Amazing but true laundry stories!

[Trek420]

May your grey water run clear..

Is this the laundry forum version of wishing a fellow cyclist "tailwinds"

I'm looking at my washer to see if it has a double rinse/spin option ... and sniffing my clothes. I have drier but often use an LL Bean indoors clothes drying rack/shelf thingie instead.

Since my dishes often sit and wait days I know I'd do the same with laundry.

[Sardine]

Is this the laundry forum version of wishing a fellow cyclist "tailwinds"

Something like that

Trek420, I'm going to ask because I've been curious and can't work it out due to size - what is the dog doing in your picture/avatar? Sniffing a bag of laundry? Apologies for going off topic momentarily.

[Trek420]

Something like that

Trek420, I'm going to ask because I've been curious and can't work it out due to size - what is the dog doing in your picture/avatar? Sniffing a bag of laundry?

That's our mutt, Mae sniffing a gopher hole right before diving in to dig at it.

Now back to our sponsor; laundry by hand.

And thanks Knott, I do have a double rinse setting on the machine. Who knew?

[lph]

I grew up without a washing machine, in a cool, wet climate, and am definitely no fan of handwashing clothes... but I guess I should read the tips on handwashing larger amounts. Scrubbing jeans on an oldfashioned scrubbing board just got me sore knuckles and determination to own a washing machine when all grown up.

But we don't have a drier and don't miss it, except very occasionally when we have lots to wash and have to stagger it so that the livingroom slash drying room doesn't feel like a sauna.

[KnottedYet]

Bicycle-powered washing machines!

YouTube has a gazillion videos of home-made pedal powered washing machines. This one is kind of cute, cuz they show a couple "mistakes" they made: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fktpd...eature=related

I like this one best, because he's taken the guts of a washer and hooked it right up to a bike. Saves all the constructing the drum and gearing and hoses from scratch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDgQ5ABlqEU&NR=1

Doin' bicycle laundry with Lady Gaga: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM7l9E6u6TU&NR=1

Doin' laundry (and other things) with Queen's "Bicycle Race" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kL6Mk...1&feature=fvwp

There are also a gazillion videos of the bucket and plunger washer, too. They seem to leave off the "let it soak, and do less work" part that the laundry forums emphasized.

[OakLeaf]

ya - we had to have some work done on the water lines in the basement this May, and the plumber had to move the dryer out of the way.

We still haven't plugged it back in.

It usually gets some use in the fall when it's too rainy to dry on the outside lines consistently, and too humid to dry on racks in the house.

Bicycle-powered washing machines!

Now that's a spin cycle!

[KnottedYet]

I've found a couple references in the laundry forums to "European waffle-weave" bath towels and bath sheets.

I assume this is it: http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Design-...g_ai_ps_t3_t_9

And these are organic cotton and made in USA: http://www.tomorrowsworld.com/Organi...5-1910n-bt.htm

Apparently, they are popular with handwashers and people who air-dry their laundry. Wash easily, dry quickly.

Expensive little buggers.

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ETA:
AAAAAAAH!!!!! Gross, gross, gross!!!! AAAAAAAAH!!!!

I just tried something I read for the "gray water" crud. Add a couple tablespoons of baking soda to the rinse water when your water is running clear, and it will make MORE gray crud come out of your clothes when you thought you'd already gotten it all.

AAAAAAH!!! GROSSS!!!!!

It does.

Yuck.

[NbyNW]

Sigh. I thought I was being all eco-conscious by not using that 2nd rinse cycle, but this thread is making me want to flip that switch.

I would totally miss having a dryer. I always miss having one, if I am traveling in a part of the world where they are uncommon, and have to air-dry all my things. Just not a fan of that crispy air-dried feel.