Life without a washing machine

Mistral001 · 11 April 2014 at 10:03AM

I live on my own and recently my washing machine broke down. It was quite old and it is beyond repair. I do not have the funds for a new and getting a second hand or reconditioned machine will stretch my funds just at the minute.

I have been thinking about doing without a washing machine. I have plenty of space to dry the clothes in the garden and with the summer coming, it means that I can just hang them out without spin drying them.

I have started to hand wash as the dirty clothes are building up. It seem Ok at the minute but I am not sure I can keep it up over a long period.

Any useful tips for making hand washing easier and less time-consuming?

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quidsy · 11 April 2014 at 10:06AM

Hand wash those things that can be easily hand wrung (underwear, tshirts, light weight blouses & shirts) but I would recommend spending a few pounds at a launderette once a week for other things. Hand washing tends to make your clothes look shabby & things like jeans will not dry well if hung out too wet.

kwmlondon · 11 April 2014 at 10:11AM

Keep an eye on freecycle and gumtree - people often upgrade a washing machine and need to get rid of an old one. You may be able to get one very cheap if someone needs to make space urgently, say, if they're moving.

OurLass · 11 April 2014 at 10:15AM

Mistral001 wrote: »

I live on my own and recently my washing machine broke down. It was quite old and it is beyond repair. I do not have the funds for a new and getting a second hand or reconditioned machine will stretch my funds just at the minute.

I have been thinking about doing without a washing machine. I have plenty of space to dry the clothes in the garden and with the summer coming, it means that I can just hang them out without spin drying them.

I have started to hand wash as the dirty clothes are building up. It seem Ok at the minute but I am not sure I can keep it up over a long period.

Any useful tips for making hand washing easier and less time-consuming?

I remembered reading Jack Munro's post about her doing this.
I looked it up by googling washing by hand and found it for you.
agirlcalledjack.com/2013/11/14/hand washing/:)

PlutoinCapricorn · 11 April 2014 at 10:22AM

I have never had any kind of washing machine until recently: I hand washed and used the launderette.

I live by myself, and donated a lot of clothes I rarely wore to keep the piles down.

You say that you can't afford a new machine: could you manage £100 or so?

I recently decided to get a starter or entry level model. I found a portable and read ALL the reviews before buying it. I drain and rinse manually, but otherwise it is very good.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Portable-Washing-Machine-889-caravans/dp/B003V43Z1S/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1397208137&sr=1-1&keywords=twin+tub+portable+washing+machine

PasturesNew · 11 April 2014 at 10:27AM

I handwashed until I was in my 30s - bowl in the sink for smaller items, filled/used the bath for sheets/towels/jeans/big jumpers. I've always had an "over the bath airer" for winter drying.

I once bought one of those "round/drum" manual handwashers - you put the clothes/water/powder in, screw up the lid (creating a vacuum), then turn the handle for 5-10 minutes and the churning works a treat - it's great for bigger items, e.g. sheets, towels, jeans etc, where you don't want to be standing and "kneading" it by hand for 10 minutes or so with water slopping. Only downside of it was that it needed a good space to fix it to. I tried putting it in the bath, but the sloping sides meant the rubber suckers weren't gripping it.

Worth looking into though in case you come across them and wonder. They are a bucket-sized tub/ball, in a frame, with a visible handle for turning. They'd typically be sold through 1/8th page adverts at the back of newspapers.

There's one (not available) on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wonderwash-Portable-Clothes-Washing-Machine/dp/B002C8HR9A to show you what they look like.

Needs space though (always at a premium for people who live alone); space to store it and a suitable place to use it so the rubber suckers get grip while you're turning it.

In trying to find one to show you, I was on ebay and it seems there are camping/portable washing machines that run on electricity! These seem to be supercheap too ....

I guess it depends on your motivations for handwashing.... if you've no money then handwashing is what we used to do.... if you've a little money and want a simpler solution they might be worth looking at too.

maman · 11 April 2014 at 10:51AM

As far as tips for making it easier go, then soaking some things overnight will save on all the rubbing and scrubbing. Others have suggested using the bath for large items like sheets and towels.

What I find with hand washing (for a few special items) is the huge amount of water that I seem to use to rinse.

If I were you I'd manage as best you can through the coming months and save up for another PDQ!

Mistral001 · 11 April 2014 at 10:54AM

kwmlondon wrote: »

Keep an eye on freecycle and gumtree - people often upgrade a washing machine and need to get rid of an old one. You may be able to get one very cheap if someone needs to make space urgently, say, if they're moving.

I looked on gumtree and can get a reconditioned machine for £80 or a maybe a secondhand private sale machine for £30-£50. The reconditioned ones are usually machines which have had minor faults fixed on them such as motor brushes replaced, so I was hoping to get one of those. At the minute my bank manager might not be too happy with £80 I am afraid.

SailorSam · 11 April 2014 at 11:05AM

We have 'Bulky Bobs' up here i'm sure other parts of the Country have similar set ups, they take away furniture that people don't need anymore then refurbish it and sell it on with a guarantee, Don't know what they charge but 'cos it's a community thing i think the prices must be good.

kwmlondon · 11 April 2014 at 11:31AM

Mistral001 wrote: »

I looked on gumtree and can get a reconditioned machine for £80 or a maybe a secondhand private sale machine for £30-£50. The reconditioned ones are usually machines which have had minor faults fixed on them such as motor brushes replaced, so I was hoping to get one of those. At the minute my bank manager might not be too happy with £80 I am afraid.

Have you tried the british heart foundation? My brother in law got a fantastic AEG dishwasher from them for £50!!!

LameWolf · 11 April 2014 at 1:05PM

My first husband had a filthy job, we lived in a studio flat to start with, there was nowhere to put a washing machine even if we could have afforded one, and nowhere to dry stuff outdoors, as we were on the 2nd floor, and didn't have so much as a balcony. It was a nightmare! I used to soak his work clothes overnight in the bath, and seemed to permanently have a wooden clotheshorse full of wet washing dripping onto newspaper in the middle of the floor.:( Worst were the bath towels, which were horrendously heavy when wet.:eek:

If I was back in that situation, I'd do whatever it took to get some form of mechanical help - one of those portable jobbies would be better than nothing.

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Life without a washing machine

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