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Jilly Offline OP
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I had a small load of dish towels to clean and decided to do that by hand. I am probably only using 3-5 gallons tops, and this water goes through my greywater hose into the garden at the end. So i feel better about this. It's hard to believe a machine uses 40 gallons. Yeeks.

So i rinsed my sink clean and stoppered it up. I put in the cloths and a tablespoon of laundry soap, and let cold water run into the sink. I filled it enough to cover the cloths. I also tossed in a few shirts and a dirty apron while i was at it.

I let them set, and then took a brand new dollar store plunger and plunged around the sink. Then let the water drain, rinsed over the clothes again, and filled the sink back up. I am letting them sit again right now and will plunge them again to get out the rest of the dirt and soap.

My last step will be another quick rinse under cold water, a quick wring, and then i will throw them up over my indoor line. The evapotranspiration will cool things off in here for free! And I will have used a very small percent of what my washer does in gallons.

I will see how clean everything ends up.

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Brilliant idea to dry the clothes inside a cool the room off.

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Jilly Offline OP
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Thank you, pG! I did want to note for everyone that this will only work in drier climates. Adding moisture to the air won't cool anyone off in humid regions.

Unless they put the wet sheets/towels/clothes in the freezer and then hung them over a fan! Anything frozen will cool down the air, and any fan will disperse the coolness. Just a thought. Try a few times in different ways and see.

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Jilly Offline OP
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I ended up turning the water off last month. Since I don't have hot water here, and use a composting toilet, do i really need to spend $26 (base fee only) for city water?

As it is i buy my drinking water from a refill kiosk anyway. (15 cents a gallon)

I shower at the public recreation center or use my solar shower for quickies, since I have no hot water.

Between the kiosk for drinking water, the rain barrels for gardening and laundry, and filling up five gallon plastic jugs at an outside tap in town (for bathing, cooking, house cleaning and cat drinking water), I am more than fine.

That saves $312 a year from my base city services fee. After adding in actual water use, it would probably be a total savings of $450 a year.

I could certainly put that money to good use elsewhere. Probably for cat vet bills or car repairs, neither of which i have a fund for now.

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Jilly Offline OP
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All my rainwater tanks are totally topped up from just a few rainstorms!

I have no more room in the drums, so i either need to get another drum, or use up more of the water faster, or find other uses for the plentiful rainwater that these monsoon storms bring.

It's kind of fun to be in the mode of having more water than i can use. I am in the cool position of wanting to think up more uses for water, since it is totally free!

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That is really nice that you can do that! Will there be a way you can store enough to carry you through the next seasonal dry spell?


Lisa Linnell-Olsen
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Jilly Offline OP
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Yes. I have been storing the rainwater for two years now, and I really do get plenty to last me through the year. I live in climate that has two wet seasons: the summer monsoons, and the winter storm season. So I am really lucky that way. I get two times a year to refill the drums. So far I've never been totally on empty, ever.

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Jilly Offline OP
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Today I experimented with using rainwater to run my clothes washing machine. I only experienced limited success. Will report on that soon!

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