Washing Laundry by Hand

Washing laundry by hand is a skill that many find intimidating. In my Grandmother's day, people did not have as many items of clothing as we tend to have now. Handwashing the laundry, though time consuming, was not the overwhelming chore that people think of it as being today. Living in rural areas where power outages are frequent during storms, learning to do laundry by hand is a skill that can benefit you. It is also good for those on limited budgets who do not have the money to go to the laundromat very often. I do our laundry by hand even though the machines are available. I choose to do laundry this way as a way to save money and I also enjoy it. For a family of 4, two of which are in cloth diapers, hand washing laundry is a daily task. Here is how I do it.

The first step is to gather your supplies together. You will need a large tub or sink, low suds soap, and hot water. A washboard is helpful, but you can do laundry without it if necessary.

Fill your wash tub with water as hot as you are able to stand your hands being in. Add some low suds laundry soap. I prefer the low suds soap as it is much easier to rinse out than a soap containing a lot of soap bubbles. Place in your laundry, washing the items with the least dirty items first. I like to let the laundry soak for a little while first to help loosen the dirt which makes the washing much easier. To wash the laundry, I scrub each item in between my hands. Delicate items need very little scrubbing. As I finish with each item, I squeeze or wring out the water and set the item aside or place in a rinse water tub filled with hot water.

Continue washing the laundry in this manner, working your way from the least dirty to the heavily soiled clothing. By washing your laundry in this set order, you eliminate the need to change the wash water often. Once the laundry has been washed, I rinse the items by swishing them around in the rinse water, lifting, then dropping back into the water to swish some more. After the soap is thoroughly rinsed out of the clothing, I squeeze or wring out the clothing and place in the laundry basket to be taken to the clothesline. Hang the laundry on the line.

Items needing special treatment, such as sweaters, can also be washed by hand. Squeeze out the water, never wring it out of a sweater. The wringing of the sweater fabric can cause it to stretch it out of shape. To dry the sweater outdoors, use a drying rack that allows you to lay the sweater flat.

In washing laundry by hand, I have learned a few hints along the way that can make the job easier. If you live in a humid climate where mold and mildew are a concern, store your clothespins in a fabric mesh bag to allow good air circulation. You can also prevent mold/mildew from growing on the clothespins by rinsing them once or twice a month in a mild bleach water solution and letting dry in the sun. In dry hot climates, avoid using the plastic clothespins as the sun will dry the plastic causing them to break easily. Never put your clothes pins away when damp as this can promote mildew & mold growth.

Washing the laundry on a windy day will help to eliminate the stiffness that cotton fabrics in particular can have. The movement of the laundry blowing in the breeze helps to soften the fabrics. Soap residue on the clothing can also cause some stiffness to the fabric. To help avoid this problem, add a little white vinegar to your rinse water. White vinegar removes the soap residues more efficiently than fabric softener or plain water.

There are benefits to drying your laundry on a clothesline. One is that the sun has a natural bleaching quality. Even cloth diapers will not stain if washed thoroughly and left in the sun to dry. You will also find your bath towels and cloth diapers to be more absorbent due to the sun drying more water out of the towels that a clothes dryer. The third benefit that I find is the lack of residue odor in the cloth diapers. Drying them on a clothesline airs them out and any odors that the washing machine & dryer were unable to remove are no longer present after hanging them on the clothesline to dry.

Washing the laundry by hand is more physical than simply tossing the laundry into a machine. The benefits however outweigh any increase in the work. I find hand washing the laundry to be relaxing. It is also a wonderful opportunity to spend some time outdoors enjoying the sun and the breeze. No fabric softener can compare with the way clothes smell after drying out on the clothesline. I look forward to the warm weather each year when I can hang out the laundry to dry. I love watching the laundry as it sways in the breeze. It brings back memories of a simpler time.