Handwashing laundry

Laundry. My least favorite chore. Yet it piles up day after day, higher and higher. Ok, so I am pretty good about keeping up with laundry, but I still detest it.

I can't get my clothes clean in a washing machine, no matter what detergents and additive I use. Hand wash! (*boo* *hiss*) Oh just wait! It's really not bad at all!! I don't mind doing laundry.

1) You start by getting your laundry into your bathroom, or sink for those small loads. I pile it next to the tub and kneel on it since I'll be on the hard floor the rest of the time.

2) Get your water running hot hot hot, plug the drain. Then add your soap, oxiclean, bleach, whatever you use for a regular wash. (I use whatever detergent is in my stock room, super washing soda, oxiclean, and add Downy Unstoppables to the hubby's loads). Mix it all in. Soak 30 minutes (if heavily soiled, 60 minutes...the longer the soak, the less scrubbing)

3) Add clothes. Make sure you knead the clothes in the water like you would knead a ball of dough.

4) I have this addiction to laundry bar soap. It has gotten stains out that I used OxiClean on years ago and they wouldn't come out, then used the bar soap and it disappears with barely any scrubbing!! I find all of the stains and hand scrub them. It only takes about 3 seconds for each area. Then, as you finish scrubbing (rubbing the material together with the soap), dunk it in the water for the last 2 or 3 strokes. It will rinse off and be like new. I've used this on my husband's work shirts with hydraulic fluid and grease on it and it has come off, even after a year of being washed and dried!

5) Push all the clothes to the back of the tub and drain the water.

6) Rinse each piece of clothing under the tap. Squeeze ( do NOT wring) excess water.

7) Turn on cold water and plug tub. Add fabric softener. Vinegar is a great one and cheap, only use a very small amount. I just use a small amount of liquid softener. I don't need to let the clothes soak in it, so as soon as all items have gone into the water, it's the next step.

9) Drain tub and rinse clothes well to get softener off.

10) Hang clothes and dry! 

I now have a house with a clothesline we put up. I actually enjoy laundry now, which is strange. I keep up with it by doing it every other day in small loads. Make it enjoyable. The kids like to sit and talk to me while I wash, or we'll turn on music and make our own variations on songs. :) The kids enjoy washing too. Put them in clothes you don't mind getting stained (if detergent/soap/softener stays on clothes, it can stain). Let them go to town getting clothes clean!