Hints for washing clothes.

Julie,

We just got back from 6 months away with two kids and managed pretty well with a screw top bucket and a couple of river rocks inside it. We really only used it for socks and jocks with some water and a bit of detergent. We tied it on top of the Kamper and a day's travel was generally enough to give them a reasonable clean if you rinse them on arrival. Keep the water for washing feet before bed if you are tight for water.

No avoiding the van park or laundromat though after a couple of weeks. You can get the portable tumble type washers but I have not had experience with them, so not sure how much or how effective they are.

Cheers,

Matt.

The screw top barrel does a good job, as long as you don't let the cloths get to dirty.

We do all our washing this way on the road. Every couple of weeks a van park for the linen. We carry two changes of linen and towels so it works out quite well.

yep, screw top barrel is a good way to go... Available from Aussie disposals just make sure you get one with an 'O' ring seal.

Julie.

We have used the hand wind type. Mum & Dad had one on their boat and when they stopped using it I decided to give it a go.

There were a couple of problems.

1 Perhaps I was using too much detergent but it seemed to presurise the container quickly once I started cranking. The dirty gear inside then did not seem to move through the water/detergent very well. If I used less detergent then it didn't seem to be enough to clean the clothes. Maybe they were too dirty?

2 And this was by far the biggest problem. It was hard work. I had to sit the washer on the ground and hold it down quite firmly while I turned the handle. This sounds easy but was not. In the end I resorted to pegging the thing down with a couple of tent pegs. This worked OK but it was still not fun and took valuable relaxing time away from me. Holidays/trips are all about relaxing and having fun this was neither.

What we do now is quite simple. We all stink together. If we haven't got a shower then we don't worry about washing clothes. If we are that far from civilisation then there is no one there to complain. I keep a set of clean clothes and ware a set of dirty clothes. When we are coming into a town we will change into something clean and head for the laundromat or CP laundry.

Works for us and none of our travelling companions have complained.

Duncs

Wash????
When in Rome, Do as the Romans.
When out bush, Stink. LOL
Cheers

the old 12volt wiper motor with bit of arm & the barrel sitting on a bearing will do a great job in 1/2 an hour just make the inside of the barrel look like a cement mixer/agitator, when i was at Portland roads cape york we used a cement mixer.
Doe's a great job

Using wool wash instead of detergent in the barrel eliminates the need to rinse therefore saving valuable water. Does a great job.

Have seen the Les Hiddins, The Bush Tucker Man, hook up an old steel tin with some holes in it onto the end of a stick and use it as a type of plunger with the clothes in a bucket. Haven't tried it myself yet but he says it works pretty well so I believe him.

Barnesy

Simple - when out bush miles from no-where, just wear your jocks or womens
under garments, depends what " channel" you are on!!

You know that no-where means exactly that --"No Wear"

Regards Nick ps. by the way "Why is bra a singular word and panties plural" Think about it!!

We use a large toilet plunger to move the water up and down in a bucket to create a washing motion. Even use this when staying put in caravan park for 4 weeks every xmas. Just hate the fact that I have to spend $3.00 on a load of washing. Soak clothes at night in bucket with detergent, next morning use plunger rinse in another couple of buckets and hang to dry after wringing out the excess water by hand. No problems at xmas in qld as the wind and the sun usually dry within the day.
I then put my saved money into the pokies as a xmas treat and dont fee guilty.
When camping on the beach at Fraser use the same method but usually soak the clothes first in nappysan especially the ones that have fish blood smeared all over them. Nappysan works a treat.
Cheers
Jenkie

Well in the days before auto washing machines .In the Navy we had a 4gallon S/Steel Bucket with lock lid with a round S/Steel shaft with a Round disk on the bottom with 1 inch holes all over it , In with the cloths ,in with water ,in with the soap,on with the lid with shaft attached & up & down with Shaft & that's how able seaman washed their Cloths,

Next 4x4 or Boating show buy one of those 20lt plastic buckets with thr plunger that are always being promoted by that guy - come on now you all know who I am talking about:-)
I bought oen about 3 years ago and have used it many times - no problems - does a good job.

And when u arent using the bucket to wash it can be used for storage etcetc