Does anyone manage without a washing machine?

PolishBigSpender

marleyboy wrote: »

My Brother lives in a towerblock - there is no room or facilities in the kitchen for a washing machine.

Why not have a washing machine in a bathroom? It's way more practical and it saves the space in the kitchen!

I can't imagine not having a wasching machine. How the hell do you wash things like bedcovers or jeans? However, I do handwash some delicate stuff. But these are small things, like light dresses or bras.

aliasojo

PolishBigSpender wrote: »

Why not have a washing machine in a bathroom? It's way more practical and it saves the space in the kitchen!

I bet the majority of UK bathrooms just aren't big enough to fit a washing machine in.

I also think a steamy atmosphere would not do the machine any favours over time.

dandy-candy

I have had to do handwashing when abroad and totally agree that the wringing is a killer. After a week my hands were so sore. If you had a mangle then maybe, but even the thought of saving the enviroment wouldn't be a good enough reason to make me wash DH underwear by hand!

Oliver14

marleyboy wrote: »

I would say the Front loader is nowhere near a developmental improvement on the traditional, top loading twin tub.

Though it is an improvement on size. Most modern fitted Kitchens would not have room for a Traditional twin tub. It's also time even with a twin tub it takes far longer than an Automatic Washing machine and needs to be monitored.

I do wish though I had room for a toploader (not a twin tub). They are very popular in the states I have a a friend who has one it seems to wash better and more efficiently and the build quality is so much better so you don't have to replace them as often

I have though found this site for those still interested in twin tubs
http://twintub.co.uk/

valk_scot

I wash by hand sometimes when we go camping. For one person it's possible, with a trip to a launderette every couple of weeks for shhets and towels. For a family? The very thought makes me want to go and put a load of laundry in the machine, just because i can, lol.

It won't save money or fuel costs anyway. You've still got to heat water and buy powder and a modern machine is very efficient in water use, especially if you run it on a short/eco program and at 30'/40'C.

[Deleted User]

My Mum never owned a washing machine in her life .Everything was washed by hand and 'mangled' usually by any ajacent child that was available (normally me, as my brothers would vanish on wash day,girls work they insisted )Mum had a big black saucepan that went on the stove to boil things in and the sheets and blankets went into the bath with me placed again on top of the laundry to give them a good 'stamping' In the 1950s there arrived in Lewisham the much heralded Bendix Launderette where for half a crown (12 and a half p)you could get a washload done in their 'magic machine .Well Mum and I queued for about an hour and a half to use one of these (The queue went half way down Lee High Road)We came home and she immediatly rewashed the lot as she didn't think the machines got her washing to the whiteness she wanted .My Mum was of the 'old school' and her nets were blindinly white and so crisp with starch you could stand them up.She had two flat irons which were heated on the range and she could tell the temprature just by a quick spit on the base.She never even owned an electric iron until 1960.She had a glass scrubbing board which did the collars and cuffs of shirts and he washing was spotless.When I first got married in 1963 I too had a wash board and never owned a machine until 1969 when I had a twin tub.I eventually when it gave up the ghost bought an automatic and I can't say as I'd want to return to all the hard graft of washing by hand (although I do still wash woolies by hand)Its one of the benifits of the modern age and to go back to washing rincing and wringing I really can't see the appeal.Plus with water being metered it would probably be quite wasteful as well

System

Theres no way i'd wash by hand (except a few undies). I wouldnt use a twin tub either (i must be spoiled) however i have been considering buying one of those plastic twin tub thingies to keep in our caravan.

Years ago i had a top loading automatic washing machine and i loved it. However, it had to go when the electricity bills came in. The drum was massive compared to a normal front loading washer and obviously it used more water and needed more electricity to heat it.

If money was no object i'd love another one.

Popperwell

I managed without a washing machine until the District Nurse and Social Worker insisted we have one with Mum being ill at home(She sadly passed away 4 weeks ago)

But now with money being tight and being alone I have used it once in the last 4 weeks and put the tumble drier on for 20 minutes... I make certain I do one big wash...

As long as I am allowed to stay here I will go back to hanging items on a line again in the garden as at least the washer gets clothes drier than by handwash. I'll try to only use the tumble frier if the wethaer is bad outside(or wait uintil the weather is good before washing)

Then again as the washer gets rid of so much water in clothes the Tumble drier doesn't need to be on as long...or I could do ten minutes in the drier and then put things out on the line...

Really I can handwash shirts and avoid the washer in reality...it's just when I have to large items like sheets/blankets...

Then again if I have to heat water up for a handwash etc...perhaps having a washing going isn't so bad...as the washer only heats up what it needs, if I use water from the water tank what remains in the tank gets colder as you run it off...

System

Sorry for your loss Popperwell

Austin_Allegro

In my single days I lived for 11 years in a flat that was too small for a washing machine.

After some early experimentation with launderettes and service washes, I decided this was too expensive and time consuming and decided to buy a little Hinari draining board top washing machine (£75), and a spin dryer (£90).

This method served me well for about ten years - two loads in the washer were enough for a week's worth of dirty laundry including bedding. The whole operation took about an hour of loading, filling up, draining, rinsing, spinning and hanging.

When I moved to a flat with a washing machine, I sold the washing machine to a man who lived in a caravan (for £20) and the spin dryer for £40.

I think in terms of cost and labour, that's about the best alternative to handwashing, having a machine or using launderettes.