Self Reliance Tip # 22 Wha'cha got a washin?

Hey good lookin'! Wha'cha got washin'?


This month's goal - Wash one batch of laundry without your washer. Yes, Sister Cindy, you can do just a batch of stockings. If you're going to wear them again, I wouldn't recommend using them to sprout some seeds :).


I could tell from all the eyes rolling on Sunday that laundry is not a hot topic when it means doing it by hand (laundry is never a hot topic now that I think about it). You will thank yourself over and over that you have a backup JUST IN CASE!


Last week for 5 days I had no washer. It stopped working because of one little tiny switch. I've "mickey moused" it until I can get a replacement part. Sister Charlotte knows my pain. So for five days I got to practice. Yippie Ki - yi- yea!! My kids even got to join in...they were so excited (ok not really - but they realized for 10 seconds that if you put clean clothes in the laundry, you double the work load).

I found this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k405br7_Wto

I haven't been able to find the galvanized tubs like the video shows, but I did have 9 gallon plastic tubs that I used with my plunger. I switched to the 9 gallon as opposed to the bucket I had tried before because it fits more laundry. The 9 gallon tubs will fit about half a regular sized batch as opposed to 1/4 batch that the bucket can do.


I would still like to get one of the plungers in the video - some comments I've read said that denim pants will tear the rubber plungers - though I haven't had that problem yet. I plan to get one here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002QUAPSO/ref=s9_simh_gw_p79_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1PTSN8QQE8SNVQQ24VWJ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

I looked up the wringer that they have and....I think I'd rather twist them with my kids to get extra water out. I don't need a wringer that bad. In some of the comments someone said you can get them at Home Depot, I have looked online and at our local store and no luck. If you find one for a good price, let me know. Another thought is to get a mop wringer for less and could even save the grey water for toilets or watering plants etc.
Here's one I found:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Rubbermaid-Commercial-Yellow-Wavebrake-Side-Press-Mop-Bucket-Wringer-Combo-26-qt/16351977

Have fun with it!


And another thing...
A few years ago we had a Relief Society activity where we talked about preparedness. One of the classes was about gathering copies of important documents and having them in a three ring binder ready to go in case of an evacuation etc. (like my mother-in-law or Sister Georgia experienced recently). What would you put in it? What would your priorities be?