This article will walk you through 4 different options for how to wash your clothes on your off-grid homestead. Your homestead can still be off-grid and generate electricity by means of a generator, solar power, hydro power, or wind.
Take a brief look at all 4 options and decide which one fits the goals of your homestead the best!
1. Hand Washing
Bucket and Brush
We’ll start with the most basic and least expensive option first. Grab a bucket and a scrub brush. I don’t know why this option isn’t more popular in the US. I cleaned clothes for several years this way in Indonesia before we bought a generator. Depending on the size of your bucket and the price of your brush you’re looking at spending around $10 max!
Let the clothes soak in the soapy water while occasionally “agitating” them, mimicking the action of an electric wash machine. Have another bucket next to you ready with rinse water. From my experience, squeezing and not wringing is the best practice when dealing with clothes. Wringing tends to wear and stretch your clothes out quickly, especially if you plan to line dry them instead of putting them into a dryer where they would shrink back up.
There are some drawbacks to the bucket and brush option. You’ll notice in my pictures that I am bent over. This hunched over position is a bit hard on your back. One solution would be to place your buckets on a table or countertop so that you would be standing instead of bending over. Another drawback to this option is that it tends to be a pretty wet job. Lots of splashing! On hot days, this is fun, but on cold or wet days you would want to minimize the amount of water that got on you.
The Plunger
There are two basic versions of this option. One looks just like a toilet plunger, and in fact, some people use a toilet plunger, a new one of course. They run around $3.00. The second version of The Plunger option is manufactured specifically for cleaning clothes. A good and popular example is called The EasyGo Washing Wand. This costs about $20.00 on Amazon.
The way this option works is by placing the plunger or wand on top of your clothes in a bucket of water and laundry detergent, then pushing down and pulling up to activate the washing and cleaning of clothes. This action mimics the agitation that a traditional electric washing machine does.
A benefit with this option is that you stand up rather than bend over to “agitate” the clothes. Both the plunger and the wand are portable and light weight. The wand, which is plastic, is made with a shovel type handle which means little bending on your part. You will still need to manually wring your clothes out though.
One benefit to the wand over the traditional plunger is that it is designed with holes in the cone that pushes and sucks the water, thus providing a more thorough cleaning. The cone on the wand is superior in that it has a mesh grate on the bottom that stops clothes from going into the cone area, allowing for more water and air circulation.
Some people use their plunger/wand in a trash can placed inside of their tub. They will agitate their laundry for about 7-10 minutes and then let it soak overnight before rinsing and finishing their load. Some people use it directly inside their tub, eliminating the use of an extra bucket or trashcan.
Washboard
Traditionally made out of wood and metal you see them today made out of silicone as well. They are even sold with decorative artwork so they can double as a home decoration when you’re not using it. Washboards work similarly to the bucket and brush option.
One difference is that instead of soaking your dirty clothes in soapy water, you will apply your soap directly to your washboard and optionally to the dirtiest spots on your clothes. You will then “scrub” up and down on your washboard working your clothes until you have completely washed the whole garment or are satisfied that you touched the dirtiest parts. Put it in your rinse water and you are ready to start the next item in your bucket. You may choose to soak extra soiled items over night to help remove stains.
Prices range from $5.00-$37.00 depending on size of washboard and surface material, which can include glass, tin spiral crimp, and the traditional galvanized V-crimp. Also, keep your eye out for used washboards at Yard Sales! Sometimes people try to clean unused items out of their homes and barns and you might score a handy tool!
While washboards are much more attractive to have hanging on your wall than a brush, I still prefer a brush over a washboard. The reason for this is that I like to use both my hands to work the fabric. If there is a difficult spot I can focus my attention on that specific location. Otherwise just a brief scrub is sufficient cleaning.
I recommend you watch this 18 minute video by modern homesteader Jaime from Guildbrook Farm. She does a fantastic job at explaining the different types of washboards as well as a terrific demonstration on how to use them. This video will be super beneficial to you if you are on the fence trying to decide if a washboard is the right option for you on your homestead.
2. Non-Electric Washing Machines
Hand Cranked
There are some pretty cool hand-cranked washing machines out there! One is sold by Lehman’s, but it’s going to cost you around $725.00. That’s without the wringer. With the wringer it will cost you $899.00. Another popular and much cheaper option is the Wonder Wash or the Avalon Bay Eco Wash. Both have good reviews on Amazon. The Wonder Wash will cost you about $50.00 and the Avalon Bay Eco Wash will cost you about $53.00.
With these hand cranked washing machine options be prepared for an upper body workout. For one load of laundry you are going to be doing about 300 motions with the Lehman brand and around 200 turns on the Wonder Wash or the Avalon Bay Eco Wash.
Most people seem to think this is a good option, but doesn’t do as good a job as a standard wash machine. I would suggest leaving your laundry to soak for few hours or overnight to aid the cleaning process. One great thing about this option is that you are not bending over. You can stand next to the Lehman brand or place the Wonder Wash or the Avalon Bay Eco Wash on a counter top for comfortable reach.
3. Standard Electric Washing Machines Ran on Alternative Energy
Wringer Washer
This type of washer was once popular in the post-war era in America. In modern days they are referred to as the ‘Amish Way’, and many Amish families run their wringer washers off of diesel generators. The Maytag Wringer Washing Machine is a very common choice.
They work similarly to a regular wash machine except that there is an additional wringer accessory attached. From what I have seen they do not wring out the clothes very well, so a spinner is sold separately.
They are difficult to find new. If you buy one used they will cost you around $200-$400 for one in good condition. You may get lucky and find one in a Yard Sale.
Energy Efficient Wash Machines
You may choose to run a modern standard sized wash machine on your homestead. That is a perfectly good choice. You can power your machine through alternative energy such as solar, wind, hydro or even a generator. Wash machines do not typically draw a lot of power, but electric dryers do. So using alternative energy to run a wash machine is a very practical choice.
I found this article to be completely informative when deciding what to look for in an energy efficient wash machine. Most wash machines are much more efficient than they used to be. It could be that you already own a machine that will work great for your homestead needs. If you buy one new you can expect to pay anywhere from $400 to high end $1,200-$1,800.
Twin Tub Wash Machine
I used this twin tub wash machine for years while living in a small village in
This one is sold on Amazon for $110.00, has great reviews, and doesn’t use a lot of power. 300w for washing and 110w for spinning. One thing you might find difficult is that it is a gravity drain. In Indonesia there was a drain in the floor of every bathroom, so this was great for me. But in America our bathrooms are not set up that way. Some people set their washer on a bench in the kitchen or bathroom and allow the drain water to fill a trash can and then dump the trash can.
This is a non fussy and very affordable solution for washing your clothes on your homestead. We ran our twin-tub wash machine off of our generator. For one load you’re looking at running your generator for about 20 minutes. Here’s a good website for figuring out your generator needs.
4. Laundry Mat
This might be a great option for you while you are just getting your homestead set up and don’t want the headache of figuring out your laundry system just yet. You might also like the break of coming to town. Don’t be surprised if you find other homesteaders there as well. On visits to the laundry mat we met another homesteader and have enjoyed sharing stories with him. You can learn a lot from each other.
Clothes Drying Tips
This article isn’t intended to address clothes drying, but I do have a couple of tips for line drying your clothes. I spent 9 years in Indonesia line drying clothes and have learned some things I hope you will find useful.
- Dry your clothes inside out unless you have plastic decal on them. This will help prevent your clothes from fading quickly in the sun.
- Don’t wring your clothes, just squeeze to prevent stretching. I see so many people recommending wringing your clothes. Don’t do this! You are not putting your clothes in a dryer, so they will not shrink back up. Wringing will wear them out fast.
- Use a hanging carousel for drying socks and underwear. I have not found a perfect carousel here in America, but this one is close. Arranging your socks and underwear as I have in my picture, allows air to circulate. Socks are always the last thing to completely dry. With this method they dry a lot quicker.
Lay your jeans and pants, inside out, on pieces of sheet metal for quick drying in the sun. That metal gets so hot and you will be surprised how quickly your jeans dry. Turn them over once for quicker dry times. - Don’t hang your shirts with clothes pins at the shoulders. I see this and gasp! You will end up with funny little stretch marks on your shirts and and the weight of all that water will stretch your shirts out bad. Instead drape your shirts in half over you clothes line. If you need to, flip them once throughout the day to make sure the underside is getting dried too.
Conclusions
My personal conclusions are if I am going to wash my clothes by hand I choose the bucket and brush because I have found it to be very efficient and effective. I would also buy the washboards, but mainly because I think they look cool! 🙂
I would skip all of the modern hand-cranked options. I find them to be a modern fix that isn’t near as effective as a bucket and a brush. But, if you don’t want to get your hands down in your dirty water, they might be a good option for you. I loved our twin-tub washer, but nowadays you can buy a wash machine that is energy efficient and washes and spins all in one tub. This is my choice for washing with alternative energy.
I hope that this article has helped you see how many options there are for washing your clothes on your off-grid homestead. Have fun choosing the perfect match for you! Let us know in the comments what option you chose and why it works for you! 🙂
My recommended clothes washing tools sold on Amazon:
