BellaOnline Forums Money Frugal Living Non electric clothes washing

Do you ever wash any clothes by hand, or use full clothes washing techniques that are electricity-free? I've been experimenting with ways to save money and watts by hand washing clothes.

So far, i've tried individual hand washing, which works mainly for individual items like bras or something delicate.

I've used five gallon buckets with new, clean plungers to do regular laundry loads, and this is a workable solution. It's a little splashy and involves carrying buckets of water. It gets the job done, though.

I've had my eye on a WonderWash that Amazon sells but could not make myself spend the $50 on something i can do for free with my plunger and bucket. Then I saw a Wonderwash in my Goodwill for ten dollars and that was all it took.

It was in perfect condition - barely used if at all. I took it home, played around with the barrel seal, and read a few reviews on the product.

Today I grabbed my toilet cloths, dish cloths, underwear and dirty shorts to wash as my first attempt. Everything got super clean!

There is a learning curve to using the Wonder Wash. It takes a few tries to get the seal completely shut so it doesn't all come splashing out. From reviews I read, you get wet while figuring this out, i decided to use this outside on the patio. That ended up being a pretty smart idea.

I set up the WW by the outdoor hose on wooden cabinet that is as high as a sitting bench. I put a plastic bucket under the spout area, added my clothes to the barrel, added water with the hose, put in a tablespoon of detergent and then fastened the seal. I ad to angle the hose right or the inside concave portion of the barrel splashed the water back at me.

The first time I didn't fasten the seal right and it came right off as i cranked the barrel. Splash again.

The second time I got it right and sat down on my patio chair to crank the handle for a few minutes while reading a book.

I put the spout on to drain the barrel and opened the WW to help the water drain. It splashed a little while i figured out how to get the spout on properly.

Then I poured that drained wash water onto my thirsty fruit trees.

Then i refilled the barrel from the hose (no splashing), closed it up, and did a second round of cranking for the rinse cycle.

I drained that off and took out the clothes, hanging them off my patio chairs to drip dry. When i wake up i'll put them all away. They smelled and looked very clean.

I am thinking of using a pre soak before the first set of cranking for things that might be really dirty.

I'm pretty pleased with this solution so far. It uses minimal amounts of water and soap and NO electricity. It's not big enough to take blankets, but the WW could do sheets, throw blankets, towels, any kind of clothes, and also delicates.

I'll comment more after i take in the dry clothes and after i try some other kinds of wash loads. I'm not sure if it's more or less work than the plunger method, but it seems to make the clothes cleaner, so far.

Anyone ever use a washboard? I tried once with mine and got nowhere. There is probably a trick to it!

Have you ever handwashed clothes, or needed to find a way to do the wash without using a laundry machine?

Hi Jilly,

I will occassionally wash single pieces by hand if I need them and don't have a full load. Water is expensive. Do you have to pay for water where you are? I try to keep the water bill under $100, it has been as high as over $200, which kills the budget. So we use the washer and make sure we wash full loads to conserve water.

I do have a washboard, it's hanging in my washroom as a decorative piece

You definitely know how to economize! Yeah, Jilly!!!

My gosh, Jilly. That seems like a great product. I checked out a video review on it and now want to get one for myself. It sure saves a lot of water and uses no electricity. That is a fantastic find. Good for you!

Very interesting, Jilly. I only handwash a few pieces at a time, usually delicates or underthings that I don't want to get stretched out.

Wow. I took in my clean clothes today and am hugely impressed. Cleaner than the big machine. I am going to write a full review today i hope, and will let you guys know when it's up.

@Dianne - yes, i pay for my water. In Arizona water is very expensive. I try to use mainly rainwater and have been very successful in that when the rainy season comes through. I've been able to live here with no city water at all, but then dan wanted it when he moved in.

On Amazon, one wonder wash reviewer wrote:

That's pretty impressive. For people who use laundromats or apartment building laundry rooms, or any camping or traveling in an RV, this device is a real money saver.

For using Washboards, i found this charming set of instructions by columbus washboard.

I like how they give the order in which to wash clothes using the same tub of water - undies, shirts, pants, then socks last, and then use the water to soak feet for 20 minutes.

I also now know the top part is for a laundry soap bar. Interesting! I do have some Fels Naptha ready to go.

I'd like to know how to do the scrubbing part, but i guess there will just have to be a learning curve on this when I try it.

My washboard is a Dubl Handl one like in the photos.

As a bonus, it's also an instrument...

Anyone use theirs for washing, or is it just hanging around as decoration?

This set of instructions from Ehow builds on the process of actually scrubbing with the washboard.

Sounds easy enough but i still bet my wonderwash is more fun. This one could be nice and cooling on a hot day. I do have a galvanized tub.

I had never heard of the wonder wash. I feel so cheated all of the years I lived without running water and went to the stupid laundromat. If I ever go again without water at home, I will do my homework better beforehand!

Lisa, there are so many interesting things out there, i am finding. I hate the laundromat.