How do you do the laundry?

In most Galician villages you will find a covered washing place,replet with running water and a two tie wash.there used to be women about washing but we now have washing machines.....
 
Wonderwash, a manual machine that we have owned for many years. We have done two loads with it this morning, another two scheduled for this afternoon. That's after about five weeks aboard, so not too onerous. Needs two buckets of fresh water per load for rinsing but apart from the soap, it's free.
 
vyv_cox said:
Wonderwash, a manual machine that we have owned for many years. We have done two loads with it this morning, another two scheduled for this afternoon. That's after about five weeks aboard, so not too onerous. Needs two buckets of fresh water per load for rinsing but apart from the soap, it's free.
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Well its easy then - find which part of the Mediterranean Vyv is in, and drop it off with him. Simples!
 
vyv_cox said:
Wonderwash, a manual machine that we have owned for many years. We have done two loads with it this morning, another two scheduled for this afternoon. That's after about five weeks aboard, so not too onerous. Needs two buckets of fresh water per load for rinsing but apart from the soap, it's free.
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Is that a little red thingy with a lid that you turn with a handle and cleans with a buildup of pressure,.....theres one in my shed
 
mogy said:
Is that a little red thingy with a lid that you turn with a handle and cleans with a buildup of pressure,.....theres one in my shed
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Well, ours is white, but otherwise it sounds like the same thing. Takes about 2 kg per load in 6 litres of water, turn for 2 minutes, then rinse in buckets. My laundry adviser reckons it washes cleaner than our Whirlpool at home.
 
Generator, watermaker, which we have anyway and compact auto washing machine, living aboard now for 17 years, has saved me a fortune in laundry bills. In port, with shorepower, of course dont use genny!
We are big enough to have room.
 
vyv_cox said:
Well, ours is white, but otherwise it sounds like the same thing. Takes about 2 kg per load in 6 litres of water, turn for 2 minutes, then rinse in buckets. My laundry adviser reckons it washes cleaner than our Whirlpool at home.
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It would be interesting to find out how much water you are using for the rinsing:)
 
Large plastic container with handles that are sold to gardeners and plasterers for unknown purposes. Put in washing water and soap. Stand in container and start walking on the spot. Best timing mechanism is a cigarette. One unforseen problem of giving up smoking is that one might end up washing forever. Wring out clothes - stand on one end and twist. Fill with fresh water and repeat. After doing the wringing you will feel like another cigarette. Repeat until clothes are rinsed enough or you need to go and buy some more cigs. Only works in warm countries where cigarettes are cheaper than laundries.
 
Like it, Gavin! My method is similar (but without the cigs- I've given up).

Water-minimising washing...
Fill 'camp shower' with fresh water you have collected from rainfall on your bimini. Wait until warm.
Put clothes in pink bucket (black no good, you get black marks on the clothes)
Stand in pink bucket , camp shower overhead- have a shower letting shampoo-ey water go into bucket
Add a bit of detergent.
Tread repeatedly on clothes, a beer works just as good as a cigarette. Get very clean feet for once.
Drain water over dirty places on boat, scrub boat a bit. For a change.
First rinse salt water
Second rinse fresh water
Wring around a stanchion or similar
Peg out on line rigged in foretriangle.
ESSENTIAL to sing 'Dashing away with the smoothing iron' during all operations or it doesn't work. Ditto sing 'I must go and fetch the water' from Jungle Book when filling up with water.

Tried towing, now permanently got blue antifoul over my best frock.

But sheets/duvet covers wait for a laundrette, their life having been extended with towels a la TCM.

(BTW TCM- sent you a long PM but lost internet just as I pressed 'send', I'll try again soon!)

Cheapest so far was Balboa Yacht Club- 50 cents a machine load ! Result!
 
oldvarnish said:
I picked up a useful water-saving washing method which is used a lot by US long distance cruisers.
You need household ammonia - easier to buy in the US than here but Dyas and B&Q have it.
Get a bucket of hot water, add a cup of ammonia and give your stuff a good soak and stir around a bit.
All you have to do then is hang them out to dry. The residual ammonia evaporates and leaves no trace behind. And, most importantly, it has killed the bacteria which is what makes clothes smell.
There's no need for rinsing and you can save a huge amount of water on a long passage.
Of course, it's not detergent so don't expect the 'whiter than white' result
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As oldvarnish says, with hot water and the ammonia gives treatment to the bacteria. A cold wash with detergent does not. That's why in years gone by your mother probably ironed underwear etc, not just to make them neat but to kill any post wash bacteria also.

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gavin_lacey said:
Large plastic container with handles that are sold to gardeners and plasterers for unknown purposes. Put in washing water and soap. Stand in container and start walking on the spot. Best timing mechanism is a cigarette. One unforseen problem of giving up smoking is that one might end up washing forever. Wring out clothes - stand on one end and twist. Fill with fresh water and repeat. After doing the wringing you will feel like another cigarette. Repeat until clothes are rinsed enough or you need to go and buy some more cigs. Only works in warm countries where cigarettes are cheaper than laundries.
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The Vineyard trug method :D
 
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