This is the way we wash our clothes

Washing clothes

New wash machine

A few months ago we bought an older washer to use outside because our ringer washer bit the dust.  It had a small leak which we knew about when we bought it but we were going to use it outside so the leak wasnt a big deal to us.  Well lately it has quit spinning the water out.  We have tried everything we know short of calling a repair man to fix it.  We just couldnt justify a repair man for a $45.00 washer.  So I told Jeff that I was going to go look at Craigslist for another used washer.  Right away I found one for $50.00 right in our town.  I called and we headed out in the pick up.  Long story short we have a new to us washer again.  Now I will list our old one for free to see if anyone wants it.
The girls and I should be able to install the new washer and move the old one out of the way.  If we cant get it Jeff can do it when he gets home.
The new washer looks like it is newer and has a few more bells and wistles on it.  Hopefully it will work better than the last one.  I am wondering if we need to keep a tarp on it when its not in use. What do you all think?  Is the electronic part sealed enough to keep it safe and dry when it rains?

Dish Soap

This is a recipe I found for dish soap~

1 (7-oz) bar ZOTE or Octagon soap (or 1-2-3 brand soap) {Or cut a 14-oz bar in half}
5 qts. water
1 c. baking soda
1/4 c. washing soda
1/4 c. lemon juice

Grate bar soap and place into a heavy stockpot. Pour in water & stir. Heat over medium heat, stirring often until soap is melted. Remove pot from heat and add in baking soda, washing soda & lemon juice. Stir to mix well. Allow mixture to cool then pour into a seal-able container or reuse your store bought soap bottle.

(As the mixture cools in the pot it may begin to gel up and separate itself from the water. This is ok. Simply mix with whisk before filling containers and it will be fine.) This batch makes enough to fill a gallon milk container and (2) 16-oz soap bottles. So you certainly get your money's worth from it.


To use: Use as you would any store bought detergent. It cleans well, but you will notice that you don't get a lot of suds from it as you do with commercial brands. So don't let the lack of suds and bubbles fool you.

*Note about the 1-2-3 brand soap. I saw this soap next to the ZOTE at the store and thought why not give it a try. It was a few cents cheaper than ZOTE but is only 12+ ounces unlike ZOTE that is 14 ounces. But either way, I thought it would be worth a try.
Pam's notes:
I used half a bar of regular soap and it turned out great. she is right it does not really suds up, but after washing my glasses it really does clean well. the recipe made three juice bottles full and i pour the extra bit in my current soap bottle that had a couple tablespoons of soap left in it.
Pam
source: http://trooppetrie.blogspot.com/2009/11/home-made-dish-soap.html

Scented Laundry Booster

■Fill a plastic (I use glass) container with baking soda then add a few drops of essential oil to preference (start with about 2 drops per cup). Stir well with a wooden stick or spoon (not one used for cooking). Seal the container and set aside for two weeks.
■After two weeks use it as a laundry booster (1/2 cup per load in the wash or rinse cycle–your choice). Do not add any commercial fabric softener.
I made this and use it for carpet fresh, now I am going to try it for a laundry booster. I hope it will help get things clean and make them smell good in the process.

Liquid Hand Soap

While I am on the subject of liquid soap I thought I would post this hand soap recipe.

1 bar soap (6 oz)
1 TBS honey
1 tsp glycerin
water

Directions

■Grate bar into small flakes, toss in blender.
■Add 1 cup boiling water and whip.
■Add 1/2 cup room temperature water and stir in blender.
■Add honey and glycerin, stir.
■Allow mix to cool (15 minutes) then whip again.
■Mixture should be 2 cups at this point. Top with cool water until mixture measures between 5 and 6 cups, whip.
■Pour into containers and allow to cool (do not put lids or caps on yet).
■After an hour, close containers. Mixture will thicken up.
■Shake before using as needed.
Optional: You can make this with herb infused water, just strain before using.

Source: Adapted from Pearls of Country Wisdom by Debora S. Tukua

Another homemade version:

Save bits of leftover bars (or grate one) then toss in a glass mason jar and top with boiling water (about double the amount of soap bits). Stir then seal with lid. Shake jar a few times while the water is cooling to get rid of any clumps. Once the mixture has cooled, stir well and add a few drops of essential oil if you wish to have a scented version.

To use: Pour mix into bottle then top with water as needed to get the right consistency (shake well). If for some reason the mixture is too thin, simply melt a bit of grated soap in a little hot water then add to first mixture to thicken.

I have made the second version and am not totally satisfied so I will try the first version and see how I like it.

Liquid Laundry Soap

I was surprised that I did not have a recipe for liquid laundry soap on my blog. I have recipes for soap mousse, fabric softener, bleach alternative and several other recopies but nothing for liquid laundry soap. I intend to remedy that right now.
Some of my family like to use the liquid laundry soap and some like the soap mousse and some don't care one way or another. I had at one point been able to purchase several jugs of liquid laundry soap for a small price so I have not made my own for quite a while. The stock of store bought soap is down to almost nothing so now is a good time to make a batch of my liquid laundry soap to replace it. I have saved a few of the bottles from the store so I can fill them when the soap is ready.
Here is the recipe I use for liquid laundry soap.

1 quart Water (boiling)
2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda

■Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water and stir until soap is melted. You can keep on low heat until soap is melted.
■Pour the soap water into a large, clean pail and add the Borax and Washing Soda. Stir well until all is dissolved.
■Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed.
Once the mix is cool I add several drops of essential oils. Lavender, tea tree or other fresh smelling type.
■Cover pail and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir the soap each time you use it (will gel).
Since I put mine in used laundry soap bottles I shake before use not stir.

Laundry Mousse

One of my very first posts as a blogger was a recipe for homemade laundry detergent. I still love it and recommend it, but I came across an intriguing recipe for homemade laundry mousse a couple of weeks ago that I wanted to try. Actually, I just used up the last of my liquid, so it was perfect timing for me to try making this kind. The ingredients are all the same, it’s just putting them together in a slightly different way.



The texture of this recipe is kind of creamy, almost like a paste. It actually reminds me of whipped butter in appearance and has a fresh smell that I love.

Intrigued as to how I made this? Here’s the recipe that I followed, taken from the Raising 4 Princesses blog:

6 cups water

2 bars Fels Naptha Soap

2 cups Borax

2 cups Arm & Hammer Washing Soda



I get all of my ingredients at an Amish Dry Goods store that is local, but you can probably find these at WalMart or your grocery store in the laundry aisle.Washing soda is slightly different than baking soda, so just be aware of that before you start. The first step is to take a large saucepan and heat up 6 cups of water in it. In the meantime, grate the 2 bars of Fels Naptha soap and pour them in the water. Heat to almost boiling until your soap flakes are dissolved. Add the Borax and washing soda and stir for about 3 minutes.



Remove from heat and pour into quart sized mason jars (wide mouth), leaving about 1 1/2″ at the top. Let this mixture sit for about 8 hours or more.



As you can see, the mixture does separate as it sits. After this, pour the contents of each jar (do one jar at a time) into a blender and whip it up. On a personal note, I found it easier to pour all of the liquid portion into the blender and then bits of the solid (top) part in gradually. I actually added just a bit of extra water too. Eventually you will get a nice creamy texture like I noted earlier. It almost looks good enough to eat–but please don’t, unless you need to wash your mouth out!! Pour everything back into jars or another kind of container with a lid. Use 2 TB a load.

source: http://quiverfullofblessings.com/category/craftdiy-ideas/

Edited to add: I made this and added about a cup of water while I was whipping it up. I think I needed to add about 2 more cups because its a little stiff. It also didnt dissolve in my wringer washer like I had hoped it would. I am not giving up on it yet though and maybe with a few alterations I can make it more creamy.

Homemade Bleach Alternative

Homemade Bleach Alternative
When we clean our bathroom, kitchen, or laundry we certainly have expectations that must be met. We expect that mold, grime, odor, and stains all be removed, right? We especially want our clothes to smell nice and fresh. Unfortunately, we are beginning to learn that commercial product producers are using harsh, toxic chemicals in order to meet our expectations.

For those of us concerned with providing for the overall health of our families, this poses a serious problem!

One of those products is in fact a traditional household cleaner…bleach. This may not be a surprise to you as the harmful side effects of bleach have been known to consumers for many decades. However it remains as one of the leading poisons found in most homes.

Harmful effects of using bleach include, but are not limited to:

· Irritation to the eyes
· Respiratory system irritation
· Throat irritation
· Severe allergic reaction with skin contact

There is a more natural, safe alternative. The homemade bleach alternative.



Homemade Bleach Alternative

- 1 ½ cup hydrogen peroxide
- ½ cup white vinegar
- Pure water to fill gallon jug
- 10 drops lemon or lemongrass essential oils (optional)

Pour hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, and essential oils in gallon jug. Add water to fill. Cap and store.

Notes:

-This is a color-safe bleach alternative.

-Add a cup of homemade bleach alternative to the wash for brighter, softer clothing.

-May be used in bath, tub, and toilet cleaning.

-No need to dilute.

-For tough-on stains soak clothing in a bucket with this solution. You may also spray on stains prior to washing.

Leave us a comment letting us know your thoughts on bleach? Have you ever used a bleach alternative? What were your results?

http://frugallysustainable.blogspot.com/2011/10/homemade-bleach-alternative.html

Make your own washing soda

You can easily make your own washing soda from baking soda.

1.Pour a pound of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, available commercially in grocery stores) onto a cookie sheet. Spread it out so it heats evenly.

2 Heat the baking soda for an hour at 300 degrees F.

3 Pour the washing soda into a jar and seal tightly. It becomes more alkaline when heated, so use gloves to handle it or transfer it with a spoon.

Read more: How to Make Washing Soda eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5859235_make-washing-soda.html#ixzz1YaozkACJ

This is a much cheaper way to get washing soda which is priced much more than baking soda.

Washing clothes in the summer heat

Washing clothes in our wringer washer outside is a sweaty adventure. The sun beats down on you until you are so sweaty and stinky you have to shower when you get done washing. I have been asking for a canopy for a while but we are waiting on the price to go down.

While I was in Kansas, I mentioned something about that to my sister and she had one they had only used once and they gave it to me. What a blessing. I am washing clothes this morning and I can stay out there longer before I am rolling in sweat. Thanks sister.

I'm saving up for one of these machines

Washing laundry in a wringer washer outdoors.

This is what my laundry room looks like when I am not using it. I pull the wagon with the two big tubs over by the washer on the right. Then I turn on the water faucet and begin to fill the washer. I use the recommended amount of laundry soap on the bottle. After I turn on the agitator and get the bubbles going I begin adding clothes. I add clothes a piece or two at a time and water to the top. The clothes must not only agitate but they must move to the middle of the washer, on down and around the outside and back up in order for the machine to be working and washing the clothes properly. After I get the first load of clothes going I fill my two rinse tubs. The first tub has a splash of white vinegar to cut any soap left in the clothes. The second tub has a splash of fabric softener. If I am washing towels I skip this rinse so my towels remain absorbent. If I were washing cloth diapers I would skip this step as well and just rinse the second time with plain water. After the clothes have agitated about 15 min. I go inside and do some work in there while the clothes soak in the washer. After while I go back outside and begin running the clothes through the wringer for the first time of the day. I hang on to the clothes as they pass through the wringer so they don't fall onto the ground and get dirty again. As soon as I have all the clothes from the first load into the first rinse I add a tad more soap and then the next load of clothes so they can be agitating while I am doing the wringing and rinsing of the first load. After I have wrung the clothes out the first time I then put them into the first tub. Remember this tub has a splash of vinegar. I use my wonder washer/breathing washer to agitate the clothes a few times in the first rinse. I do this for maybe 3-5 minutes. I grab a piece of clothing from the first rinse and squeeze it out a bit. Then I run the garment through the wringer. This is the second time the garment will go through the wringer. After I wring the item out I place it into my second tub which has a splash of fabric softener in it. I move my wonder washer/breathing washer to the second tub and agitate the clothes there for a few minutes. Just plunge up and down a few times. Its really easy. Now for the third and final run through the wringer. With big bulky items like jeans I lay them on the washer to situate them. Some of the old wringers would break buttons and zippers. Mine must be newer because the rollers in the wringer move apart when a bulky item is run through. If your machine is not like mine and will snap or break buttons and zippers its a good idea to fold the buttons or zippers to the inside of some of the fabric. Run the clothes thought the wringer for the final time. Hang on the line to dry. I hang the jeans like this because I read that if you hang wet jeans upside down like this that the weight of the jean/water will sort of iron the jeans and they wont be wrinkly. It works. The first load is on the line. As you can see I wash in small loads because that is all my machine will handle. In this load was a pair of jeans, a pair of denim shorts, a pair of denim Capri's, a pair of mens under drawers and two t-shirts.

• I have read some places where people say this is a hard way and time consuming way to wash clothes. I don't think it is hard and really I don't think I spend much more time doing the wash this way then I would running to a laundry mat. Plus the savings for me are considerable. Add in the fact that public laundry mats gross me out. I always sit on the edge of my seat and try not the think about how the people who have used the machines before I do live their lives and what weird things they do with their clothes. I know I am weird and silly but that is how I am.


• The best part about doing my wash this way is that I can be watering the garden while I am washing clothes. I also use the water twice. Well really many more times than twice, I wash 2-3 loads with the same water, just adding a bit more soap for each load. After I am done with the wash and rinse water I use it to water the garden or shrubs.

• I don't have to pay for the water here in this rv park but that is no reason to waste it. I asked Jeff to change out the cap on the dump drain so we can be using the gray water from showers and dishes to be watering the garden and shrubs as well. This is a tiny bit harder than the way we do it now because when we need to flush/dump the black water we will have to change the caps and then change them back. But with the water situation the way it is I think its a small thing that I can do for God's world.

Laundry Day (Hip-Hip Hooray!) by my friend Yolanda

Laundry Day (Hip-Hip Hooray!)

“Laundry Day” is said with ease,
But I am moved to differ.
Because of e-lec-tri-ci-ty
Our joints are getting stiffer.

“What can we do?” My heart doth cry,
Are we all doomed to suffer?
With all our faculties awry
Because of power’s buffer..

Between us and the need for work?
We sit and use our thumbs,
For texting, email and the like.
We’re turning into bums.

“No! No!” I cry, it cannot be!
We need lots more activity!
Get up, get out, oh see it there?
There’s swaying clothing in the air!

The sun is out, it’s warm, it’s free!
I’m moved to tears..how can it be
This simple labor I have found
Is possible the whole year round?

My limbs and joints quite happily
Engage in this activity.
I reminisce and contemplate
Beloved Earth’s eventual fate.

If we are very circumspect,
And treat Her with devout respect,
Our grandchildren will join the throng
Of happy launderers who prolong

Their own lives, and the lives of friends.
We will accomplish the good ends
Of clean air, land and water too.
I think this is what we must do!

Author unknown

A POEM

A clothesline was a news forecast
To neighbours passing by,
There were no secrets you could keep
When clothes were hung to dry.

It also was a friendly link
For neighbours always knew
If company had stopped on by
To spend a night or two.


For then you'd see the "fancy sheets"
And towels upon the line;
You'd see the "company table cloths"
With intricate designs.

The line announced a baby's birth
From folks who lived inside -
As brand new infant clothes were hung,
So carefully with pride!


The ages of the children could
So readily be known
By watching how the sizes changed,
You'd know how much they'd grown!


It also told when illness struck,
As extra sheets were hung;
Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too,
Haphazardly were strung.


It also said, "Gone on vacation now"
When lines hung limp and bare.
It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged
With not an inch to spare!


New folks in town were scorned upon
If wash was dingy and gray,
As neighbours carefully raised their brows,
And looked the other way .. . .

But clotheslines now are of the past,
For dryers make work much less.
Now what goes on inside a home
Is anybody's guess!

I really miss that way of life.
It was a friendly sign
When neighbours knew each other best
By what hung on the line.

I remember everyone giggling about how the diapers were hung on the line and it meaning the baby would soon be here. Mom was getting ready or nesting as they used to call it. A friend of mine and I were talking about a mom who had a scheduled C-section and her milk hadn't come in and the baby hasn't had a wet diaper in 24 hours. We discussed that our bodies know when to have milk when we have our babies in God's time and not the doctors.

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.

Final pork butt count

Final count for the canned pork butt is 32 quarts. We have about 1 1/2 quarts left that is raw and I didn't want to have to run another canner load so we will just cook it up and add salsa and eat it with cheese and lettuce in a tortilla.

The girls decided that since it is nice today that we should do some laundry so we are on our second load. Its so easy to wash with the wringer washer. I just fill with water and add soap, then agitate for a bit and begin adding clothes. When I think it has enough clothes I let it agitate for maybe 5 min., then turn it off and let it soak. Later I go back and turn it on to agitate again and then run the clothes through the wringer and place in a separate rinse bucket. In my case I use a 15 gal. new muck bucket. We swish the clothes around the rinse water until we think they are rinsed and then run them through the wringer again and hang them up to dry. The clothes line is just a few steps away. Every thing is arranged in close proximity to each other so its not a hard job. I have the washer sitting next to a table that has the rinse bucket sitting on it. Its all shielded from the wind by the storage trailer.

Computer glitch

My computer has been slowing down a bit at a time. I kept telling Jeff it had problems. Last evening it bit the dust.

We called a friend who is a whiz at fixing computers and he and his family were all set to pop over, they were already out enjoying the beautiful weather, when Jeff was able to get some kind of fix it program running. It took several hours to clean it up but I think its good to go again. Jeff was also able to back up the computer to a portable hard drive.

Mollie and I finished cannng the bacon this evening at 9pm. The last batch was in the canner and Jeff and I went out to eat while Mollie watched the canner. She called and said there was steam coming from around the edge of the canner. She shut it off and when I got home I found the gasket messed up. I have a large canner but I was pretty sure it would not fit under the hood on the stove of the 5th wheel. Jeff wanted to see for himself if it would fit. Upon actually trying it we found that it does indeed fit, but barely. It does sit squarely over the burner so I transferred the jars to the big canner and was able to finish canning the bacon tonight.

Total bacon canned was 17 quarts and 52 pints. It seemed like out of every batch 2-3 jars didn't seal. So each batch had a few with new seals and re canned. At the end I had two quarts that didn't seal and probably will end up with a few pints that didn't seal. I will just use them istead of recanning. We will see tomorrow.

We will take Sunday off and on Monday we will begin canning the pork butt. I am estimating 96 quarts of pork butt. We will see how close my estimate is.

Jeff unloaded my wringer washer from the storage trailer and helped me set up a washing area at the end of the storage trailer. He installed shut off valves on the filling hose and the emptying hose. Now its easy to fill and empty the tub. I also like the power wringer because its easier to wring out bigger items. I had already washed the clothes by hand so when the wash area was set up I washed Jeff's work coat and two rugs. Those type of things are harder to wash by hand. And almost impossible to wring out by hand. The power wringer will be very helpful with jeans too.

Having the wringer washer set up to use will also enable me to wash only every two or three days instead of every day. Washing by hand had to be done each day or it was too tiring for me to wash too many things by hand. I do have a system worked out so I know I can wash by hand if necessary.

One tip to keep from breaking zippers and buttons when putting them through a wringer is to fold the item of clothing so that the buttons lie flat and are covered with fabric. In other words fold the sides of a shirt over the middle where the buttons are. Same thing goes for zippers. Fold the fabric over the zipper and run through the wringer.

We're about to blow away

I read a thread about a lady who has a clothespin apron and I began looking for ideas. I found this picture and I kinda am leaning toward the #1 purse type bag. I currently use something similar to #3 for my clothespins but the bag stays outside and is about to fall to pieces. I also usually leave my clothespins on the lines. I am trying to decide if that is really a good idea. Maybe I should take them off each time. What do you do? What do you use for your clothespins?

The wind is gusting over 30 mph and blowing steadily between. The 5th wheel is shaking about. I don't care for this part of RV life. I feel safe and I am not concerned that we will blow over but I don't care for the banging of the skirting and shaking.





I washed some laundry this morning. One item I washed was a long sleeved denim dress. I wasn't able to use the wringer on it so I just hung it up dripping. It sure didn't take long to dry completely.





I have other clothes soaking but I am not going to finish washing them today because although the wind helps dry clothes fast it also can whip them to shreds and that's how windy it is today. I try to make sure I take the clothes off the line as soon as they are dry when its windy because I don't want the wind whipping the hems out and such.





I made and bottled two batches of Body Whip today. One regular and one with Thieves Oil. I bottled them in the pink pump bottles. I plan to make a couple more batches tomorrow and bottle them in the gray tubes. I like having a variety of packaging options.

More on the Mobile washer

Yesterday I did two bucket loads of wash with my mobile washer and today I just have some underthings and socks to wash. I am once again surprised at the amount of dirt in the wash water. Not having washed clothes by hand since we moved here it seems like there is just a lot of dirt in the clothes. After all, its a t-shirt, two pairs of socks and two pairs of underwear. I poured the dirty wash water down the drain and filled the bucket up again with wash water. I am finding that doing the laundry this way is very easy. When I get my wringer in on Friday I will just wash and rinse my clothes in the tub in buckets just like I have been doing and then take the clean clothes outside and run them through the wringer and hang them outside to dry. Its suppose to be in the 60's by the weekend and so that should work fine.

I just need to figure out where to attach the wringer. The owner of the company said it can be attached to a saw horse but I am thinking our saw horses wont work because they are the collapsible metal kind and the cross piece will be too wide. I am sure I will figure out something. I am thinking about getting a couple of galvanized metal tubs to do the wash in outside when the weather is warmer so it may attach to one of them easily. I have tables outside to set my tubs on.

Dyna-Jet has a non electric wash machine I would love to buy but for now I am just going to have to be satisfied with the set up I now have. It works fine.

I was thinking about contentment the other day and wondering why I always want something else or something more? Why am I not content with what I have now? I am trying to work on that and hoping to be content. Some people look at others who are content with the way things are as being ambivalent. I guess there is a fine line between being content and being ambivalent. I will have to think on that.