When I lived in Kenya I simply used a bar of soap and a scrub brush to wash my clothes in a plastic basin (shallow bucket). I would rinse my laundry two times. I washed everything by hand including sheets. A plunger would have been a great idea if I had had one.

I would take all the used water and throw it into my outhouse (choo) to wash it a bit. The choo was like an outhouse, except there was only a hole in the floor that you would try to get your business into.

Anyway, I would throw the water into the choo as hard as I could so it would swirl around some before it went down the hole.

Jeanne, that is just such a cool story. I love how even the used wash water would have yet another use to clean out your choo.

Sheets probably took some time to clean. Although maybe they were just twin sheets? We have awfully large beds in the USA. Is the soap you used the same as your body soap, or was there a laundry soap for that?

What kind of scrub brush? I find this all fascinating.

My sheets would have been for a full sized bed.

The soap was actually a bar of laundry soap and it was a regular scrub brush like this -




The brush definitely made handwashing a lot easier. Better than rubbing my hands raw.

Huh, neat. No washboard then, just a little pan?

I got some water today from Catholic Charities. I filled up my portable jugs - about 25 gallons. Lots of water lugging! So I have enough water to do a laundry tomorrow. I will use my fabulous wonder wash.

I borrowed a hand agitator once to felt a knitting project - it was too gentle to be good for felting, but I could tell it would totally get clothes clean. so, it stands to reason that if the hand agitator was too gentle for felting, it would be much easier on your clothes than a standard washing machine. They look like a plunger. I had running water at the time for the felting project, but I think even the hand agitator could have made my no plumbing days easier.
Back when I did soap making I saved all of the soap that didn't turn out just right for laundry and especially for knit felting projects. Worked great!

Lisa, I have seen those plunger type washers - is your plunger part blue? On Amazon they call it the Rapid Washer.

I did a load of dishtowels, toilet cloths and tee shirts today with my wonderwash.

I have a thread here where someone included a nice Wonderwasher photo so I am putting my wonderwasher clothes washing notes here.

If anyone is curious what this looks like, go to that link to see the photo.

I use mine outside so it doesn't matter if things get a little splashy. The water i use for the laundry came from the rains, and into my barrel. Then i dump the used wash water on my thirsty trees. I feel like an entire ecosystem! It makes me feel good about my habits.