Posted on 07/22/2011 8:44:55 PM PDT by Kartographer
I just ran across this handy little device and wanted to share with my fellow Preppers:
This washer uses a technique of pushing and pulling the water through the clothes, without excess friction (which also reduces the wear on your clothes). This washer uses minimal water and because of the agitation motion, less soap. Use in a bucket, sink or tub. It also rinses your clothes using fresh water. A great item to have with your emergency and outdoor supplies.
(Excerpt) Read more at youtube.com ...
Looks to be about half the price.
I used it exclusively for nearly 6 months. It will wash clothes just fine. I used a system inspired by a completely different method talked about by another FReeper.
This washer, will wash fine, but you MUST, and I repeat MUST have a wringer. The washing is a bit like plunging a toilet, and I would keep some spare handles, as I feel confident in saying the handle will break in any long term/high use scenarion.
That having been said, it was a great $17.99 investment. With my two buckets, I no longer worry about washing if the SHTF. I may get blisters, (experienced!), but, I can have clean clothes without a scrub board, and do laundry with 2 buckets (one might work in a pinch).
“Well about a third of the cost, not much to break and I say using a five gallon bucket you should be able to wash more clothes per ‘load’.”
I’ve used this system, using 2 five gallon bucketsa, like I said to CCC, for about 6 months. You can fit quite a bit into the bucket (About 2 complete changes of clothes, for one person), but only to about the 4 gallon level, or you’ll have water EVERYWHERE. Still, the washing was fine, the problem was not having a wringer, which is an absolute MUST have. Also, you can wash small loads, but not less than about 2-3 gallons of water (About 2 pairs of jeans and some shorts or a couple shirts). Laundry soap is minimal (The more you use, the more buckets you’ll need to rinse it through), but it’s a good investment, in my opinion. I am very happy to have one, just in case.
“But further, there are more ways than one to agitate laundry. Think about it. I know that we can come up with something better.”
This system (You can read my other posts, at the current “end” of the thread), is not too bad, but does require a bit of water. The way my house did it was to wash in buckets #1, rinse in bucket #2, then add soap and wash in bucket #2, and rinse in clean water in bucket #1, alternating back and forth. The washing was very simple, the bending (you could put it on top of something) was a pain, and the wringing was terrible (buy a wringer!), but overall not a bad system, and certainly not for less than $20 (I got mine for $18). I would never want to go back to doing laundry like this, but doing laundry by hand has never been breezy. Well, maybe, but I’ve never heard of such things!
Go for it, it makes me feel better knowing its there, just in case. Plus, I already know how to get things done! (we used one for about 6 months).
I had to wash clothes by hand for a three month period many moons ago. Wish I’d had one of those things.
“I’ve washed clothes by hand many ways and over periods of time. It’s not the washing that’s so hard, it’s the wringing out...It’s the wringing. Getting a wringer that can be attached to something is imperative.”
I’m just seconding this. The washing took a few minutes, and was a breeze by comparison, the wringing was TERRIBLE, and very hard on clothes. Get a wringer!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.