Laundry Tips
It has been another rainy week here at the Ranch and today we started really thinking about Ike coming through here and dropping more rain. These storms are so unpredictable but this one does seem like it is going to be an intense one.
Michael posted some really good articles last week. One on anonymous internet cowards and one on separatism as a fundamental principal. You all really ought to read them, they are really great articles!
With all the rain we have had this week one chore I did not get done is hand wash. I usually try to get it done on Monday or Wednesday. I have, through trial and error, come up with a system that works. I have learned many things about doing laundry and especially doing laundry by hand. One of the most helpful things I have learned recently is how valuable prewash or presoak can be. It really helps get tough stains out of the clothing. So now I presoak most of my hand wash laundry. When I first started doing laundry by hand I had only 2 buckets, one wash & one rinse. Now I have gone to 4; a presoak, a wash, and 2 rinses. I also use a washboard(from Lehmans) and wringer. Sarah, my 5 year old, really gets her dresses dirty and the only way to get them clean is to hand wash each one and give it a good scrubbing. I also use either Fels Naptha or Zote soap. They both do real well removing spots and whitening whites. And the girls and I wear white headcoverings and the Zote has brightened them up since I started using it. The Zote is less expensive that the Fels Naptha too. I also use vinegar in my rinse water as a natural softener. Here are some pictures I took of the laundry I did one morning:
Over the years I have also learned some things about hanging the clothes out properly. I usually turn them inside out so the sun does not fade the outside colors. Things like Sarah's dresses take 2 clothes pins at the shoulder:
The shirts and light towels I hang can be hung together to save on the number of clothes pins I use. I also hang the shirts upside down so I don't get the clothes pin marks at the shoulder of the shirt. They are less noticeable at the bottom of the shirt:
I hang Michael and Robert's pants inside out and upside down too. But I have not gone to washing them at home. I do need a bigger wash basin for those large items as well as stronger arms and more water!
I will be trying to do some hand washing tomorrow. I will post more pictures of the process then. Oh, also I will post some pictures of the surprise that was waiting for me Thursday morning as I started to prepare breakfast.
Tracy and I have been canning bacon and brisket this week too. Tracy also made some yummy sugar cookies too! No picture though, they went too fast!!
Keep all the people in the path of Ike in your prayers. The Lord's will be done but I hope it is not a devastating storm for us or the citizens of the Texas coast.
Reforming Daily,
Danielle
posted by Danielle @ 9:08 PM
9 Comments
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9 Comments:
Danielle,
Thank you for posting this. We've just started hand-washing clothes recently, so I'm taking notes from those of you who have done it for awhile. :-)
I loved the notes on how you hang clothes on the clothesline.
Thank you for sharing!!
I need to start hanging my clothes inside out. Thanks for reminding me. When I wash my clothes by hand, which I do when the mood strikes, just to keep it fresh in my mind, I soak. Soaking gets most of our laundry clean, but there is need for the scrub board every once in a while. The only thing I need is a wringer. That is what makes it really hard: wringing by hand. Keep up the good work. I love a beautiful line of clothes hanging in the sunshine and blowing in the breeze.
:-D
The rain is pouring here in Ohio right now. I hope you all get much rain, but nothing damaging. Praise the Lord that He is in control! :-D
Thank you for this post Danielle! The inside out suggestion was a good reminder for me. I hang my t-shirts, jeans the way you do, but also dresses upside down. Do you find that the "Pin" marks don't show in the shoulders of the dresses? May try that. Still cheating with a machine wash on grid here, but did hand wash something the other day and had to hand wring it, as our washer door broke (cheap plastic), and was out of commission. I was amazed how much "grip" it took to hand wring, esp. with my slightly arthritic knuckles, from all the housecleaning I do.
Keeping you all in prayer for protection from Ike. Sent you an e-mail yesterday, about Ranchfest, etc. Hope you got it!
Have a blessed Sabbath rest and Lords Day!
Beth
Bill and I will definatly keep you all in prayer! When I was a single mom I used to do alot of hand washing to save money. It was alot of hard work!But like I have heard alot lately, Hard work never killed anybody,,,, Have a blessed day Danielle.
Debylin
Beth,
I don't get "pin marks" on Sarah's dresses because they are still small and light. My dresses and the other girls' dresses I hang on hangers and dry either in the shade of the trees or inside my cabin. That way the sun does not fade the colors and there are not pin marks.
I still wash some clothes in the washing machine. Heavier items(towels, jeans, denim skirts, etc) I still wash at the local laundry.
New here ... I appreciate your post on hand washing :) I would like to add that Zote soap can usually be found cheap at a Mexican grocery store (we buy ours in the 'little Mexico' part of the city we live in - .99 per bar).
Thank you for the wonderful tips.
I have read through your posts and noticed you make home-made ww tortillas ... if you have time, can you please share how you do this? Mine have yet to turn out (we usually end up calling them crackers!!)
The term 'Biblical Agrarian' is new to me, but I like what I've read so far. We are without a fellowship and it can be so hard at times.
In Christ,
Joanne
Joanne,
We can buy the Zote soap here at our local grocery store for 43 cents a bar. It is great stuff for getting laundry really clean.
I will ask my daughter about the recipe she uses. She usually makes the tortillas.
It is a blessing that the Lord has led you to 'Biblical Agrarianism', let the adventure begin!
God Bless,
Danielle
Another thing I was told growing up was to wash your clothing inside out to prevent fading from the washes. I do that with my dresses, well, when I remember. :)
We still haven't gotten a clothesline up, but the drying racks work so well, so I think we will keep using them till they break, and then get a clothes line. :-)
Oh I just love Lehman's! I still have yet to order their hand cranked washing machine. I have been saying for 2 years that I am going to order it and well, here I am still without one. :-) Hubby asked me the other day when I was going to order it. :-)
I am in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and when Ike came ashore we had lots of rain and wind all day but no damage or power outages.
Hope you all faired well!
Take care and have a safe week!
Blessings,
Dawn
Hey, I realize this is a really old post, but here is a stain remover I use. Put about 1/4 cup borax in half a gallon of water, stir to dissolve, and then add your item to soak for an hour or so. It works really well! I use fabric sanitary pads and soak them in this solution until they get washed, and it helps with the odor too.
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