me now. You guys are awesome.
But THAT much scrubbing isn’t necessary. Only if and where there’s a stain. Just letting clothing soak for a good period does the trick then with very little agitation. However the wringing is a killer too. That’s where the mop buckets that a few commenters told of would be gold.
I found a mop wringer that will fit on a 5 gallon bucket that works great for wringing out clothes. In combination with that washboard and another bucket, it makes laundry easy peasy!
Did you get it online and do you have a link?
I like the washboard system better than the bag. My grandmother had an old metal washboard. She passed in 1980, I don't think she used one since the 1940's or thereabouts since she had a washer and dryer. Sometimes the old ways are better in the long run. BTW, I loved Linda's first video. When I watched Z's video with his modular boxes and sleeping in his vehicle, I thought of Linda's set up. She is a clever lady.
In S American basic low end apartments, there is a built in cement scrubber washboard like your blue plastic washboard, and it's angled in a cement sink with a drain. The built in washboard does not sit vertically. A short end of it is where u stand. The other short end is down in sink, near sink drain. It angles down toward sink drain, away from you. U scrub on the cement scrub board while standing. (You could sit on tall stool.) Thus do not have to bend over into water container like in video.
Have you tried usng a palm sized river rock to rub dirty clothes with soapy water?
As I understand, white Zote is for dirtier clothes, and pink Zote is for delicates. Please look up Zote on Environmental Working Group (EWG) website. I vote for Dr. Bronner's All One soap.
I was in a small village just south of Mexico City and they had an outdoor community fairly large brick wall with built-in washboards on the side of it. This was placed over a fast-moving water source like Rapids or something like that. It was the most unique and fascinating thing I had seen in a long time. There were actually about 8 to 10 women and older children washing their clothes on this washboard looking cement wall. I couldn’t figure out what was happening until I got closer and went over and looked over the edge to see that it was an actual washboard. I’m sure I look like a real tourist when I just stood there trying to grasp what I was saying.
Great video. That's how our Ancestors washed clothes by rubbing them on rocks! We're spoiled with technology & machines.
I actually used the washboard for many years including baby diapers and all family clothes from late 1970's to early 1990's. Works very good. Gives thought arms a work out. We lived off guys during most of that time. Have missed it from time to time when i needed just that 1 item washed. Had to beat my knuckles sore.
Have been checking Lehman's and Amazon from them just lately, how funny.
in my experience, it helps to soak clothes in water and soap first, and then scrub away. i also wash clothes inside-out and dry them that way as well.
Thank you for reminding me of the wash board Mom used 60 years ago. It was made of glass in a wood frame and she used it all the time!
I have a washboard and used it especially on garments with cooking grease stains.
Never knew about a glass washing board!! Love it!!
I still use my antique glass washboard for delicates. Also check out Lehmans of Kidron,OH catalog for multiple washboard, non-electric washing machines,etc.
I think glass is designed for delicates such as underwear/lingerie you don't want snagging on the board as you push them across. Although you could use it for general clothing.
Women in days gone by used a Dolly. I saw one at a museum. Yes it looked like a plunder but like it was made out of something other than rubber...more firm. The bucket was taller and narrower.
If you use one towel the longer way and roll it up, with item inside, you can jump on it or stand on one end of the roll and twist it around to wring the water out
For a quick drying towel, I love the Turkish towels. I get the bath sheet size. I carry a few. They are good as towels, picnic table covers, picnic blanket, etc. They are 100% cotton and thin. They get more absorbent each time they are washed. They take up little room. I use the bath sheet size for a normal towel and the one that is half that size for my long hair after washing it... I love scrub boards and will be getting one for my van! Great demonstration! Thanks!
I use laundry soap on stains. It is very economical. I use fels naptha. It used to be 99 cents at walmart. lasts months.
Thank you. Just starting my nomad lifestyle. I was planning on going to the laundromat to do my clothes but when I was a teen I loved to hang clothes out in the sun. I will definitely be trying this.
😎 have fun on the road and avoid laundromat 😆 🤣
Great idea! If you don't have stains on the front, you can turn your t-shirts inside out so you don't rub the print off. Clothes smell fresher when hung outside instead of the dryer.
When I was a kid, we traveled a lot. My dad had square 5 gallon buckets. He would fill them a little over half full with water and soap, and put a couple items of clothing in each bucket. Then we would travel to our destination. The rough roads did all the washing for you. when we got where we were headed, we would simply drain the soap water and use a little clear water for rinsing. Did that for over five years.
I love this! Depending on your situation, just keeping it simple is the best way to go. A wooden and metal wash board and wash tubs is what my mom used when we were kids. I'd be much older before she would get an old, used wringer washer, and finally a modern washer and dryer. Like Linda, I was pricing washboards online. I've also been looking at those metal washtubs and clothes wringers...
Such a simple solution- and I enjoyed meeting Linda. She seems real nice. Thanks for sharing.
My Mom used a small plunger to do her nylons. I suspect using a small sink plunger in a 5 gal. bucket would work just as well. Btw, the towel trick - lay it flat in a single towel, roll the towel up and twist it. Works even better at drying than just rolling and pressing it.
I love Linda!! She needs to be in more videos. Also blue is definitely her colour.
I keep a spray bottle of detergent and water to spray on stains or grease spots and I use it as soon as I take off the garment. It gives more time for the detergent to work before washing. If you then let your clothes soak anywhere between an hour and overnight, it'll require much less physical effort to get your clothes clean and less work needed for chores is a very good thing!
I have a two piece plastic washer that looks like an upside down funnel that I use in a five gallon pail. I added a grit guard to the bottom of the pail which reduced the work when pulling the plunger back up. Plus it allows dirt to settle to the bottom of the bucket instead of staying in the clothes if you are soaking them. Just make sure you get a full size grit guard that will stay in the bottom of the bucket.
When my kids and I lived in our camper for about 2 yrs we had a small washboard, smaller than this one. We used the towel rolling trick to squeeze dry too! We did laundry in the camper tub with the washboard for their school uniforms, socks, undies, and all the small items. We did towels and bedding at a laundromat as needed.
I had to wash our clothes in a plastic tote for a while when our power was turned off. If that washboard is sturdy enough it would have really helped with the boy's jeans
The washboard looks like a pretty handy item.
Something that I've used for small items, is a ribbed plastic 1 gal. drinking water jug with a cutout on one side. I tend to only do underwear (bamboo rayon) this way, but have also done (single) shorts & t-shirts. The ribs on the water container are not as pronounced as the washboard, but seem to be good enough. Wringing out by hand only, has been sufficient for my needs.
I've seen mop buckets that have a foot-operated spin contraption that looks like it would do a really good job at getting the water out, but may introduce unneeded complexity that may fail after time. Most places I've camped, the sun & wind have been plenty to dry quickly. I just hang the few items I wash on my ladder.
Washboard works well, but the issue with all of these various methods is DRYING the items. If you’re in the desert or other dry heat, not a problem but in humidity, cool/cold/rainy weather, getting clothes/bedding dry can be a real problem. I have a decent solution.
I bought a small, portable washer/spinner which I can use on solar power. It gets clothes incredibly clean and then spin-dries the items. Dry time is generally 30-60 min. for virtually all items. I use bio-safe soap and it uses very little water. It’s quite small but I keep it in storage unless I’m going someplace where I’ll be base-camping for more than a week. If anyone is interested in the specs of the machine, energy usage, etc., let me know.
I would like the information on this.
@@minniegibson8722 I’ll pull up the specs…what I can say is having this been a godsend. Washing clothes isn’t hard-getting them throughly rinsed and then dry is the problem. This little machine really has made a difference. I’m no longer dependent on laundromats and it has paid for itself 50 times over. I will come back with the info.
@@Swimdeep info please
Great post. Many ideas to branch off from... a salad spinner to dry clothes ( smaller stuff )
A wood wash board ( I don't like plastic ), hand crank for turning clothes. Thanks for the inspiration 💞
Some car washes here in Texas, have a towel wringer sink type of thing you could use to ring them out with. I once saw an older lady use a butter churn handle as an agitator.
Great and foolproof method to get your laundry done.
A flat stone with a somehow uneven surface also does the job. If you are in a rocky area, you might find any natural rock which can be used. Of course you wouldn't put the rock into your bucket but dip your laundry textile piece in water and rub it then horizontally over the rock.
This is great. If I was on the road . I'd much prefer this to taking my clothes to a laundry. They're often expensive places too to use. As others have said. I'd soak them overnight and then scrub them in the morning.
Tried it. It works great on a lot of things but shirts with buttons be careful. I also like to stop at a laundromat after three or four times doing it by hand It just feels cleaner whether it is or not. Living in a camp with smokey fires, more Bo from living without ac, digging a cat hole and all those kind of things does make one dirty. For my work I either sat on the bus or sat behind a desk and that was much less dirty. Life on the road isn’t clean on clothes. Or people for that matter. If they made a big scrub board maybe I could scrub myself. But it would have to be very big for me.
Everybody can benefit from a washboard in many ways. This method is centuries old. Replaced rubbing clothes against rocks. We are not Nomadic but have a washboard. Having used a ringer washer, I like the long stick for swooshing around the clothes in a 5 gallon bucket. The more heavily soiled the longer you need to swoosh. Be your own agitator. Then rinse & hang up on clothes hangers or line to dry after ringing them out. Not recommended for blankets. With the heat, it's always a nice feeling to feel fresh by changing your under garments every day. (In my opinion.) I can't see changing your underwear only if you throw them at the wall & they stick to the wall then you need to wash them. I can't live like that. Very interesting, & very helpful.
I will absolutely try this… am a 17yr tiny RV fulltimer… this is GOOD….
I live in a house, but our washer broke and we can’t afford a new one now. I definitely got some good tips from this, thanks! I’m surprised nobody mentioned vinegar in the rinse, where we live we have hard water, and it’s a must.
Remember my parents using 2 #10 wash tubs. Boiling water and well water in tube. Some soap in wash (soften bar in hot water) rub stains with soften bar soap before scrubbing on board. Ring then rinse in 2nd water, ring and hang on clothes line to dry.
I'm sure the ridged design on the removable lids of old fashioned twin tub washing machines was so they could be a wash board. I originally discovered this when I used one as a flat surface to scrub on.
I have a plunger design that has holes in it that agitated the water through the clothing. It works quite well. I like it because it blasts water through the fabric. I pre treat grease spots and they come clean. Actually cleaner the a washing machine ever did. Great idea though. Thank you for video.
I have a salad spinner is use to spin dry my undies and socks. Takes just minutes to wash my clothes everyday. Saves storage space not having a lot of clothes. It's more difficult in winter. I have to heat my water so it don't freeze before they are washed. It's cold washing in winter.
I have used boiling(ish) hot water as a finish after washing for socks, underwear etc, to to get rid of the stinky bacteria. works fine.
It looks like a great idea! I'm not a nomad, but I plan to buy one for my emergency supplies
I am not a Nomad, but I am cheap. I like that board Bob. I hand wash in a bucket using a small brush. To rinse my clothing I use the Garden hose and let them air dry. In the spring and winter or at night, I put them in front of a fan to dry out.
My friend bought an off brand spin mop to do her laundry. She loves it. Her well pump is broken. Does still take her blanket and sheets once a month to laundry mat
I use a smaller wash board with a collapsible bucket & dish pan and use Zote soap when camping. For stubborn stains, I have a small laundry brush. It cuts down on the amount of clothes I have to bring camping (all my clothes for in a small backpack). I try to mostly bring clothes that are quick drying.
At home, I use a small-ish glass washboard instead of the plastic one for my delicates. It is gentler on fabrics.
Mr. Wells, pull your hair back into a ponytail. It gives relief from the heat and keeps your collars cleaner.
Saw a wash system for sale at a Local flea market. T-post handle with a cross on the bottom that fit in a bucket. Place in bucket, add soap, water , dirty clothes. Then just work the handle back and forth, up and down. Much less labor than a washboard.
My husband found old washboard at a garage sale several years ago. They are my back up at the moment, but, with costs going up, considering making it my go to
I wear my stuff about like you. What I have is a 5 gallon bucket with a toilet plunger. That I cut slits into it, to act as a washing machine plunger. Works great!
As kids with a single mom we had a time when we had to do our own clothes in the tub with a wash board. Life skills 😁
I think soaking is the key. It seems to bring out the dirt and grime. Also for things that are badly stained I wet the area and scrub soap into it. I then leave it overnight as is, then scrub and wash in the morning.
One can make a dryer. Use a metal barrel. Drill holes from the inside out in the barrel. Put a crank shaft or handle on the end so it can turn. Set it up, build a fire under it, put your clothes in it, and turn it. As you're turning it, the heat from the fire is going through the barrel and drying your clothes. Make sure to make a lid for the barrel or your clothes will come tumbling out. I just thought it up.
You'll get a smell of smoke in things. For a while my family went camping two weeks in the summer, and the campfire smoke really stayed in our clothes.
That will probably come in the holes to the clothes.
I have used two 5-gallon buckets and a plunger. I've used metal wash tubs and a scrub board. With the metal wash tubs, I could put them over a fire to heat the water, which is handy in the winter. Then hang my clothes to dry. If I needed something to dry faster, I would use the towel method to wring them. The problem with the wash tubs I was using was their size and the amount of water needed to use them.
I only wear quick dry performance fabrics. Washing and drying is MUCH easier that way. Cotton tees and jeans take too long to dry.
Good point!
I spent a while day looking in flea markets for a washboard to use as a musical instrument and never thought about needing one for planning my nomadic life lol. It's the little things. Gotta have clean clothes
a salad spinner is great for spinning the water out,,,,even blue jeans
I love all of Dr. Bronner's products but if you are broke, the best spot remover I have used is the Carpet Stain Remover from Dollar Tree for $1.25 per bottle. It lasts forever. Dollar Tree also has the best anti-itch cream unless you go to the prescription level. Love you, Bob & thank you Linda!
vinegar and touch of dish soap will clean everything