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Originally Posted by Whispering Star  All good idea's: we thought about it to, instead of a bucket plunger method. We found our old concrete mixer w/lid works well. It has a built in agitator and it doesn't leak. It's about the size of a tall/thin 5 gal bucket. We just roll it around. I like the no detergent. Smell elemination is always a good thing. |
We Have two of those plastic 'concrete mixers'. Are yours about the size of a 20 lb propane tank? Space again was a consideration on our 25' boat so we leave them at the farm as backup to the washing machine.
The ammonia only works to kill bacteria and break down body oils, as I said mud and grease require detergent. Stains I can't say. For stains we use 'Spray-n-Wash Stain Stick' ('contains surfactants and enzymes'). We also use Borax powder if we want to 'whiten and brighten'. Yeah, Yeah Yeah...it is boric acid but you can also mix it with sugar and leave it out for cockroaches etc...it WILL kill them.
By the way, by the time the ammonia and the Borax interact with the organic material in the laundry (assuming you don't use too much) they have pretty much used up their ability to do any damage to the organic life in the water that we don't want to hurt. I invite the chemists out there to explain why. My wife's uncle was a chemist for United Fruit Co then professor of Chemistry at UNC Charlotte for 30 years. He explained to me the low impact of ammonia but I don't remember the details.