Clothes washing...Wash board.

[hayshaker]

rick i don't get it waddaya mean by spud?

[crashdive123]

Just out of curiosity. Do folks around your parts call you Spud?

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

[finallyME]

Unlike some of you older folks, my grandparents had electricity and a washing machine. However, in Iraq, we had to wash our clothes with a bucket for the majority of the time. Actually, in Iraq, we had a laundry service. It was in Kuwait that we had to wash our clothes in a bucket. We all had to go to the PX and buy a bucket and a scrub brush and soap. Then we would sit out by the water buffalo and scrub our uniforms by hand, no wash board. Then we would hang them up on the tent lines. It would usually only take about 15 minutes to completely dry them, and we didn't ring them out that much.

Not too long ago, our washer at home decided to go on strike. My wife was concerned because we pretty much have a ton of laundry. I told her not to worry, we have teenagers.

[crashdive123]

I suspect that this sign may become very popular in your house should that come to pass.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

[hunter63]

As a young man, not used to doin' for myself yet.....showering with your clothes on seemed to make sense.....LOL.

Then found out that there will always be a young lady at the Laundromat the would step in and "rescue me".....

[nell67]

Unlike some of you older folks, my grandparents had electricity and a washing machine. However, in Iraq, we had to wash our clothes with a bucket for the majority of the time. Actually, in Iraq, we had a laundry service. It was in Kuwait that we had to wash our clothes in a bucket. We all had to go to the PX and buy a bucket and a scrub brush and soap. Then we would sit out by the water buffalo and scrub our uniforms by hand, no wash board. Then we would hang them up on the tent lines. It would usually only take about 15 minutes to completely dry them, and we didn't ring them out that much.

Not too long ago, our washer at home decided to go on strike. My wife was concerned because we pretty much have a ton of laundry. I told her not to worry, we have teenagers.

Please tell me that water buffalo is slang for a large water bearing piece of equipment!

[hunter63]

Please tell me that water buffalo is slang for a large water bearing piece of equipment!

Yeah...we have them at rendezvous as well....probably named by ex-service guys....most we see are Milsup trailers.

[crashdive123]

Please tell me that water buffalo is slang for a large water bearing piece of equipment!

Yep.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

[Rick]

I'm not going to say anything about him being in the desert.....water buffalo. Nope. I'll be nice.

[nell67]

I'm not going to say anything about him being in the desert.....water buffalo. Nope. I'll be nice.

hmmmpf, first time for everything I guess!

[Rick]

Oh, well, yeah....hey, wait minute.

[finallyME]

At least Crash understands me. I have no idea why they are called water buffaloes.. Very handy though. Might get me one someday.
And yes Crash, definitely need that sign right now. The fact that my son is still alive is a testament to my patience.

[Rick]

The fact that ANY son is alive is a testament to his father's patience. Most daughter's, too, for that matter.

[WalkingTree]

When it comes to washing laundry without just putting it into a modern washing machine, and unless you're rigging up a machine to work by some other means other than electricity, I like this idea -

Build a box. About 4' x 3' x 3' maybe. And mount it on an A-frame so that it can turn round and round. Then you just put in your clothes and some water and soap, and turn it for a while. By hand, by pedaling something while sitting, or even a line with a weight on the end going around a pulley in a high-up place and balancing the weight and resistance for speed of fall/turning action or getting the gearing right and pulling the weight back up when you need to...if you want to go that far with it.

It's not rough on clothes as with a washboard; Leverages things for a bit more bang for your effort/calorie expenditure; Can be done without electricity; Can free you up partially for periods of time if necessary depending upon how you do it; Making a box instead of something round gets you that 'sloshing' action as in modern horizontal machines without needing some internal baffles plus ease of construction - standard flat material as with plywood...the only real problem would be waterproofing the material like if it's plywood, but getting a good seal at the edges would be easy because it's just flat pieces. I think that it'd work to use a very heavy/thick plastic bag, oversized, just completely filled with water and air and tied up and allowed to do whatever it's going to do inside. Or just line each internal surface with this as you build it...

...and so, this thought leads one to just use small scale hand-cement mixers or compost mixers, modified for this purpose. And poof. No washboard work.

[hunter63]

Guess you need to make one, and give a review.....

Coolest thing I saw .....was a milk can suspended by bungee's, in the back of a Jeep, that belonged to the tree trimming crew's group boss.

He boomed around running crews, and camped out a lot.

[Faiaoga]

Especially if rocks are involved.

Rocks make great off-grid washing machines. As a Peace Corps volunteer, I remember seeing ladies of the household beating clothing on black basalt volcanic rocks. The only other thing needed is a stout wooden club - or a section of coconut frond midrib ("lapalapa" in Samoan).

When I get around to it, I will package olivine basalt rocks, together with sections of coconut frond midrib, and market them as traditional, authentic handcrafted artisanal Oceanic washing machines - I will make a fortune as long as people are willing to pay the shipping costs for 200 pounds of black volcanic stone.

[Rick]

I think Hunter has a round tuit. I know Randy has several in his parts box.

[hunter63]

Yeah, got a couple left....
Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

[chiggersngrits]

I think one of those large oval mop buckets would make a good wash pot. My thought was to make lid for the bucket and mount the bucket on one end of a board with a piece of round post on the bottom to use as a fulcrum. If balanced right it should take little effort to agitate by lifting and lowering the long end of the board (handle). Then take off the lid and put the mop wringer on to squeeze out excess water, hang dry.

[hunter63]

That not a bad idea......Hummmmm