Author Topic: Should I get someone to facepunch me, or does this make sense? Laundry content  (Read 14978 times)

mtn

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I'm about to place an order to have a service come and pick up my laundry, wash it, fold it, and take it back to me. It will cost about $50. This is insane, no?

I just can’t catch up with it. It would take me about 6 loads in my washer to finish it all, and that washer is down 4 flights of stairs, and it costs $1.75 a load to do it. Probably be about 1.5 hours of my time total, over a 6 hour period. Oh, and I might have to wait on one of my neighbors (unlikely, but possible).

If I were to do it at a laundromat, it would take about 3.5 hours and cost about $15. That wouldn’t be so bad, but I’d still have to fold it. I hate folding laundry. Hate it. Don’t know why, but I do. Just can’t stand it. 

Is it worth $35 to $40? To save 1.5 to 3.5 hours of my time to just make the problem go away?

The biggest fear I have is that this isn't just a one time thing, and it becomes a habit, I get addicted to the convenience.

zephyr911

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1. You have too much laundry. Get rid of some.
2. You're too busy. Reduce your time commitments.
3. You're probably exhausted, stressed, and trying too hard. Evaluate your priorities. :D

Argyle

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Facepunch.  And don't fold it.  Drape it on something.  Put it on hangers if you're ambitious.  Leave it in the basket.  Save $39.50.

mtn

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1. You have too much laundry. Get rid of some.
2. You're too busy. Reduce your time commitments.
3. You're probably exhausted, stressed, and trying too hard. Evaluate your priorities. :D

1: Probably. But it is not as bad as it sounds, it is just literally all of my laundry. I'm down to three pairs of underwear, two pairs of socks, and 2 dress shirts/slacks that are clean. Aside from that, because of my hobbies and jobs, I have a lot of clothes that I do need (until FIRE) that are rarely worn. These are all currently dirty.
2: Time commitments--no, it is more of time utilization. But that needs to pull wifey in, and she is working on it.
3: Yes. We're working on it. This will be the first vacation in a long time.

Argyle, nothing to drape it on. Really, there isn't. Not enough closet space, not enough things to drape it on. City livin ain't always easy. I do need to fold it because I get judged at work if it is wrinkled. And it just looks like shit if it isn't (yes, I care how I look).

mm1970

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Suck it up and go to the laundromat!  Put in your headphones and listen to music while you fold.  Take the wifey and fold together and make a race out of it!

snacky

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I don't fold laundry.

I also don't own clothes that stay wrinkly after more than a few minutes of wearing.

laundry is such a pain. why make it worse?

GoldenStache

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You should be able to knock it all out in just over an hour at a laundromat.  5 washers and 10 dryers.  As the dryers finish quickly fold before the next one stops.     

choppingwood

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I'd go to the laundromat, because it would all get done at the same time. It would only take me 1.5 hours, though, because I drive there, it is nearby and it has a lot of triple load machines.

I'm not crazy about folding. Some of it, I hang dry at home. Most of it, I bring home and fold it there a bit at a time.

But really, if you're going to do it, just do it and get on with your life. This isn't going to be a place where you get many people's blessings for it.

MgoSam

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Wow, for myself personally, talk about first world problems. A few months ago I was living with a friend, and had the washer/dryer units on the same floor (it was all on one floor) so I could just walk across the hallway to pick up my laundry.

Now that I own a house, I dislike needing to bring my clothes from the top floor to the basement to wash them and then bring them to the main floor to sort them and fold some things. Like I said, talk about a first world problem.

mtn

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Wow, for myself personally, talk about first world problems. A few months ago I was living with a friend, and had the washer/dryer units on the same floor (it was all on one floor) so I could just walk across the hallway to pick up my laundry.

Now that I own a house, I dislike needing to bring my clothes from the top floor to the basement to wash them and then bring them to the main floor to sort them and fold some things. Like I said, talk about a first world problem.

It is truly a first world problem. But it really is annoying. When I get my dream house, I'll have a washer and dryer on the same floor as all the bedrooms.

MgoSam

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Wow, for myself personally, talk about first world problems. A few months ago I was living with a friend, and had the washer/dryer units on the same floor (it was all on one floor) so I could just walk across the hallway to pick up my laundry.

Now that I own a house, I dislike needing to bring my clothes from the top floor to the basement to wash them and then bring them to the main floor to sort them and fold some things. Like I said, talk about a first world problem.

It is truly a first world problem. But it really is annoying. When I get my dream house, I'll have a washer and dryer on the same floor as all the bedrooms.

I know! Thankfully I really don't need to do the laundry all that often, and when I do, I get over it.

Argyle

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Of course you have something to drape it on.  Drape it on the side of the laundry basket.  That's where my laundry is draped right now.

MsPeacock

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Laundromat and fold the clothes as they come out of the dryer. Then make an agreement w/ yourself that once a week or so you will take your one load of laundry down to the washer 4 levels below and do your wash so you don't get in this situation again. I too hate laundry, but letting it accumulate to 6 loads and absolutely nothing left to wear isn't a good reason to spend $50 to have someone else do it.

mtn

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Of course you have something to drape it on.  Drape it on the side of the laundry basket.  That's where my laundry is draped right now.

Do you only have three shirts?

frugalnacho

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Why can't you do it incrementally? Just go put in a load of the most important stuff when you get home.  Set a reminder and swap it to the dryer after an hour.  Then just live out of the laundry basket of clean clothes.  Repeat 1-2 times per week as needed.


Gondolin

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Many laundromats offer a wash and fold service for nominally more then the cost of using the machines (pricing by the pound). Might be a good compromise if you hate folding. I've done it a few times when I needed dress clothes really well folded and didn't want to spend money on dry cleaning.

GuitarStv

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Why can't you do it incrementally? Just go put in a load of the most important stuff when you get home.  Set a reminder and swap it to the dryer after an hour.  Then just live out of the laundry basket of clean clothes.  Repeat 1-2 times per week as needed.

Yes, this.  You've put things off until it feels like a crisis.  Start chopping away at the work, a couple loads a week until you're caught up.  (Also, if you have six loads of laundry worth of clothing you really have too many clothes.)

There are other ways you can optimize laundry:
- Don't ever fold underwear, it's a waste of time
- Only buy the same colour and make of sock.  This way you never waste time trying to match up pairs, any two socks you grab will be a pair.  Every three or four years when they all start to wear out, buy another whole bunch and ditch the old ones.
- Wash your clothing in cold water (warm water doesn't get anything cleaner) and never worry about separating out whites and darks again.  Fabrics don't bleed in cold water.
- Do your folding while watching TV, listening to some music, or in your regular down time.  Don't kill yourself doing it either . . . just work in a leisurely manner.  Unproductive time can often be both productive and relaxing this way.

frugalnacho

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Why can't you do it incrementally? Just go put in a load of the most important stuff when you get home.  Set a reminder and swap it to the dryer after an hour.  Then just live out of the laundry basket of clean clothes.  Repeat 1-2 times per week as needed.

Yes, this.  You've put things off until it feels like a crisis.  Start chopping away at the work, a couple loads a week until you're caught up.  (Also, if you have six loads of laundry worth of clothing you really have too many clothes.)

There are other ways you can optimize laundry:
- Don't ever fold underwear, it's a waste of time
- Only buy the same colourcolor and make of sock.  This way you never waste time trying to match up pairs, any two socks you grab will be a pair.  Every three or four years when they all start to wear out, buy another whole bunch and ditch the old ones.
- Wash your clothing in cold water (warm water doesn't get anything cleaner) and never worry about separating out whites and darks again.  Fabrics don't bleed in cold water.

- Do your folding while watching TV, listening to some music, or in your regular down time.  Don't kill yourself doing it either . . . just work in a leisurely manner.  Unproductive time can often be both productive and relaxing this way.

This x 1000.  Underwear is never folded, or only loosely as it's dropped in the drawer.  I have about 40-50 pairs of the exact same sock, all of which I will replace in the next 2 years.  Everything washed in cold water.  If it can't be crammed in and washed in cold water with the rest of my clothes then I don't need it in my wardrobe. 

Also wear stuff multiple times.  I wear my shorts/pants for the entire week even when i'm biking to work and getting sweaty.  Socks, underwear, and sweaty shirts get replaced daily though.

GuitarStv

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Spell colour correctly!

norabird

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I agree with wash and fold as an intermediate.

I hate laundry and do mine about every two months (many many clothes to wear including tons of underwear). It is a nuisance and I sympathize. Mine is in the basement, but I'm only on the second floor. Do you have a sturdy laundry bag that you can easily hold? That's a good investment in your willingness/ability to do it yourself in the future.

I do the folding upstairs in my apt while watching tv. It does take forever.

frugalnacho

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Spell colour correctly!

fucking frost backs...

Cpa Cat

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I would totally pay the $50 and vow to do better in the future.

Also, while it's out of the house, I would remove most of what's left from the closets to make more space to hang things. After all, whatever is left is the stuff you don't really use or like.

Kaspian

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It is truly a first world problem. But it really is annoying. When I get my dream house, I'll have a washer and dryer on the same floor as all the bedrooms.

You'll also have an outside clothesline, right?  ;)  And not be too lazy to pin the clothes up on a nice, warm, breezy day?
« Last Edit: November 04, 2015, 11:58:43 AM by Kaspian »

GuitarStv

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I've seen the result of a second floor washing machine leak on a home.  There's a very good reason that these devices are often in the basement next to a big drain . . .

mtn

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It is truly a first world problem. But it really is annoying. When I get my dream house, I'll have a washer and dryer on the same floor as all the bedrooms.

You'll also have an outside clothesline, right?  ;)  And not be too lazy to pin the clothes up on a nice, warm, breezy day?

I might. It depends where I live.

meg_shannon

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Pay for it once and develop new habits. It's worth getting the gear you need to make folding laundry easier - sturdy folding basket, folding board, all the same socks, etc. If you have any fussy clothes (stuff you can't just wash with anything else), try to get sturdier replacements. Work on minimizing the number of clothes you have - 6 loads is a lot. We probably have 6 loads of laundry (in a standard American washer) for a family of 3.

I know this doesn't apply to the OP, but I've found lingerie bags work great for corralling tiny kid socks and undies. They aren't getting trapped in the seal anymore and I never lose one.

My laundry horror. We were traveling for a week (2 adults, 1 kid - casual and conference clothes for adults) and as soon as we get home our kid gets sick - vomiting all over 2 sets of bedding (fitted sheet, duvet cover, pillow case, and comforter). We have an apartment in northern Germany, no dryer, one drying rack, and our smallish washer takes 2-3 hours to run. It took me 2 weeks to catch up with doing as much laundry as I could each day. We had to buy some extra bedding, and we were rewearing clothes more than we normally would.

Sailor Sam

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- Only buy the same colour and make of sock.

Preach! Your sock-fu is almost strong enough to overlook the blasphemy about not folding underwear.

GuitarStv

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There's a rather limited number of people who routinely see my underwear, and none of them are particularly picky about it being wrinkle free.  As such, folding underwear is a total waste of time*.


*Except while camping, where you're trying to reduce volume in your rucksack.

frugalnacho

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I wish I could deliver face punches to everyone that keeps chiming in to pay for it once.  Don't pay for it, just go do one fucking load of laundry! It will take like 10 minutes worth of time and will buy you at least 1-2 weeks to accomplish the rest.  You can't possibly need more than 1 full load of clean laundry for the next couple weeks.

StockBeard

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Get your kids to do it for you, in exchange for allowance.

mtn

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Get your kids to do it for you, in exchange for allowance.

No kids, just a very stressed wife, and part of the reason that we have so much laundry piled up.

Her: Moved, started new job, quit job a week in for a MUCH better job, planned wedding, got married, moved again, found out much better job is being eliminated, then not being eliminated, then going to part time, dealing with mother with MS, and a lousy commute.

Me: Moved, planned wedding, got married, moved wife in, working second job as much as possible in anticipation of wifey losing her job...

Somewhere in there we moved with dirty clothes, were scraping by with bare minimum and doing only emergency loads (regularly), and got way behind.

It sounds like it should be easy, it isn't that much--but they say that the biggest stressors in life are marriage/divorce, death, major illness, new job/loss of job, and moving. She's gotten two new jobs, and may be losing one, got married, moved twice, and is dealing with her mothers serious illness. Not to mention my grandfathers death. I'm dealing with similar things. We feel like we're drowning, and we just want to push the easy button and make it go away.

But we'll be doing two loads tonight.

mm1970

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Get your kids to do it for you, in exchange for allowance.

No kids, just a very stressed wife, and part of the reason that we have so much laundry piled up.

Her: Moved, started new job, quit job a week in for a MUCH better job, planned wedding, got married, moved again, found out much better job is being eliminated, then not being eliminated, then going to part time, dealing with mother with MS, and a lousy commute.

Me: Moved, planned wedding, got married, moved wife in, working second job as much as possible in anticipation of wifey losing her job...

Somewhere in there we moved with dirty clothes, were scraping by with bare minimum and doing only emergency loads (regularly), and got way behind.

It sounds like it should be easy, it isn't that much--but they say that the biggest stressors in life are marriage/divorce, death, major illness, new job/loss of job, and moving. She's gotten two new jobs, and may be losing one, got married, moved twice, and is dealing with her mothers serious illness. Not to mention my grandfathers death. I'm dealing with similar things. We feel like we're drowning, and we just want to push the easy button and make it go away.

But we'll be doing two loads tonight.
Oof, I'm sorry.  Kind of been there - not all at once, but did deal with pregnancy, work stress, and my mother's death in one fell swoop.

monstermonster

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Pay the $50 for it to get done just this once, then stay on top of it.

When I lived in India it took a full day in the hot sun to do laundry each week - yes we actually had to use a washing stone outside to clean it. I have never loved a washing machine so much as when I got back to the united states. I actually hugged my laundry machine.


JLee

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Is it possible to reduce the amount of clothing that needs to be washed?

I have started transitioning over to Darn Tough merino wool socks when they go on sale ($13-15/pr, lifetime warranty). I can easily get two days of use out of those so 8 pair = 16 days.  I have an office job so I don't dirty work clothes quickly (I can wear the same jeans for a week and the same shirt for 2-3 days), so really the limiting factor between laundry days is whether or not I run out of underwear.  I'm going to buy more eventually so i can go 2 weeks between having to wash clothing.  Throw bedding in there (I think I can fit sheets in with 2 weeks worth of socks/underwear, 6 shirts and 2 pair of pants, but I'm not sure yet) and I really don't have to do laundry often at all.

lifejoy

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Do you have debt? If no, I think it's ok to spend money where it makes you happiest. Work it into your budget.


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TrMama

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Whatever option you go with, make sure you double up on birth control until you get this figured out. If you ever have children you'll learn that 6 loads is nothing.

If future, try to do a load every other day. Then it's not so overwhelming. If you take it to the laundromat, put as much as possible in one of the giant front loader machines. They hold as much as 2-3 regular size loads.

maco

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1: Probably. But it is not as bad as it sounds, it is just literally all of my laundry. I'm down to three pairs of underwear, two pairs of socks, and 2 dress shirts/slacks that are clean. Aside from that, because of my hobbies and jobs, I have a lot of clothes that I do need (until FIRE) that are rarely worn. These are all currently dirty.

So this isn't "it takes 6 loads to do my laundry every week," but rather "I have managed to soil every garment I own by having left a year's worth of 'handle with care' to just pile up endlessly"?

You can hang a lot of laundry instead of folding it, btw.

Sibley

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Um, mommy isn't there anymore to do your laundry. Grow up.

And yes, I read the history. I sympathize, and it truly sucks. Daily life must go on. Adjust your mindset to "finally, something simple and controllable" and you may find that it's actually a relief to be able to fix a problem.

mamagoose

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Get your kids to do it for you, in exchange for allowance.

No kids, just a very stressed wife, and part of the reason that we have so much laundry piled up.

Her: Moved, started new job, quit job a week in for a MUCH better job, planned wedding, got married, moved again, found out much better job is being eliminated, then not being eliminated, then going to part time, dealing with mother with MS, and a lousy commute.

Me: Moved, planned wedding, got married, moved wife in, working second job as much as possible in anticipation of wifey losing her job...

Somewhere in there we moved with dirty clothes, were scraping by with bare minimum and doing only emergency loads (regularly), and got way behind.

It sounds like it should be easy, it isn't that much--but they say that the biggest stressors in life are marriage/divorce, death, major illness, new job/loss of job, and moving. She's gotten two new jobs, and may be losing one, got married, moved twice, and is dealing with her mothers serious illness. Not to mention my grandfathers death. I'm dealing with similar things. We feel like we're drowning, and we just want to push the easy button and make it go away.

But we'll be doing two loads tonight.

No kids of your own, but it sounds like you live in a multi-family building. Any chance you could tape a flyer to a machine in your building's laundry room asking for someone to do it for you? There's probably a kid in the building who would love to take that $50 off your hands, and it'd give them something to do. Plus you'd be "buying local" and I bet the kid wouldn't charge nearly that much. No harm in asking!

MrsPete

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No, this is not a worthwhile spend.  I totally understand HATING laundry, but this is an insane amount of money to pay to get six loads done. 

Do two loads today.
Two more loads tomorrow.
Two more loads the next day.
And your problem is gone. 
Use the $50 to rewards yourself for knocking out this chore -- just this once. 

Then create a system so you won't fall behind again.

Goldielocks

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Laundromat is great!  in 2.5 hours, max, you can have 6 (or 10) loads done.

Bring coffee, pick up a newspaper, headphones, etc.

Folding at the laundromat is so much more enjoyable - great lighting, nothing else to do while waiting for the next dryer load, ergonomic large tables to fold at...
Smells great.   no basement.  often a happy owner somewhere around, interesting people to people watch, etc., etc., etc.,   they have supersize machines, so bring your bedspread or sleeping bag or pillows while you are at it.


(I hate folding at home)

EricL

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Do your laundry by hand. I know that sounds counterintuitive but stay with me.  First do whatever you need to do to break down your laundry backlog. Then buy a Breathing Mobile Washer from Amazon and a get a good sized bucket. A typical laundry load is about 10 pairs of socks, or 3-4 shirts/underwear, or 1 trouser/bath towel.  A lot less than a commercial washing machine I know.  But each load takes:
5 minutes of plunging in soapy water (with a few tablespoons of detergent)
2 minutes to wring out
2 minutes plunging in rinse water (with a splash of white vinegar)
2 minutes to wring out (skip if you live somewhere hot)
1 minute to hang up
2 minutes to fold

Obviously you need to do laundry more often with this method. But it's 14 minutes you can commit to in your own home while watching TV.  No travel, no quarters, no lines.  And you'll same water and electricity. The only downside is it doesn't work so well with heavily soiled clothes. 

Goldielocks

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Do your laundry by hand. I know that sounds counterintuitive but stay with me.  First do whatever you need to do to break down your laundry backlog. Then buy a Breathing Mobile Washer from Amazon and a get a good sized bucket. A typical laundry load is about 10 pairs of socks, or 3-4 shirts/underwear, or 1 trouser/bath towel.  A lot less than a commercial washing machine I know.  But each load takes:
5 minutes of plunging in soapy water (with a few tablespoons of detergent)
2 minutes to wring out
2 minutes plunging in rinse water (with a splash of white vinegar)
2 minutes to wring out (skip if you live somewhere hot)
1 minute to hang up
2 minutes to fold

Obviously you need to do laundry more often with this method. But it's 14 minutes you can commit to in your own home while watching TV.  No travel, no quarters, no lines.  And you'll same water and electricity. The only downside is it doesn't work so well with heavily soiled clothes.

It all makes sense, except that is only a 1/4 of a laundry load...   Works well for singles.  So does handwashing with a plain old scrub board/ wringer.  It's the wringing out that gets you, not the tub washing.   The "pulling water through" is not needed so much when you have long soak.   e.g., put it in the pail in the morning, scrub at night.

If I were a single, in an apartment again, this is what I would buy...  It is portable, and you can take it with you, an I would totally use it before hanging clothes, and use it when I can't hang clothes because they take too long to dry where I am at for a few months of the year..

this is the $139 version, new.  There is a mini $69 version too, but I am not sure you could fit jeans in that one, which would be my reason to buy it in the first place.  Jeans, towels, and all those fiddly socks.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Laundry-Alternative-Centrifugal-Portable/product-reviews/B002GEDBIG
« Last Edit: November 09, 2015, 10:31:31 AM by goldielocks »

maco

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Do your laundry by hand. I know that sounds counterintuitive but stay with me.  First do whatever you need to do to break down your laundry backlog. Then buy a Breathing Mobile Washer from Amazon and a get a good sized bucket. A typical laundry load is about 10 pairs of socks, or 3-4 shirts/underwear, or 1 trouser/bath towel.  A lot less than a commercial washing machine I know.  But each load takes:
5 minutes of plunging in soapy water (with a few tablespoons of detergent)
2 minutes to wring out
2 minutes plunging in rinse water (with a splash of white vinegar)
2 minutes to wring out (skip if you live somewhere hot)
1 minute to hang up
2 minutes to fold

Obviously you need to do laundry more often with this method. But it's 14 minutes you can commit to in your own home while watching TV.  No travel, no quarters, no lines.  And you'll same water and electricity. The only downside is it doesn't work so well with heavily soiled clothes.

It all makes sense, except that is only a 1/4 of a laundry load...   Works well for singles.  So does handwashing with a plain old scrub board/ wringer.  It's the wringing out that gets you, not the tub washing.   The "pulling water through" is not needed so much when you have long soak.   e.g., put it in the pail in the morning, scrub at night.
Funny enough, I just read an essay on handwashing in The Plain Reader, and the writer said forget about wringers, because they just break buttons and zippers. A hand wring'll do enough to get it ready for the sun to finish the rest.

Goldielocks

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Do your laundry by hand. I know that sounds counterintuitive but stay with me.  First do whatever you need to do to break down your laundry backlog. Then buy a Breathing Mobile Washer from Amazon and a get a good sized bucket. A typical laundry load is about 10 pairs of socks, or 3-4 shirts/underwear, or 1 trouser/bath towel.  A lot less than a commercial washing machine I know.  But each load takes:
5 minutes of plunging in soapy water (with a few tablespoons of detergent)
2 minutes to wring out
2 minutes plunging in rinse water (with a splash of white vinegar)
2 minutes to wring out (skip if you live somewhere hot)
1 minute to hang up
2 minutes to fold

Obviously you need to do laundry more often with this method. But it's 14 minutes you can commit to in your own home while watching TV.  No travel, no quarters, no lines.  And you'll same water and electricity. The only downside is it doesn't work so well with heavily soiled clothes.

It all makes sense, except that is only a 1/4 of a laundry load...   Works well for singles.  So does handwashing with a plain old scrub board/ wringer.  It's the wringing out that gets you, not the tub washing.   The "pulling water through" is not needed so much when you have long soak.   e.g., put it in the pail in the morning, scrub at night.
Funny enough, I just read an essay on handwashing in The Plain Reader, and the writer said forget about wringers, because they just break buttons and zippers. A hand wring'll do enough to get it ready for the sun to finish the rest.

Thanks - I edited my post.  I was looking for a ultra dry spin dryer, like in Europe.
 My hands hurt after wringing out a couple loads of  towels and jeans, so I don't do that anymore (I press them in a dry towel on the rare occasion I am travelling and need to hand wash my pants).

EricL

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Hand washing should work for most people except parents with young children. But when the child grows up a little here she can do their own laundry – and yours.  You can also buy a NinaSoft electric wringer if wringing is too hard on you.

RetiredAt63

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I have a summer spin dryer, just recently figured it out.  I put the whatever in a mesh laundry bag, stand on the back deck, and swing the bag in a circle (vertically).  Wow does the water ever come out and the laundry get well spun.  No wrinkles either.  However it is seasonal, here at least, not very effective at below-freezing temperatures.  Not good indoors since the ceiling would get wet.

kendallf

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I'm thinking in the time that the OP spent making this post, then reading and responding to people, that I could've done a load of laundry or two...

mtn

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I'm thinking in the time that the OP spent making this post, then reading and responding to people, that I could've done a load of laundry or two...

You'd think that, but I do most of forumming on the train and on the toilet.

RetiredAt63

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You'd think that, but I do most of forumming on the train and on the toilet.

TMI