Laundry

[Ballenxj]

Yes, Everyone has laundry. How often do you have to find a marina to wash it? Or do you have a method that works while cruising?
Tell us about your routine.
-Bruce

[rebel heart]

Bucket + long handled potato masher + fresh water + sal's suds (not much) + ammonia (much).

Stir the hell out of, let it sit, stir the hell out of it, let it sit, repeat. Error on the side of washing too much. Put enough ammonia in that if your standing a few feet above the bucket it hits your nostrils.

Empty bucket (don't let clothes fall out).

Rinse.

Empty bucket (same deal, careful with clothes).

Ring / hang dry.


***Edit: Please, no one talk about how ammonia is bad for the environment or I'll need to go get all the sources (again) that discusses the chemistry of ammonia and how it is fine for the water and that in concentrations we're talking about here poses no health risk.

[ShaunJ]

And I thought Ammonia was bad for the.....

[BlueSun]

We use different methods depending on the situation. If we have access to a cheap laundry and the weather is bad we'll take the easy option and pay for the convenience, but most of the time a plunger in the kitchen sink and our old fashioned wringer does the trick. I LOVE my wringer - much quicker and much easier on the hands than hand wringing. We were recently given a manual washing tumbler and it seems to do a pretty good job and is much easier on the arms than the plunger. Downside is it is bulky to store, but the price was right!

[impi]

Ana really wanted to take a washing / drying machine along with us ... I eventually hacked out the original cabinet that came standard on our boat and had a craftsman build another that would house the unit ... never looked back ... we use it every 2nd day for wash and dry ... it is such a treat!! Of course one should have a watermaker and genset on board, although we do sometimes run it directly from the house banks through the inverter chargers ... couldn't go without one again

[micah719]

What a shame The Bushtucker Man show was never popular outside Australia. One episode he showed folks how to find a soap-gum (leaves work just like soap.....lucky that, else they'd have to change its name), and how to make an effective washing machine out of two different sized large cans and a stick.

Btw, anyone making their own soap? What's the trick at making seawater soap?

[wingNwing]

There's a blog hop (group of bloggers writing on the same topic, one per day) here: Northfork: Raft-UP: Clothes and Laundry

This month's topic is laundry, scanning the group of blogs will give you many different views on the same topic.

There's one broken link in the list; the one for August 9 should be: plodding in paradise: RAFT-UP: DON'T LOOK LIKE A CRUISER IN 9 EASY STEPS!

[FSMike]

Laundry offshore? Run a line through the various pant legs, shirt sleeves, etc. and loop the line from one stern cleat to the other. Drag behind boat for an hour or so, then fresh water rinse. You'll be amazed at how clean things get. The price is right too.

[GaryMayo]

Originally Posted by FSMike

Laundry offshore? Run a line through the various pant legs, shirt sleeves, etc. and loop the line from one stern cleat to the other. Drag behind boat for an hour or so, then fresh water rinse. You'll be amazed at how clean things get. The price is right too.

& you might catch lunch!

[Ballenxj]

Lot's of good idea's so far. Keep em coming.

Originally Posted by GaryMayo

& you might catch lunch!

I was thinking the same thing.
-Bruce

[Irish rambler]

To make soap get some hardened fat, ie beef dripping, add some caustic soda= soap, add your own scent.
A lot of our buddies have a washing machine onboard, both Candy and Hotpoint make a dinky little 3.5 kg front loader which fit neatly onboard.
We wash smalls in the basin, take the rest to a laundry then go off to the pub till it's done.
p.s only use short wash spin cycles or you may get delayed and have difficulty navigating back to the boat....
We're here for a good life, not a long life.

[FSMike]

Originally Posted by GaryMayo

& you might catch lunch!

Perhaps this is where the expression "eat my shorts" came from?

[zeehag]

i use laundry soap and a plunger and a bucket when at sea and my wonderwash in port--with a plunger---something about that plunger in the mix......at sea i use sea water and near dry the clothing before the fresh water rinse. in port, with hand wash, i use hose.
also in port is the flap n fold laundry , down here, that does excellent work for cheap.
if i dont feel like doing laundry when sailing, i can save it for port and wear same or similar thing for a few days.

[Ballenxj]

Originally Posted by zeehag

i use laundry soap and a plunger and a bucket when at sea and my wonderwash in port--with a plunger---something about that plunger in the mix......

This is the second reference in this thread to a plunger. Are we talking about the plunger you might use to unplug a toilet on land?
-Bruce

[Jane.Joy]

Originally Posted by Ballenxj

This is the second reference in this thread to a plunger. Are we talking about the plunger you might use to unplug a toilet on land?
-Bruce

YES, that kind of plunger. Most cruisers I know have a plunger DEDICATED to non-toilet use.

Remember, it is the combination of agitation, soaking, and cleaning agent(s) that gets the clothes clean. Don't forget the "sit and have a beer" part of the laundry cycle.