Did you know there are message boards like this one for laundry enthusiasts?
(I didn't.)
I fell into the wonderful world of laundry because I was looking for cheap, small washer and dryer ideas for my apartment. There is a community laundry room here, but I'm not fond of the expense and the mental cooties and the pain-in-the-butt logistics involved.
Previous tenants took their W+D with them (or sold them to incoming tenants).
My search lead me to the wonderful world of laundry... it's so cool! People really get into it! I discovered there are whole bunches of people who do their laundry by hand, just because they like to! Which seemed odd until I started thinking that there are people who look at us and say "Those crazy cyclists go places under their own power, just because they like to!"
It's a big ol' world...
I found threads discussing different plunger-devices for smooshing laundry around and thoughtful reviews of various tubs. Here's a cool plunger-thingy that it turns out one of my coworkers used to have: http://www.lehmans.com/store/Home_Go..._1138390?Args=
There were recipes for home-made laundry soap.
One of the topics I read (and didn't believe until... well, you'll see) was a discussion of how machines don't really get your clothes clean and a lot of dirty water and soap residue is left in the clothing and then dries into the clothing in the dryer. I figured that couldn't be true, I mean don't machines make clothes CLEANER than handwashing? Machines are sleek and powerful and do everything better, right?
There was mention of the evil gray water that clothes produced the first time someone switched to handwashing. Hearty proclamations of the miraculous cures of dermatitis and eczema. Rhapsodies on the way clothes smelled so much better.
I can't get a washer for a couple more weeks. Don't wanna trek down to the laundry room or drag my laundry to a friend's house, and really the weather is so good I can dry it all outside anyway. I read all the tips and tricks about washing large amounts of clothing by hand.
I got me a kitty-litter bucket and a sink plunger and set to work.
Omigawd.
Instant disgusting filthy gray water. Like the devil's teabag dropped into my kitty litter bucket.
Now, I know I'm not that grody. Even though some of those things in that load got worn twice, I'M JUST NOT THAT GRODY!
I might just become a handwashing laundry enthusiast.