Hand Crank Washing Machine

**lamar5292** · 05-05-2012, 04:30 PM

I live off grid and I have a washing machine that is run off a generator but I don't like to burn gas to wash clothes so I designed this simple hand crank washing machine that could also be used as a compost tumbler- not at the same time LOL!

Anyway, if you need to wash a big load of clothes this crank tumbler does a great job. I have used plunger washers, washing boards and the wonder washers and those work good for small loads but this will handle a full load of wash and get it very clean in short time.

youtube.com/watch?v=ZU8psaS62b8

Would also be a good washer to have for a power outage emergency!

LaMar

**homemaker66** · 05-05-2012, 05:06 PM

I have been looking into the Wonder Washer. I am trying to figure out how to wring out the clothes good. I am thinking of buying a mop wringer to master this. Any ideas? We are going to be living in our camper and hitting the road so I don't have room for anything big. So I am looking for ideas.

**Rosebudget1** · 05-05-2012, 05:35 PM

When I did laundry by hand way back when I used a plunger. Now that have washing plungers.
I would watch out for the wringers as you can crush buttons, zippers etc. I just let things drip dry in the shower.I did this because we were in the military and I had to take a taxi to the lawndramat. I think the wonder wash has a rinse cycle.
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/The-Laundry-Alternative-Wonderwash-SpinDryer/dp/B002C8HR9A/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1336249834&sr=8-6"]Amazon.com: Wonderwash: [email protected]@[email protected]@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/[email protected]@[email protected]@51ESdRj4hTL[/ame]

**Rosebudget1** · 05-05-2012, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by lamar5292

I live off grid and I have a washing machine that is run off a generator but I don't like to burn gas to wash clothes so I designed this simple hand crank washing machine that could also be used as a compost tumbler- not at the same time LOL!

Anyway, if you need to wash a big load of clothes this crank tumbler does a great job. I have used plunger washers, washing boards and the wonder washers and those work good for small loads but this will handle a full load of wash and get it very clean in short time.

youtube.com/watch?v=ZU8psaS62b8

Would also be a good washer to have for a power outage emergency!

LaMar

Great idea for both uses! It amazes what people figure out!

**lamar5292** · 05-05-2012, 09:32 PM

Originally Posted by homemaker66

I have been looking into the Wonder Washer. I am trying to figure out how to wring out the clothes good. I am thinking of buying a mop wringer to master this. Any ideas? We are going to be living in our camper and hitting the road so I don't have room for anything big. So I am looking for ideas.

The wonder washer will leave the clothes very wet. I just hang them to drip dry in the sun but you can buy hand wringers from amazon.

You do not need much water for the wonderwasher to work and use only a ver small amount of soap or you will be rinsing forever because it pressurizes the soap into the clothes.

LaMar

**homemaker66** · 05-05-2012, 10:49 PM

Thanks for the ideas. I think I will go with the Wonderwasher.

**homemaker66** · 05-06-2012, 06:37 PM

Also lamar5292 I like watching your youtube ideas.

**Wendy99** · 05-06-2012, 11:51 PM

My dh and I have really enjoyed watching your you tube videos about living off the land. I was surprised how big your bedroom/home office is!!

**Spirit Deer** · 05-07-2012, 01:15 PM

Thanks for the info, Lamar.

So as not to highjack this thread, here is a link to a thread about washing in buckets, which I found while researching info about van camping. It seems like it might be workable for camping in general. https://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/...y-buckets.html

**bresea** · 06-10-2012, 07:29 PM

Hi,

I have special bath towels that I use to wring out my hand washing. I wring out as much water by hand as I can and then I lay the garment on the spread out towel, roll up the towel and then wring. Sometimes I will stand on the rolled up towel to wring even more water out.

This will help take a lot of the water out. I then hang both the clothing and the towel to air dry. This might not work for people in apartments or with small laundry rooms but helps when I don't want to damage something by hand wringing or my hands are sore.

I hope I described it ok.