The Bathtub Stomp

He, he, he.........  you know that yesterday went sideways quickly already, right?  That's my life.

So laundry.  I had a couple of options here.  The first was to go to my parents house and spend all day doing laundry there.  The second was to go to the local laundromat.  And the third was to figure out how to do it at home, without using the machine. 

Soooo, the problem with the first option was multiple.  First was the gas to get there.  Second was spending all day twiddling my thumbs while waiting for the machines to do the laundry.  Sure, I could get my son's lessons done, watch a few movies, go swimming............or I could haul my onions and mangoes with me and prep them while doing laundry.  That last option was actually the one I was going for except the gas issue.  It would be approximately $15 in gas to get to and from my folks house - not money I have right now.  And I have to go to their house next week.  So going today was out.

The laundromat.  Well the good news is that there is one close by.  The bad news is that there is no way I would take my son inside there for more than say - 10 minutes - and it is the "hangout" for some folks that I wouldn't trust to stay out of my laundry when I'm not there.  And again, I'm flat broke - no joke, maybe some change at the bottom of my purse broke.  And that change has been gone through enough that if there's any silver I'd be amazed and grateful for the miracle.

So, we are going with option number 3, with a side of option number 1.  Since I have to go to my folk's house next week, and I will be there for at least 4 hours, I will save towels and some of the bigger items to go with us.  And any regular dirty laundry that we generate between now and then.

So laundry.  Again.  Now normally I can do two, max three loads, a week and we are good.  But, of course, since I can't use the machine Uncle Murphy has had to jump in and jinx us.  So my son has been having bathroom problems.  End result - lots of linens and clothes to wash.  And with his accidents, the cats have just had to chime in their two sense whenever possible (cats have been getting thrown outside a lot lately!). 

But this has definitely been a learning lesson in just how difficult laundry could be to do if TSHF for the entire world, not just my own personal SHTF.  I love reading PAW fiction but the attitudes toward doing laundry have always amused me.  The posts on forums boards are even more amusing.  They bring to mind a scene in which someone gets the receiving end of a cast iron pan and then gets to spend the day chained doing laundry.  All so that they will get their rear end moving on coming up with something more realistic and practical.  (And dude, I am so not getting in between you and your SO when they decide to do this.  I do not get in between someone with cast iron and their target.  And I definitely do not interfere with chains.  I have no wish to spend the day beside you.  I've got my own laundry to do.)

But silly scene aside, this has given me some real practical insights into what would become mandatory if you had to do laundry without machines.  And a few fun thoughts on making it easier.

Now effective sorting and pretreating just became mandatory.  You sort not just by color, but by degree of dirtiness.  The least dirty and lightest get washed first, moving down towards the darkest and dirtiest.  Yes, you'll have to empty and refill basins a few times but that will make the most of your water.  Pretreating would be two basins - one for simple stains that are soaped and soaked and another for "black water" issues which typically involve kids or severe stains (in my case this is an oxyclean soak with very hot water).

First, a waist high table that will hold two sets of two large wash basins side by side.  The large galvanized tubs.  And a waist high wash tub with a fire pit underneath.  That's for anything that can be reasonably done by hand - shirts, undergarments, kids clothes, etc.  The first basin is wash.  The second rinse.  The third rinse.  Then repeat, either was or rinse as necessary.  By the time you've rinsed the first two times you'll know which clothes still need more.  Oh, and the garden hose provides a wonderful final rinse that makes sure everything is clean.

Second, two kiddy pools.  Or two above ground mini ponds that can be easily drained if your going for permanent that looks good.  Either way this would replace the bathtub stomp I've been doing.  Outside pools would be wonderful for this.  First because all the water would be outside!  Second because you can trick the kiddies into helping by playing.  Heck it's even more fun for adults when you view it as playing.  Adult clothes, large clothes, towels, sheets can be done in them.  Fill with warm water and soap, then stomp and splash away.  Move items to the second tub without soap and play away again.  Then hang items on the line and rinse with garden hose.  (If SHTF then mount a couple of 55 gallon drums up high and use them as rinse cycle.)

Third is for the truly lazy, and for the truly large items - like comforters and quilts.  These are things that just become obscenely heavy and difficult to move when wet (these are the things going to my folk's house).  It's for the truly lazy because you could possibly do all your laundry this way if you could rig large enough a cistern.  But it'd be a major waste of water.  Anyways, the third way is to get a siphon attachment for your garden hose, or one of those MiracleGro attachments, and figure out how much soap to put in for cleaning.  Then hang the large items and wash with the hose.  Make sure to flip them and get all sides.  Then disconnect the siphon and rinse - twice - remembering to flip.  The kids would probably love to help with this as well.  It'll probably end up being a major water fight.

And a wonderful thought, that would make drying go faster, would be to attach a dryer tub to a bicycle set up.  Set the tub up high so the it can act as a sprinkler.  Then put the wet clothes in the tub and have the kids go for a ride.  Water fun for the kids, watering for the garden, reduced drying times for the clothes.  Hey that's got three good things going for it.

Now, you know that I don't have these things - this was just brainstorming.  But I'm making do with what I have and getting laundry done.  I'm going to be oh so happy when that bloody leak is fixed!  But until then, I making do with as much fun and laughter as I can arrange.

I hope you all are having a fun filled day as well (without Murphy and his jinxes)!