Last updated on June 21st, 2018
A number of years ago we purchased a washboard (actually we have several). It’s something we’ll be able to use to help clean the clothes if the power goes out for an extended time.
It’s a simple tool – made with a wooden frame that holds a metal scrub board lined with ridges which help to loosen the dirt while washing clothes against it.
I don’t know if any of you have ever used a washboard or if you have one in your supplies, but it’s a device that our ancestors used before advent of the washing machine.
Question: Although washing your clothes will not be one of your high concerns if and when the grid goes down for an extended time (e.g. cyber-attack, EMP, etc..), assuming that you survive the follow-on chaos and are able to successfully homestead somewhere, among the many tasks you’ll face will be keeping clean – including your clothes. How will you do it?
There is nothing like a good old fashioned washboard. Just a few scrubs takes out the ground-in dirt (your scrubbing will be directly proportional to the dirt involved 😉 ). This washboard is very sturdily built, the ribs of the board are just deep enough and not so deeply ribbed that even the ‘finest of fabrics’ can be cleaned of spots and stains.
Many parts of the world still use washboards for washing clothes. Clothes are soaked in hot soapy water in a washtub or sink, then squeezed and rubbed against the ridged surface of the washboard to force the wash liquid through the cloth to carry away dirt. A bit of scrubbing together with a soap bar of Zote or Fels Naptha will get the job done. And it will still do a reasonable job without any soap…
Washboards can be used in a sink or bucket, or can also be used for washing in a river or any body of water, with or without soap.
When you are thinking about your prep items and what you may need during a worst-case-scenario (extended grid-down), don’t forget about how you will wash your clothes!
More: How To Do Laundry & Clothes Washing Without Electricity
More: 20+ Other Uses For Soap
Ugh, women’s work!!! (just kidding). My thoughts go to a large pot/tub capable of withstanding fire/coals on the bottom and a short canoe paddle for agitation. Boiling of clothes and linens will become necessary for lice/bedbug, etc., control.
At least for the “rinse cycle”.
A great DIY hand-powered washing machine:
1. A regular toilet plunger.
2. Drill 1/4″ holes throughout the rubber suction part.
3. A large bucket/tub.
4. Up & down, hand & arm power – creates a churning.
5. Substitute a longer handle – makes easier.
6. I’ve done it – it works really well!
7. 2nd bucket/tub to rinse.
I thought that would work!
But lazy me, I bought a pre-made one that goes in a five gal bucket.
I’ve seen an industrial floor washbucket with the hand squeezer (used to ring out a mop) used for clothes. It does a pretty good job if the clothes are thick or you can place in multiple thin items to get the bulk you need for it to be effective.
An added bonus is you can be the rythmn section of an old timey honkey tonk band!
Hunters Bath;
Find a reasonable clean stream, river, pond, or lake with no floating nasty in it. Temperature will vary depending on time of year, avoid ice flows.
Remove shoes/boots, leather belt, firearms, water sensitive items, etc.
Grab a bar or container lf soap.
Soap em up and rinse em off.
You get clean clothes and a bath all in one.
Probably not the best of ideas, but I have done exactly this on a 2 week hunting trip, ONCE!!!! OMG it was cold…..
I agree with Denis, a good durable tub is a MUST, for washing clothes and for bathing. Also works great for scorching a hog hide after butchering.
I would think that a washboard could become a luxury in times after TSHTF, there is nothing better than a set of clean clothes to make one feel better. And we will need those times, probably sooner than most people think.
NRP
I can’t remove my most cold water sensitive items, or at least I don’t want to.?
My backup to modern washing machines, the 6gal plastic buckets that pool clorine tabs come in, (use 2 one for washing one for the rinse cycle both have the throne plunger through the lid. I also use a small amount of liquid detergent (1/4 quarter the normal amount with 1 cup ammonia together they are a super combo and the cost savings….gotta love it)
Back in the 70’s when we were a very poor family starting out, I would put clothes in the bathtub with some soap and water and stomp on them, my feet being the agitator.
Rinse. Repeat.
Worked. 🙂
Long ago I used to put the clothes in a bathtub and danced on them to music when I didn’t have a washer and the Laundromat was 20 miles away. I had help wringing them out then. However, when my septic tank froze up last winter for two months, that’s when the old washboard came out with my large bucket. The problem was I needed a wringer after my skin split twisting the clothes of water. Gloves didn’t last long as they split where my damaged skin was. I alleviated the skin splits by not using my thumbs and index finger to wring them out.
Clothes take longer to dry when wring them out by hand, takes twice as long in the dryer, and twice as long hanging dry as washing machine spin dry makes it.
Bucket washing doesn’t leave much time and effort to sort clothes by color. Using a white bucket you will see how dark the water really gets when washing clothes. Some of it is dirt, but most of it comes from the dyes used in fabric. Rinsing in a bucket also leaves the water dark, so I ran fresh water over the washed clothes, especially whites to rinse them by hand rather than in a bucket of fresh water that turns dark quickly.
@Stardust, I did the same thing (moons ago). I also stomped the clothes to help squish out most of the water. But, you’re right about the long drying times. I bought some rain boots that are kept clean just for this purpose. Wet cold feet are miserable. Whew, what a workout too. Beach’n
I have one of those things put away that looks like a toilet plunger with the holes. As somebody mentioned you can make one but I can tell ya from personal recent experience that they don’t make plungers like they used to and it maybe easier/cheaper just to the washer/plunger on line.
I keep a couple of the small kiddie pools around for the dogs and figure they should work the other half of the equation.
Just like a model T Ford wouldn’t be a very good bug out vehicle I don’t plan on going back to a wash board, on Amazon there is what’s called a “Easy Go” hand powered washing machine, we used them or one similar in fire camp, they work amazingly well, that’s what I will use.
Been saving one of those mop buckets with the rollers to help wring out the extra water before drying. Hope to never have to use it.
@Who Knows, ooooo! Good idea! I’m going to the local janitorial supply place, soon… Thanks! Beach’n
the mop bucket ringers work great….similar to my grandmother’s old “mangle”. Just DON’t get your hand caught, it hurts! LOL
Amazon and Lehmans both sell hand type clothes wringers. They cost about $150. The bucket model would work “OK” I think but not as well as these- but then they cost a lot less! I don’t have either one at this time.
When I was 1st married & living without power in a mill camp I bought a wash board. It takes a little getting used to. So from experience take it easy. Not only does it remove dirt it also removes skin. Don’t use the back of your hand as the skin across the knuckles comes off much easier than the heel of the hand. A little inexperienced city girl had a lot too learn.
A guy near me sells both plastic & steel barrels. I can’t imagine a tougher wash tub for a cheaper price than using the cut off bottom of one of those. And a simple jig saw cuts either plastic or steel easily with the right blade. But I hadn’t thought much about this, so thanks Ken
We have a large galvinized tub and the wash-plunger system ready for use. We already use a clothes line 12 months out of the year. In the winter, we use a retractable line in the basement not far from the woodstove. We have a dryer but those things eat electricity. I don’t mind hanging clothes to dry at all. That’s easy. Hand-washing the working-person’s jeans, coveralls, and dirty shirts are another issue altogether!
I’m not interested in getting a washboard due to its small size and limitations on holding it in place while scrubbing. I have several washing brushes and those work quite well for dirt ‘stains’…that practice has been put into use already.
Anyone else own an old hand iron, or better yet, use one??
I used an 1800’s hair curling iron I would put on the wood stove or on a flat pancake griddle over the fire to heat when camping. It also served as a wrinkle remover on collars after hand washing shirts made of cotton. The problem was not getting the handle too hot to hold. It also singed my hair and I ended up getting a portable propane curling iron.
I have one that belonged to my great-grandmother. I’ve never tried to use it, but I’m sure I could learn, if necessary. However, in a worst case scenario, it would have to be a *very* formal occasion for me to even think about ironing.
What I really wish I had was her non-electric sewing machine. I did use that when I was in high school for home ec projects and, as far as how quickly the machine ran, I didn’t notice that much difference between that one and my mom’s electric machine.
One of the most important issues for prolonged isolation in the event of SHTF is keeping morale up. Scrubbing my old socks on a washboard will help keep my feet happy. However, being a washboard player, I do believe that it is worth far more as a musical instrument. Living off grid in the wilderness for 20 years, shunning TV for longer, our family receives great pleasure and satisfaction from making our own music. When popular forms of entertainment vanish, the old guitar, fiddle, and washboard will keep people alive and thriving. Music mends the soul. It has worked throughout history. It is important and seldom discussed in prepper blogs. The old washboard with a tin cup and a couple of thimbles is whole band. It will bring smiles in troubled times. And maybe keep your feet happy too.
@confused and in the dark
“Music mends the soul”
Amen, truer words have never been spoken
NRP
We have the bucket and the plunger with holes.
Never thought too much about the drying though.
After reading this I think we will get the janitorial bucket with the built in wringer.
And we should get some extra clothes drying racks to put in front of the wood stove. Of course, in the hot months we won’t be using that.
During those months it’ll be line drying outside.
We have different size washtubs. An old washboard from the National washboard co. and have used a regular toilet plunger without the holes, and put a door mat (the kind with the plastic scrubby things) in the bottom of the tub to prevent vapor lock with the plunger.
But by far the easiest and best thing we got was an apartment size portable washing machine with a spin dryer. Uses very little water. Uses very little power. I can power it off our solar set-up with small 750 watt inverter. Doesn’t drain the batteries at all if there is any sunshine.
Livin’ in the Woods,Do you think a 400 watt continuous/800watt peak inverter would work?
It probably could. I am looking at the specs: 280 watts for wash cycle,and 140 watts for the spin cycle. So it should handle it. If not you could simply wash then spin, not at the same time.
I swear my dad was a prepper before the word prepper was ever used.
I have in my preps – a wringer washing machine.
Granted – its electric, but, I bet… with a belt and a spare pulley…
I could make that washer work without electric.
Most washing machines have pulleys on them… fill up the machine, and pedal (with some modifications)
Not all is lost with things that have motors…
Put a pulley on it, and the proper belt, and you can make just about anything work…
**Off topic** —>I have the treadle singer sewing machine as well. 🙂
Youngest Of 3
maybe you could hook up the treadle on the sewing machine, to the washer…etc etc…?
Scrubba wash bag. Perhaps something like a New Star Foodservice commercial grade potato masher would save the need of having to drill holes in a plunger. Just a thought. CR
I have a washboard and also one of those plunger devices to use in a 5-gallon bucket. I’ve been saving up to add a James Washer (a handpowered washing machine with a handpowered wringer) to my preps. I also have a 1907 Singer treadle sewing machine. In bad-times, I might be able to pull in a little extra income (or barter items) by offering laundry and sewing services.
When the weather is nice, I actually enjoy doing laundry outside by hand and hanging it on the clothesline. (I don’t own a clothesdryer–so I hang laundry year-round).
I also have a couple of galvanized tubs for washing. Mostly use them for washing the dogs or kids when camping. I have been a clothes line dryer year round also. My kids hated it!! I always told them “Sunshine is free!” When they come to visit and I am hanging out clothes they say that to me still. Lol
Mad Fab;
I like the galvanized Horse Trough’s better, seem to be a LOT tougher they make them in a multitude of sizes all the way up to “just go swimming with the clothes on” HAHAHA