Do you ever wash your clothes by hand?

Discussion in Misc & Others started by Dora M • Mar 17, 2014.

  1. Dora M

    Dora MWell-Known Member

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    A while ago when my washing machine broke down, I realised how much work and money that machine saves me on a daily basis. I went to the local Laundromat which charges $5 per washing load and $4 for 30 minutes in the dryer. I had a look around for a cheaper place, but they are all charging similar prices. So I decided to just fill up my bath tub and wash my clothes in there. But I sincerely hope that I will never have to do that again. :)
     
  2. angelicagapit

    angelicagapitActive Member

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    I currently have the same problem. My washer broke as well and my mom and I had to wash our clothes manually in the bathroom. It was time consuming and quite difficult because we weren't used to the whole thing.

    Unfortunately, our washer is still down, but I'm willing to spend a few bucks at the local laundry business for them to do my laundry. I don't want to hand-wash my clothes again.

    Takes up a lot of time and effort, so rather have someone do it for me.
     
  3. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

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    Yeah I do, but only when the fabric is delicate, otherwise, most of them goes to the washing machine to be washed. We also own an automatic one too, so it's quite convenient when the washing machine does almost everything and all you have to do is just hang the clothes in the clothesline.
     
  4. Verity Darkwaters

    Verity DarkwatersActive Member

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    Yeah occasionally, I have garb for fairs I go too. I was those by hands. I also was delicate items by hand as well. I have done all my laundry by hand back when my washer was broke. It was a pain though!
     
  5. DrRipley

    DrRipleyExpert

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    Yes I have, but only for small batches of clothes. If there are too many then I'd probably just take it to the cleaners and save myself some time and effort since it isn't that expensive anyway. I also do this regularly for some of my more sensitive clothing items that I don't trust other people with. I'd prefer to just wash them myself by hand and not risk it getting stretched out or discolored.
     
  6. Theo

    TheoWell-Known Member

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    I rented somewhere without a washing machine and hand washed every week. It took time and was good exercise, but it did save me money and time as in traveling to a laundromat and back.

    I bought hand washing liquid and it lasted a couple of months, where the laundromat was $8 a wash. I saved a lot of money and reminded me we can live without certain things. I stayed with a friend and did laundry at her house, but she forgot to put any detergent in and I had to hand wash everything again any way.
     
  7. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

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    It's been a while since I washed my clothes by hand but should the need arise then I wouldn't mind doing the washing myself. Supposing that my washing machine broke down, I'd have to drive ten miles into town to get to the cleaners. After that I'd pay some more cash for their service. And then drive back . . .

    To save the cash I'd spend on gas, the time I'd waste on the trip and what I'd pay for the washing, I'd prefer washing my clothes by hand.
     
  8. forextraspecialstuff

    forextraspecialstuffActive Member

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    I wash my delicates by hand. Anything that has even a remote chance of being damaged in the washer is washed by hand. I do one or two items per night so it never becomes a big deal. I have special detergent for it and a drying rack so it's not a big deal. If I had to wash all of my clothes by hand I would do it, but think it would take up a lot of time.
     
  9. ACSAPA

    ACSAPAWell-Known Member

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    The washing machine at my apartment building isn't expensive but all those dollars add up, so sometimes I hand wash my clothes to save a couple of bucks on laundry. It's kind of time consuming but sometimes I don't want to spend $3 to do a load of laundry because I need the money for something else.
     
  10. isabbbela

    isabbbelaWell-Known Member

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    I very rarely wash my clothes by hand. I work full-time and live by myself, so every work at home relies on me. I will only have the wash something if it's really dirty and the dirt won't come out. Otherwise, I'll just shove it in the washing machine and let it do its business.
     
  11. Mayvin

    MayvinActive Member

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    I have done that before when my washing machine has gone on the fritz and I didn't have the extra cash to wash them at the laundry mat. It can get to be a bit much trying to wash out a bunch of clothes in the tub, I know that for sure. Thankfully I only wash a few things out by hand from time to time to help preserve a particular item.
     
  12. LuckyGirl08

    LuckyGirl08Active Member

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    The only time I wash clothes my hand is if I am in a hotel and did not bring enough clothes. I also wash my swim suits by hand because I do not want the padding to get twisted up from the washer.
     
  13. beccagreen

    beccagreenActive Member

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    Yup. I do that all the time, just kidding. But I did wash my clothes by hand one time when I had no other clean clothes left in my closet. It was back when I was in college, it was only a few days before we end the semester so I got lazy and I never took my clothes to a laundromat because I thought I had enough clothes to last me until the end of the week and I just have to take my clothes home and I've never been so wrong. So I washed my undies and a shirt by hand on my tub, I think I grew muscles in the process.
     
  14. ExpertAdvice

    ExpertAdviceActive Member

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    Very interesting post! It's very innovative of you to have gone to the length of washing your clothes in your bathtub, so as to avoid steep costs. Every dollar that's pinched is worth something in the bank!

    As for me, I agree, I really am grateful for the invention and wide circulation and use of the washing machine. In my country, the tradition of old was to literally wash your clothes by hand, using a tub that was usually placed to the back of a house, on its outside.
    This is definitely a more strenuous, time-and-effort-consuming task, and has probably led to the over-exhaustion and overall frustration of many.

    In the event that my washing machine was to break down as yours did, I'd probably have visited the laundromat as well, and searched for the most affordable price. However, in the event that I would have no such "luck", I might even call up a good friend or relative with a working washing machine, and explain to them my plight. It would be hoped that I wouldn't be imposing on them, but just in case that were the case, I'd rather wait a bit, and service my machine as soon as possible (make the sacrifice and get it done within a matter of days), and try to either re-wear clean clothing, or some of the clothes I had put in the hamper, that really weren't very dirty.

    I hope this helps.
     
  15. GemmaRowlands

    GemmaRowlandsActive Member

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    I have in the past, but usually only if there is something that I really want to wear that isn't clean, because I can't put the machine on for just one item if there isn't anything else to wash with it. Also, if I have new, dark jeans, I will wash them on their own by hand because I don't want the dye to run onto any of the other clothes or to get stuck in the machine for when I am washing other things further down the line. I don't really like washing clothes by hand, though, it takes too much time and the nature of my job doesn't really allow me very much time at the moment.
     
  16. DonnaIReilly

    DonnaIReillyActive Member

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    Yes, sometimes I do. I have clothes that can only be washed by hand also. Some aren't suitable for the washing machine. I don't do it very often these days but I do wash some clothes by hand from time to time. I must admit I do prefer the washing machine though :)
     
  17. TuRon Davis

    TuRon DavisActive Member

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    That's funny that you asked this question because I did it today. I often hand wash when I need a very small load cleaned without paying for it. I live in an apartment where we have to pay for laundry service and the machines are crappy. I actually have to run the dryer through the cycle twice to get fully dry. I rather not do this on a regular, but for emergency situations, it can never go wrong.
     
  18. JessiFox

    JessiFoxActive Member

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    I've actually never done my laundry by hand...I guess I would if I really had to, but I definitely don't like the idea of it! So much easier to just throw it in the machine, I do think it's something a lot of us take for granted, though.
     
  19. Jessi

    Jessi<a href="http://www.quirkycookery.com">QuirkyCooke

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    I've done it before, but not often or on a regular basis. It's usually just when I need something cleaned *now* or during those occasional times where we were out of electricity, but needed clean clothes.