how to wash clothes without a washer

Washing clothes without washing machine

How to Wash Clothes Without a Washer and Dryer?

In an emergency situation, you might need to wash your clothes, yet are unable to access a washing machine. Let's a take a look at some of the best ways for how to wash clothes without a washing machine.

Wash Clothes With Bathtub and Plunger

Fill your bathtub with just enough water to cover your clothes, and then add the appropriate amount of detergent. Allow them to soak for around 10 minutes or so.

After that time, take a new toilet plunger (that has never been used before) and attach it firmly to the bottom of the bathtub. Work the plunger up and down to mimic the effects of your washing machine's agitator.

After cleaning your clothes, drain the bathtub to remove the dirty water. You can then either rinse the clothes under fresh running water or use a separate bucket full of clear water to remove soap from them. Wring them out carefully by hand before hanging the clothes out to dry.

Wash Clothes with Bucket and Washboard

If you have access to an old-fashioned washboard, you can use it in conjunction with a bucket in order to clean your clothes. Rather than plunging them to remove dirt, simply rub them against the washboard instead. Do this when washing your clothes, and again when rinsing them, to remove as much excess water from your clothes as possible.

Avoid using your washboard to wash delicate or knit clothing, as they could have a tendency to snag and tear. Once you are done washing clothes, dry your washboard carefully and then hang it in a dry location in order to keep it from rusting.

Helpful Hints

You should keep these things in mind whenever you are washing clothes by hand:

Continue to sort clothes according to color

Don't stuff clothes into your bathtub or bucket, but instead, add them loosely to it

Be sure the water source you use to fill your basin is clean

Avoid adding too much water to your bucket or bathtub; you need just enough water to cover your clothes

Add a few drops of fabric softener to your rinse bucket to help eliminate static cling

Do not wring clothes out excessively; allow them to drip dry as much as possible, because excessive wringing could cause them to lose their shape

Extremely soiled clothing may need to soak for a longer period (even overnight)

Pay careful attention to clothes when rinsing them, as it can be difficult to remove all soapy residue

Two people could be needed to wring out large items such as sheets or blankets

Most items can be washed in cold water, but you could need to heat water to wash whites or extremely soiled clothing

Just because you are out of power doesn't mean you can't still have clean clothes. Washing clothes might take more time and effort under these circumstances, but will still be possible regardless of where you are.

Now that you know exactly how you can wash clothes without a washer…

Be sure to check out the Survival Center Blog tutorial about how to make your own homemade laundry detergent.