In an era where reliance on technology is ubiquitous, the art of managing without modern conveniences becomes a valuable skill.
This is particularly true when it comes to essential tasks like laundry.
Enter the realm of prep steading- a lifestyle that marries the foresight of prepping with the earthiness of homesteading, teaching us to live in the present while preparing for the future.
A standout video from a seasoned “prepsteader”, Christa Swartz, offers a deep dive into this philosophy.
She’s focusing on how to tackle laundry without the luxury of a washing machine.
This practical guide not only equips viewers with the skills to manage laundry off-grid but also embodies the prepsteading spirit of resilience and self-reliance.
The process shared in the video is straightforward and ingeniously simple.
It requires just 2 buckets (one with holes drilled in the bottom to fit inside the other) and a new, clean plunger.
This setup creates a manual washing system where the inner bucket, acting as both agitator and drain, and the outer bucket, catching the water, work together to clean clothes.
The plunger is used to agitate the clothes in the water with detergent, effectively mimicking the action of an electric washing machine.
This method shows that achieving cleanliness doesn’t necessarily require modern appliances, just a bit of creativity and physical effort.
Viewers shared their own tips and tricks, all of them extremely helpful.
One viewer offers a practical solution for extracting more water from clothes:
“To help start getting the water out of the clothes, you can place the inner tub on an elevated surface like a clean cinder block or a few bricks, place the outer bucket inside the ‘drum’ and press down firmly. It will help remove a good bit of the water and make wringing less messy.”
This advice not only makes the process more efficient but also addresses one of the manual washing’s more cumbersome aspects.
One viewer suggests a way to bypass the wringing altogether.
“Also, if someone has arthritis and has difficulty wringing, a new, clean janitor’s mop bucket with the mop wringer on the top can eliminate the need to wring. Just place one or two items of clothing in at a time and pull the handle to mash the water out.”
This innovative approach ensures that the manual washing method is inclusive, offering a solution that reduces physical strain.
Enhancing the efficiency of the washing action itself, another viewer recommends modifying the plunger for better water flow.
“Suggestion: Drill holes in the black rubber plunger so water can get through. Old Scout leader here, been there, done that; 💕 You!”
This tip suggests that improved water movement through the plunger can lead to more effective agitation and a cleaner wash.
The video quickly became a crucial resource for those in immediate need.
A viewer expressed their gratitude for the handiness and timing of the video:
“My washing machine broke last week… this video is a literal godsend for us, as the only thing we need to buy is a plunger, as we have all the other stuff. Thank you so much for sharing your skills and knowledge with us all, it’s really gonna help us out more than you can realize as there are no laundry centers in our small town to use.”
See how simple it is to get the wash done with just a few everyday items below!
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