Author Topic: I hardly used my washer & dryer this summer  (Read 2155 times)

CheapScholar

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I hardly used my washer & dryer this summer
« on: August 16, 2019, 02:50:23 PM »
Summer flew by.  I work in higher ed and have the luxury of not having to dress formal during the summer when school gets out in May and when school begins next week.  I’m also lucky that I get to work from home a bit.  I typically wear khaki shirts with a polo or just a T-shirt with my school’s name on it.  I got in a nice groove of just hand washing my clothes and drying them in them in the sun when I get home.  I pretty much just wear the same two polos or one T-shirt, and I wear very thin slip socks in the summer.  Most days I don’t really see anyone other than passing in the hallway.  Although, I think my clothes smell just as clean, if not better, than when using the machine.

I did use the machine for bed linens and towels.  And my wife and son use the machine a bit, although I washed his stuff by hand a few times.  It will be harder to do now that school is starting and I have to dress nicer.  Plus, every day I get less sun and less heat.  I’ll miss the simplicity.

HenryDavid

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Re: I hardly used my washer & dryer this summer
« Reply #1 on: August 21, 2019, 12:46:00 AM »
Summers in southern France, this system works perfectly. Chzmge out of bike clothes, toss in bucket with hand wash detergent, fill up in shower. Hang to dry later.
But even in the Canadian Rockies in winter, there’s still no need for a dryer. Hang stuff near a heating vent, presto, dry in a few hours.
It’s very unusual in Europe for people to have clothes dryers. When it’s a sunny morning, laundry appears everywhere. On balconies, on folding racks in the street. It’s dry by lunch.

Imma

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Re: I hardly used my washer & dryer this summer
« Reply #2 on: August 21, 2019, 05:04:01 AM »
Well, good it worked for you. As for me, I can understand how to wash socks and underwear, but T-shirts and pants - no. Isn't is a waste of time? Have anybody calculate how much does it cost to run one wash?

Actually items that actually get dirty and require vigorous scrubbing are much more difficult to handwash than items that get sweaty but usually not dirty like T-shirts.

I handwashed for a while when I had just moved out and didn't have a washing machine but did have a bath. It's a bit of a hassle to do it all the time and for items like sheets but for a single person it's not so much work. It saves electricity but I don't know if you use more hot water compared to a machine.

Plina

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Re: I hardly used my washer & dryer this summer
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2019, 11:53:05 PM »
My machine used between 49-60 liters of water depending on the program and between 0,25 and 1,4 kWh of elektricity. I believe it would be difficult to use less water and electricity handwashing and rinsing.

I have a dryer that I use a couple of times per year mostly for bedlinens or pillows. I would never buy one but there was one in my apartment when I bought one. They wear out your clothes a lot faster.

KBCB

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Re: I hardly used my washer & dryer this summer
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2019, 07:50:04 PM »
Summer flew by.  I work in higher ed and have the luxury of not having to dress formal during the summer when school gets out in May and when school begins next week.  I’m also lucky that I get to work from home a bit.  I typically wear khaki shirts with a polo or just a T-shirt with my school’s name on it.  I got in a nice groove of just hand washing my clothes and drying them in them in the sun when I get home.  I pretty much just wear the same two polos or one T-shirt, and I wear very thin slip socks in the summer.  Most days I don’t really see anyone other than passing in the hallway.  Although, I think my clothes smell just as clean, if not better, than when using the machine.

I did use the machine for bed linens and towels.  And my wife and son use the machine a bit, although I washed his stuff by hand a few times.  It will be harder to do now that school is starting and I have to dress nicer.  Plus, every day I get less sun and less heat.  I’ll miss the simplicity.

How to you actually wash by hand? Might be a stupid question but with the new high concentrations of laundry detergent what do you use and how do you get your stains out, washboard?

JoshuaSpodek

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Re: I hardly used my washer & dryer this summer
« Reply #5 on: September 09, 2019, 08:27:25 PM »
I use my dryer nearly every day over the summer.

My towel dries better with it than in the bathroom in the humidity.

Plus it's nuclear powered.

Here it is.



I bought it used off Craig's List for $10, though I got a couple others like it for free when neighbors moved.

AccidentialMustache

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Re: I hardly used my washer & dryer this summer
« Reply #6 on: September 09, 2019, 09:44:28 PM »
Pro-tip: the atomic powered clothes dryer doubles as a humidifer if you live in a winter-is-cold-and-dry climate. You have to keep it under glass though or it tends to freeze up then! :-P

Imma

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Re: I hardly used my washer & dryer this summer
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2019, 09:24:43 AM »
Summer flew by.  I work in higher ed and have the luxury of not having to dress formal during the summer when school gets out in May and when school begins next week.  I’m also lucky that I get to work from home a bit.  I typically wear khaki shirts with a polo or just a T-shirt with my school’s name on it.  I got in a nice groove of just hand washing my clothes and drying them in them in the sun when I get home.  I pretty much just wear the same two polos or one T-shirt, and I wear very thin slip socks in the summer.  Most days I don’t really see anyone other than passing in the hallway.  Although, I think my clothes smell just as clean, if not better, than when using the machine.

I did use the machine for bed linens and towels.  And my wife and son use the machine a bit, although I washed his stuff by hand a few times.  It will be harder to do now that school is starting and I have to dress nicer.  Plus, every day I get less sun and less heat.  I’ll miss the simplicity.

How to you actually wash by hand? Might be a stupid question but with the new high concentrations of laundry detergent what do you use and how do you get your stains out, washboard?

I used regular washing powder, one that says 'also suitable for hand washing' on the box because it was nicer to my skin.

Fill up a bucket of hot water, put the clothes in, let it soak. Stir. Rub the clothes against each other, especially the smelly parts like armpits. I did not have a washing board but I did have a metal ribbed kitchen counter that I used to get bed stains out of used a toothbrush. Rinse, dry.

There's also the old school camping method: fill up a thrash bag with clothing, water and washing powder, close it, throw the bag around, open, rinse, dry. Doesn't work as well in an apartment but works well enough for camping.