Prep Genrl How would you wash clothes without electricity?

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seraphima

Veteran Member
I keep plastic tubs and pitchers on hand for dish washing and rinsing. After washing dishes, that wash water can be reused for soaking and washing underclothes, socks, and anything not too dirty, or as a prewash for dirtier clothes. Rinse in the rinse tub, then rinse again or dunk in the stream or another bucket. Don't let laundry pile up- too big a job.

For work clothes, dry and air, then brush dirt off and only wash when necessary.

When you don't have hot water, or even running water, a handwashing station is most helpful- one tub for washing, the other for rinsing. Remember the pitcher and bowl sets that used to be in bedrooms?

Used water -greywater - is useful for watering outside plants. Water that has been used for diaper changing and that kind of washing is blackwater and goes in the privy.
 
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Wildwood

Veteran Member
I've been collecting vintage laundry items for over forty years because I love that sort of thing. Many of my items are mint and still work just fine. I have a galvanized double tub set with drains in the bottom, a wringer and about thirty rub boards, hundreds of clothes pins and even a few dozen sad irons...not that I would be ironing in that situation. I also have a couple of agitators.

We have an artesian well with a few ways to pump water out of it and more soap than we can use in a lifetime. Even with all that, I expect I'd just be soaking my stuff in the bathtub with light scrubbing. If that fails, I'll go to the creek and beat the clothes on a rock.
 
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Hasher

Inactive
Years ago I found 4 old fasho Ed washboards designed for a tub it sink for like $5 each. Between those and two huge galvanized wash tubs, some plungers and 5gallon buckets I should be ok. And yes I have stockpiled soap.
 
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philkar

Veteran Member
recently purchased a wringer. will wash in the summer kitchen which would accomodate heating water. We have a rain catchment system that I would wash in I think. But we can pump from well in all situations...we think!
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie / FJB!
I'm not in my 20s anymore. When there's no washer or dryer, I'm back to washing whatever I wore that day in the sink and hanging it either outside or in the basement. I can't let the laundry pile up too much because it's too hard to lift and squeeze out the excess water.

This process is easier in the summer when I'm wearing lighter weight clothing.
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie / FJB!
Thunderbird said:
A lot of old paradigms will go away.
Click to expand...

It also depends on whether one is working in-person with co-workers or clients. I can get away with doing laundry a lot less when I'm interacting with people via Zoom. I was also able to get by with tossing on a nice blouse or pulling a wool vest over a tee shirt when on camera, instead of having to wear a whole dressy outfit.

I know that a lot of doomers imagine there won't be work to go to, but sometimes that's not the case, so one is trying to hang onto a job but still deal with no power at home. That can really stink.
 
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