Hand Wash Laundry?

Updated on September 02, 2011
R.D. asks from Richmond, VA
17 answers

Does anyone know how to hand wash laundry with cold water? I'm good, but I'm not THAT good ;)

Apparently every freakin 'coin laundry' left in the city is either a- out of power, or b-nonexistant. Everything that says 'self service laundromat' is actually a cleaners now.

I need underwear ladies!!

Can I hand wash stuff? Is that even effective if I have no hot water? Should I just buy more?? (LOL!!)

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So What Happened?

@Krista, we CAN (and have) walk to the inlaws house, but since they live in the same neighborhood, they don't have power either ;)

I joked to my husband last night that I was going to rig our washer and dryer onto skateboards and wheel them 3 miles to our boat club to use the electricity... his eye's lit up for 1/2 a second, then told me the power was cut there as well. D'OH!

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K.F.

answers from New York on

I used to always wash my undies by hand. You wash lights together and darks separately. I usually pay extra attention to the crotch area by applying detergent (a little amount) and softly scrubbing that area until clean. It is not a complicated process. I actually enjoy cleaning up my things. You may too.

My summer wardrobe contains many hand washables. I was all of my whites by hand. They come out cleaner and nicer for a better price.

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J.C.

answers from New York on

I was a ot of stuff in cold water - makes clothes last longer and helps to keep their true size.

They way I hand wach is to use the sink with a little Woolite or whatever and then I wring as best as I can (if I cam) then I toss the wet clothes onto a large fluffy towel and roll and wring. It takes most of the water out. Then I line dry or dry flat (on a clean wood floor is fine if you don't have a lot of space).

If you are doing undies, they will dry in no time using that method. Are they cotton or lacey? Either way, in cold water you can soak them for a bit beofre you rinse them!

Good luck.

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S.B.

answers from Dallas on

Save yourself some work and give your hubby a thrill...just go commando. ;)

4 moms found this helpful

S.T.

answers from Denver on

I think you could hand wash them and it'd be OK. But if I were you and with everything your fam is going through, I'd splurge and get a pack of fresh undies at Kmart or whatever's close! Knowing you've got new clean undies may make the other things seem not as bad!!! ;-)

3 moms found this helpful
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K.L.

answers from Savannah on

Hand washing in cold water is fine. As a matter of fact, many more delicate undergarments suggesting hand washing in cold, and if is ok for those, it will be fine for yours!

3 moms found this helpful

J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

Campfire and a kettle?

2 moms found this helpful
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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Hand washing is fine.
Just use a little laundry soap. Laundry soap is concentrated.

You can even do it in the shower, or a laundry sink or outside or in a tub.

But, you will then have to figure out how to DRY... all the clothing.

And yes, cold water is perfectly fine and will clean just fine.

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D.B.

answers from Charlotte on

.

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D.K.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I always hand wash in cold. Woolite or dish soap is fine.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.M.

answers from Washington DC on

Is your Target out of power? I would go shopping and get me some more.

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K.P.

answers from New York on

Could you go to your in-laws? I know that you can't walk there, but this is one of those times when calling them to come help would be huge!

You can wash in cold water using a little bit of detergent. Scrub, scrub, scrub... rinse, ring and repeat! Line dry and you should be okay. It's not as good as hot water, but it will work for clean undies!

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A.F.

answers from Fargo on

On the bright side, you don't have to go in your scary basement to do laundry!
You can absolutely hand wash. It will be effective and who doesn't enjoy stiff line dried scanties? :)

I'm so glad you are okay. I hope your power comes back on soon! You are a trooper! I would have been moaning and groaning for sure by now!

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Cold might not be optimum but clean is better than dirty, right?
You can hand wash anything in cold water and rinse well...it's the wringing out part that stinks.
Do you have clean towels? Roll the wet items in a towel & twist or stand on the towel roll to get them fairly rid of excess water. Undies shouldn't bee too bad.
Good luck!
(nice to see your name back on the board!)

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R.K.

answers from Appleton on

Hey R.:
I'm glad you are okay, except for the power issue.

I do all of my laundry in cold water. I hand wash a few things especially bras. You can use a bit of shampoo or dish soap. If you want them to dry faster use a couple of clothespins on a hanger. If you can hang them in the sun they will dry fairly fast.

C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

R.:

hey Babe!!! I've not read your other responses yet so if I repeat - sorry. Most underwear lasts longer if washed by hand and air dried rather than hot heat.

if you have a kitchen sink that has two parts - I would fill one with water and soap/detergent NOT A LOT and the other with just water.

put items that are needed to be washed in the soapy water and "scrub" them....wring them out as best as you can in the soapy side and rinse them in other side...

Drying can be done several ways...if you have a large beach towel - take the panties and place them on a folded towel, fold it again and roll it up and wring it....this will keep the elastic from getting destroyed if you just wring them out without the towel..

You can also hang them up like you would pants or a skirt on hangers...if you have an outside line dry them there as well - I think you still have good weather....right?

If not - come up here...you can have a hot shower, cool house and I'll do your laundry for you...the kids will have playmates!!

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I washed lots of laundry in the bathtub when I didn't have any money to pay for a washing machine at the laundry mat. Swishing the clothes around with a long spoon or a long stick is good, rubbing them against each other vigorously, and squishing the water through the fabric is how they get clean. Just be sure and put enough detergent in there to get the clothes clean then rinse rinse rinse. Then if you want to fill the tub and add some downy so the wrinkles won't be so bad. I hung the clothes on hangers and put them on the shower curtain bar to drip dry. You can also hang them on outdoor stair rails, yard art, ceiling fan lights, doorway jams, string some rope from a corner to the other wall and have an indoor clothes line.

I would also like to mention that your hands will need some TLC and much lotion. A back rub is also in order since you'll be leaning over the tub on your knees for some time each time they are washed or rinsed.

If everyone is wearing light weight fabrics and not denim or heavy stuff your wash loads will be MUCh easier too.

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

Yes, hand washing is easy.
A little soap, a little water, be sure to rinse out the soap, then line dry outside or in the shower/bathroom.
Considering Dominion had about a million people out of power last Sun morning, it's amazing they've got the number down to about 100,000 now.
They should be getting to you soon - hang in there!
http://www.dom.com/storm-center/dominion-electric-outage-...

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