what about laundry

[utopia760]

ok so i have always handwashed my laundry. my question is - is it really more enviro. friendly? i always fill the bathtub half with clothes which means i fill half the tub with cold water add borax and soap flakes and vinegar sometimes baking soda i know that line drying like i do is envir. friendly but do you think washing in the tub saves water or uses more, i knwo im not using elec. since i use cold water - my guess is yes its better what do you think

[Naturalyst]

I'd think it's much like comparing washing dishes by hand vs. washing them in a dishwasher, the latter using much less water and fuel. But, since you wash only in cold water, maybe it comes out even.

Just an FYI - you mention using vinegar. I hope you mean only in the rinse. If you mix vinegar in with your washing solution, you are decreasing the effectiveness of your borax, soap and washing soda.

[wannabe]

It's pretty clear cut that washign dishes by hand uses fewer chemicals, less water and less energy, but washing clothes, I doubt it.

I just can't get a good rinse the way the machine can, so I use way more water handwashing. Filling the bath half full is 160L in my smallish bath, and my (old horrible maytag) machine uses just over 200L for a full wash. So add in rinse water for your handwash and it's going to be more water.

But it depends where you live and what's the limiting factor. Using just cold water if water is plentiful is probably better than using the fossil fuels of the electricity and heating water. But if water is in short supply, you'd be better off with a machine like a Fisher and Paykel - 82L for an 8kg wash. That's half what you use simply for the wash part of your routine.

[AngelBee]

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[zeldabee]

I think it also depends how you wash the clothes. When I lived in a place where we had to haul in our water, I got good at washing with very little water. I put the clothes through a hand wringer after washing and before rinsing, to remove as much soap as possible, which meant I could use less water to rinse. I used 5 gallon buckets to wash, a wash board, and a wringer. Without the wash board and wringer I think it would be a lot more work, and use more water as well. (I know when I used to wash in my bathtub I used a lot more water.)

[oldgirl,newtricks]

My washer has quite a few water levels, so a medium load uses less water than half of one of my tubs. So, figure a full tub with rinse water--no savings of water between my washer and one rinse or a half tub two times.

Either way, all of the water is having to go through some type of water treatment, so I really don't see what would be more environmentally friendly. I also don't put all of the borax and stuff in my wash. We have very soft water, so just a small amount of detergent (I don't like using soap on clothes--too much build up) gets everything really clean.

I had to wash clothes in the tub years ago. What little bit I might have saved on electric wasn't worth it to me in trying to get clothing rung out and waiting days for it to dry inside during the winter. They also never really seemed clean to me. Kitchen towels would have a funky smell being and it was a real pain to boil the diapers on the stove.

[zeldabee]

Originally Posted by oldgirl,newtricks

I had to wash clothes in the tub years ago. What little bit I might have saved on electric wasn't worth it to me in trying to get clothing rung out and waiting days for it to dry inside during the winter. They also never really seemed clean to me. Kitchen towels would have a funky smell being and it was a real pain to boil the diapers on the stove.

Yes, if it takes clothes too long to dry, they get funky. That's where an actual wringer comes in handy. Unfortunately, a hand wringer is hard to find now, and expensive. But if you're washing by hand all the time, it makes a huge difference.

I aways wanted to try an industrial-sized salad spinner. I bet it would work.

[utopia760]

Originally Posted by Naturalyst

I'd think it's much like comparing washing dishes by hand vs. washing them in a dishwasher, the latter using much less water and fuel. But, since you wash only in cold water, maybe it comes out even.

Just an FYI - you mention using vinegar. I hope you mean only in the rinse. If you mix vinegar in with your washing solution, you are decreasing the effectiveness of your borax, soap and washing soda.

no i use vinegar to help rinse and soften i dont use it with the soap

[utopia760]

[QUOTE=zeldabee;8778814]Yes, Unfortunately, a hand wringer is hard to find now, and expensive.QUOTE]

I do have a wringer but i dont really use it I just dont like it. Id rather wring them out by hand

Originally Posted by zeldabee

I used 5 gallon buckets to wash, a wash board, and a wringer. Without the wash board and wringer I think it would be a lot more work, and use more water as well. (I know when I used to wash in my bathtub I used a lot more water.)

i never tought to use abucket, however i do use my sink sometime maybe i could fill the sink and just keeping doing clothes till their all washed then again to rinse id us 1/3 of what i use now for water