Anyone do their laundry by hand?

sistercas

I have been without a washer for 5 weeks and it was a complete nightmare.

for a family of 4 i was handwashing everyday , my hands felt they were nearly dropping off trying to wring them out , and then it rained constantly for 2 weeks so I had dripping washing in the house.

i now have a new washer :T and i am so pleased

[Deleted User]

I'm old enough to remember when very few people had a washing machine. My grandmother and mother always said that the secret of clean washing and white whites was to soak the washing overnight. As the previous poster said then you used a scrubbing brush and soap on the really dirty parts. I still soak some items that have become stained before washing in the machine as it is quite effective in removing stains.

pickledonionspaceraider

no washing machine? with a family and a full time job its a nightmare..mine broke and i went a fortnight without one, and like sistercas, my hands were in such a state after all that handwashing..never again..

One thing I live without quite happily is a tumble dryer. I do have clothes dryers, and love the summer lol, but ive never had a tumble dryer, im far too much of a tight wad for that lol

Justamum

When I first moved to Swaziland I didn't have a washing machine. I used to have a bath in the morning, then get out, sprinkle in washing powder then put my washing in to soak. When I got back from work I would rinse it out, then hang it outside the next day (until something got nicked from the communal washing line then I got a clothes horse). It worked fine, but it was only my clothes. Most people there have a maid, but the idea of someone coming in an cleaning up after me never really appealed.

When we moved back a few years ago temporarily we didn't have a machine either. By then I was married with two children. Washing by hand in the bath became a whole day job. Luckily it was hot, because with everything going on the line dripping wet nothing would have dried in our climate!

When we were younger my mum didn't have a washing machine either and did clothes for 6 of us in the bath (money was tight so she didn't often have spare cash for the launderette).

I could live without a lot of things, but a washing machine is essential to me.

Justamum

pickledonionspaceraider wrote: »

One thing I live without quite happily is a tumble dryer. I do have clothes dryers, and love the summer lol, but ive never had a tumble dryer, im far too much of a tight wad for that lol

I've got a tumble drier, but I'm going to get a couple of clothes horses for next winter so I can use it less. I will keep it though - when I get clothes off the washing line I put them in the dryer for 10 minutes just to make sure they are completely dry. I don't have an airing cupboard, so it's like instant airing :rotfl:

Justamum

missychrissy wrote: »

When I got my first automatic washing machine (bought because the kitchen, after a house move, only had a space for an automatic and not the twin tub I already had), my husband complained that his shirts were not as clean.

Actually you've just jogged my memory. When I lived in a bedsit in London in the 80s I used to take my clothes to the launderette. I wasn't happy about the wash though - my jeans didn't look clean - so I started washing them by hand and they came out much cleaner.

Washing by hand for one person is fine, but with a family I really need my WM.

Pink.

Hi Austin,

I'd missed your posts, good to know you are well. As your thread has dropped down the board I've added it to another one discussing the merits or otherwise of living without a washing machine.

Pink

stroppyjock

hand washing:eek::eek::eek: as a bloke I think I'm doing well to sort whites and coloureds!!

Have a tumble drier but never use it, hang washing outside or on an airer. GF handwashes quite a bit of stuff, drives me crazy when you go far a shave and find it full soaking clothes :mad: But then miss it when she is not here