Thursday, March 3, 2011

Washing bedding in a wringer washer

Today I am washing bedding in my wringer washer outside for the first time. Its is suppose to get up to 70 today so I thought it would be a good day since its suppose to cool back down into the 50's.

The first item of bedding I washed was the comforter. I used about a tablespoon of eucalyptus/tea tree oil in the wash to help any dust mites or other critters that may or may not be inhabiting my bedding. I read about them and now I have the heebie geebies. Ick. It took Mollie, Hannah and I to haul that thing out of the wash and into the rinse and then out of the rinse. I knew it would be way too heavy for my umbrella clothes line and would most certainly break it so I got my big ladder out, washed it off and we hung the comforter over that. We were not able to wring it out at all so it is just dripping like crazy. I figured that would be the case so I got started as early as I could.

The next load I am doing is the sheets and the pillow cases. I think I will be able to fold them and run them through the wringer and hang them up on the umbrella line. If I am careful I don't think it will mess my clothes line up.

Depending on how long it takes to wash the sheets will decide if I am able to do any other laundry today.

Now that I have been doing my laundry at home with my wringer washer I just cannot bear to go to the laundry mat. I have read where ladies claim that doing laundry this way is very hard. I have not found that to be the case. The hardest items to wash are of course the comforters and large blankets. Next is the jeans because I do not run them through the wringer because I do not want to damage the zippers. Jeans are so expensive. When I am washing jeans I just have one of the girls come help when its time to wring them out. I have found that they usually have no problem helping me, I think they kind of like doing it too.

I arrange my schedule so that I can do the wash any day that is nice out. During the winter if we were to stay in this area I would have to go to the laundry mat but unless we have very cold weather for several days in a row I am able to wash outside right now and I am thankful for that.

6 comments:

Yolanda said...

I have an internet friend that lives in Finland. She does not use a dryer, and most of the year has to hang her laundry inside the house. She hangs her sheets over the tops of open doors! Of course, she keeps those door tops dusted!

debbieo said...

Yolanda,
That is a good idea. I was thinking though, here in the 5th wheel we only have one door and its the door to the bathroom. Our door is a sliding door, and the girls room door is an accordian door. There is the front door but if its cold you wouldnt want to use that. I would probably have a hard time with that one. LOL

Danielle said...

This is fascinating! What an experience! I found you through Vansteaders, by the way, and I've enjoyed poking around on your blog a little. :)
http://mindofthemother.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

I sure miss you at the laundry though! :-(

Yolanda said...

Well, yes! One door in the whole place would not give you much room!

This reminds me of something that happened 26 years ago (gasp!) We moved, cross country, to a home that had no where to hook up a washer or dryer. So, the first time I did laundry, I hauled the laundry and 6 (3 girls, 3 boys) to the laundromat. They ranged in age from 1.5 to 12.5. Needless to say, were were there for quite a while. I think it took about 10 years off my life. When I got home, I told my sweet husband that I would NEVER do that again! He took a day off work and spent that whole day crawling around in the crawl space under our little house getting my laundry things hooked up. Bless his heart. I think the "deer in the headlights" look in my eyes must have convinced him!

debbieo said...

Yolanda,
What a sweet and loving husband you have. There are actually men on this planet who would not have cared, Im glad yours does. Mine does too.
DD-I miss you too. You have my emal though.