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Portable Redneck Washing Machine

May 2, 2012 Posted by thecheapskatemom under cleaning, diy, environment, home, household
4 Comments

Wretha’s Incredible Hand Washing Machine
by Hannah Walton aka The Cheapskate Mom

Laundry has always been the vain of my existence. Right now as I type, I have one load in the dryer to fold, one load in the washer, and about three loads in one over stuffed hamper. We don’t have much money and really can’t afford the laundromat. We are lucky to have a very old and literally falling apart stacking washer dryer which my husband has more or less learned to fix (it works even if it sounds like an airplane taking off!).  Now that we have a baby, we generate a lot more laundry and the importance of having clean linens around is of utmost importance.

So- we can’t afford the laundromat. We can’t afford a new(er) washer. I don’t have the time to hand wash all of our clothes. So , being the research-a-holic that I am , I took to the internet and googled my heart out.  I was delighted to stumble upon The Redneck Washing machine Wretha wrote about in  Wretha’s Adventures Living 100% Off Grid.

The Portable Redneck Washing Machine :
“What do you get when you combine a 5 gallon bucket and a toilet plunger? A redneck washing machine, aka an off grid washing machine. Well, maybe not a machine in the traditional sense, unless you consider my hands the motor. This is something I have been wanting to make for quite some time now. The other day while I was in town, I saw a toilet plunger on the shelf and put it in my cart. I also picked up 3 bottles of Mrs Stewart’s bluing, I’ll explain more about that in a bit.” – Wretha’s Adventures Living 100% Off Grid
excerpt reposted one time with permission

I know it may seem crazy, but knowing I can make do if I need to and make a portable washing machine with a toilet plunger and a bucket makes me feel empowered – I think it’s much better to save money now so that down the road we can afford a fancy system that will last a long time instead of the temporary convenience of the laundromat.

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  • lemniskate

    I’ve done this! Or something similar. I had one of those “wonder washer” things, and it worked pretty well, especially for the small stuff, socks and underthings, and it bought me more time between normal loads.

    I’ve heard of people using the five gallon bucks with a sealing top and you just roll it around on the ground with the clothes and detergent inside, rather than needing to agitate with a plunger. Lehman’s sells a tool like the plunger and there are reviews of people who do their laundry with it in the bathtub. Sounds like it’d kill my back, but there are ways around it.

    I used to stand my drying rack in the shower and drape the clothes on it and use the handheld shower head to get them really rinsed well too. That’s what I’d fall back on now if I didn’t have a washer.

    • thecheapskatemom

      I’ve always wondered about the wonder washers!!! The bucket with a sealing top sounds even more frugal – and the drying rack in shower is a wonderful idea – something I can easily do without having to run out and buy a bucket and plunger. Thanks so much, lemniskate!!!

      • lemniskate

        The wonder washers aren’t bad, especially now that they have a drain in the bottom. I had to keep fixing mine with cable ties and glue and stuff, because the constant movement was hard on the brittle plastic of the frame. I like the idea of the five gallon buckets because you can use them for other stuff as well. I’ve read people talking about getting their kids to roll the buckets to agitate, which is a pretty cool way to involve them (and wear them out! :) ) This lady: http://tenthingsfarm.blogspot.com/2009/07/laundry.html seems to do her laundry by hand a lot – it’s a lot of work but she’s got a lot of good tips too.

        • thecheapskatemom

          That’s awesome – a wonder washer would be a wonder-ful gift for my parents who live off-the-grid in Vermont :) Yes! on getting kids involved with the five gallon buckets – also what a great way to wash clothing for a camping trip! Thanks so much for the link, can’t wait to check it out.