handwashing clothing, wringer worth it?

[justmama]

Due to a flood, my washer and dryer bit it. I have been handwashing things in the tub but I'm having so much trouble with the jeans. I think this may be a long-term thing for us as I really can't afford a new washer(never really used the dryer anyway) so would it be worth it to find a wringer? Everything spends hours dripping on my clothesline and it turns into an all-day affair that I'm worried I won't be able to keep up with. We are a family of one adult and three little girls who play hard and get filthy but have a very small wardrobe. With a washing machine it wasn't a big deal to wash them and hang dry but now it takes FOREVER!

[mtn.mama]

Yup, a wringer makes a huge difference. The clothes will dry far faster, your hands won't get as tired or as blistered, and you'll save alot of time. Plus, it's a little bit fun.

[justmama]

any ideas where to buy? cheaply!

[Katie T]

I did a quick google search and the cheapest ones I found was here.
http://www.survivalunlimited.com/clothewringer.htm
If you search a bit more you may be able to find one even cheaper, I would also call around to used stores/junk stores and see if they have any or look on ebay/craigslist (if you have one in your area)

There are really good vidios on youtube about hand washing.

[Rainy229]

I found a mop bucket to be quite useful for getting lots of water out of clothes... it was about $20 on craigslist... you know, the bright yellow plastic bucket with the big mop squisher on top...

Best of luck!

[starrmama]

I have off grid dreams but we're not even close yet - I just am all about the research lol. If you google pedal powered washing machine you'll find instructions for turning your broken machine (or any other) into a pedal powered spin cycle... looks much better to me than a wringer! Lehman's online store is a place to look for a wringer, but they might be more than you want to spend. I've also considered just having a spin dryer like this: http://www.spin-x.com/ but washing by hand...

[mnnice]

I think something to wring out clothes would improve your quality of life and keep clothes from getting streched out all weird.

I think I would go with either the map bucket or keep my eyes out for an old school Maytag wringer washer. There are lots of washers from the 1940 an 1950 that still work great out there. It would be less work and a fraction of the price of a modern high effeceincy washer.

[PreggieUBA2C]

Originally Posted by Katie T

I did a quick google search and the cheapest ones I found was here.
http://www.survivalunlimited.com/clothewringer.htm
If you search a bit more you may be able to find one even cheaper, I would also call around to used stores/junk stores and see if they have any or look on ebay/craigslist (if you have one in your area)

I bookmarked that site. Thanks!

They have a lot of neat stuff!

I'll be buying a wringer washer, I think. We haul water and we disconnected our plumbing because we were tired of thawing pipes after two months (after a year of not having plumbing). I like the one that attaches to the edge of a tub.

[Vaske]

I have a hundred-year-old wringer from the antique store that still works fine. It was $30.

In my experience, the wringer works very well for things like T-shirts and towels. Not well on things that are too bulky, or that have buttons or snaps or zippers that can break or bend.

Since it is hand-cranked, it takes a lot of my energy to wring a full load, but it is satisfying work. (As long as I don't strain my elbow joint by wringing more than once a week.)

I recently tried using a washboard to scrub the dirt out of play clothes and was amazed at how well it worked.