# Washing machine-non electric



## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

Not sure if you've heard of this or seen it before but I was on one of the forums from the Spanish side and this washing machine came up for conversation and must admit it is intriguing... Foot powered and no plumbing at all... I was thinking about buying it and modifying it by adding a small 12v motor to make it spin... Great little device for small boats and for a crew of two in the tropics as you only wash light clothes (tees, shorts, Hawaiian shirts, etc.).

Yirego | Makers of the Drumi

I know there are small electric washer/dryer combos on the E-Bay sites but wondering how they stack up to this one. :boat :


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

Bucket. Plunger. Both are multi-use.


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

DRFerron said:


> Bucket. Plunger. Both are multi-use.


Maybe... I was thinking the machine could double as a hamper as well... then wash away days later?

Wifey loves the idea so I think this is the way to go... Expensive ~$250-300 from the looks of the idea...


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## Jim_W (Jul 27, 2014)

DRFerron said:


> Bucket. Plunger. Both are multi-use.


So did you plunge the head before or after you did the wash


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## SOLPHIAIR (Mar 15, 2015)

Hand Laundry Washing Kit: How to use.






Throw in some salt and churn some butter while your at it!


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

I guess if I wanted ideas on the 'bucket & plunger' method I would have brought it up... I am asking about the concept of the Drumi or similar washing machines... geesh! Civilized washing of clothes need not bring the toilet plunger to task or worse the 'composting crowd'!


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## IStream (Dec 15, 2013)

If it were higher capacity, it might be worth it but it doesn't hold enough to justify it's space on the boat, IMHO. A 5 gallon bucket earns its keep on the boat with a myriad of uses and will hold a lot more than "5 personal items" come wash time. Forget the plunger if you want to, your arms will work too.


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

IStream said:


> If it were higher capacity, it might be worth it but it doesn't hold enough to justify it's space on the boat, IMHO. A 5 gallon bucket earns its keep on the boat with a myriad of uses and will hold a lot more than "5 personal items" come wash time. Forget the plunger if you want to, your arms will work too.


Higher capacity would mean one of the electric models which many dismiss on a boat right? Second... the Drumi holds up to 5-10 liters of water (approx. 2.5 gallons max) plus the clothes... so how much water do you use in the 5 gallon bucket? Do you fill the bucket to 5 gallons of water before you add clothes or is it half full (2.5 +/- gal of water) and then add clothes with soap and churn the plunger? Is this not the same capacity as the Drumi unit? I could just as well wash clothes in the kitchen/head sink but that is neither here nor there as the discussion was about the idea of this small washing unit.


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

I fill my galley sink with saltwater, about 5 gallons, add Dawn dish detergent, plunge for about 15 minutes, drain, wring by hand, then fill the sink with freshwater and plunge for about 5 minutes, then drain and wring before hanging the clothes on the lifelines to dry. Nothing to it!

All the best,

Gary


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

There was another hand crank unit that spins around on a stand that was marketed to boaters a few years back. Apologies for not remembering the name. The thing that made it work was apparently that it was water tight with a tight-fitting screw lid and that allowed the hot water and education to essentially build pressure inside the unit or so they say. Supposedly this would forced the dirt out of the fibers. I recall I got many good reviews perhaps even from practical sailor maybe even offered in LeMans the Amish catalog. It may have been about 10 years ago that this was on offer and like many good simple devices there's not enough mark up and the market is too small so I don't think they made any longer. However an olive barrel or a bucket with a gamma seal lid or anything else that has a positively airtight seal could be filled with water soap and clothes and sufficiently agitated that it would work the same way

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

guitarguy56 said:


> I guess if I wanted ideas on the 'bucket & plunger' method I would have brought it up.......


Really? We should only grace your eyes with ideas that you've given permission to see?

The bucket came up, because it's a better idea than that contraption. A 5gal bucket with a lid can hold a few gallons of water and ammonia that can be reused several times. Rinse in your sink. Plunger can be dedicated.

The only thing I see that contraption good for is it's salad spinner concept of getting water out. However, cotton just can't be dried aboard very well, no matter what. Get all quick-dry material, including skivvies.

Personally, our current boat came with a Splendide washer/dryer combo. I assumed it was just a fluffy extra that was taking up space. It's become one of the items I would never want to cruise without again. Still pretty useless for drying, but refreshing the laundry a week out is really nice. Saves on packing. We just run it when the genset is on for ordinary recharging, etc.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

Jim_W said:


> So did you plunge the head before or after you did the wash




Self defense and spider killer.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

guitarguy56 said:


> Maybe... I was thinking the machine could double as a hamper as well... then wash away days later?
> 
> Wifey loves the idea so I think this is the way to go... Expensive ~$250-300 from the looks of the idea...


I've been known to splurge (some of which COULD be thought of as downright embarrassing), but even I wouldn't go for this at that price.


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## Tanski (May 28, 2015)

Think I can come up with better ways to spend 300$! Paid about that for my last home washing machine. Bucket and 300$ worth of detergent will take me a loooooong way.


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## cshrimpt (Jun 8, 2015)

I don't think it actually exists as it's an IndieGoGo product. Supposedly will ship October 2016, or never.

Craig


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

Minnewaska said:


> Really? We should only grace your eyes with ideas that you've given permission to see?
> 
> 
> > *Really... that was required?*
> ...


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

guitarguy56 said:


> Minnewaska said:
> 
> 
> > Really? We should only grace your eyes with ideas that you've given permission to see?
> ...


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

guitarguy56 said:


> Not sure if you've heard of this or seen it before...
> 
> <snip>
> 
> Yirego | Makers of the Drumi


There are a number of options similar to that already available on the market. Everyone I know who bought or inherited one found it to be too large and not particularly effective. Cannot do sheets or towels.



guitarguy56 said:


> I know there are small electric washer/dryer combos on the E-Bay sites but wondering how they stack up to this one.


Small electric washer/dryers can make a big difference in quality of life if you can spare the space, can vent the dryer (the ventless are huge water consumers), and have a generator.



guitarguy56 said:


> Maybe... I was thinking the machine could double as a hamper as well... then wash away days later?
> 
> Wifey loves the idea so I think this is the way to go... Expensive ~$250-300 from the looks of the idea...


You really will be better off with a five gallon bucket, a bunch of ammonia, and a plunger.



Minnewaska said:


> The bucket came up, because it's a better idea than that contraption. A 5gal bucket with a lid can hold a few gallons of water and ammonia that can be reused several times. Rinse in your sink. Plunger can be dedicated.


If you wash in ammonia (v. soap) you don't need to rinse. The ammonia evaporates completely and leaves no residual odor at all.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

SVAuspicious said:


> ......If you wash in ammonia (v. soap) you don't need to rinse. The ammonia evaporates completely and leaves no residual odor at all.


You'll have to turn the clock back 30 or 40 years and tell my mother to save the water. We were just following instructions.


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

Minnewaska said:


> guitarguy56 said:
> 
> 
> > Arrogant is posting a picture of oneself in the cockpit of an aircraft on a sailing website. Were you particularly impressed with that one? It's ho-hum to me.
> ...


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

Minnewaska said:


> You'll have to turn the clock back 30 or 40 years and tell my mother to save the water. We were just following instructions.


I would do it the way your mother does whenever she can see you. Otherwise just wash, wring, and hang.

The vented Splendides are nice.



guitarguy56 said:


> If I wanted to post about the BEST HAND PLUNGING METHODS WITH BUCKET AND PLUNGER... (you get that in BOLD) then I would have posted such...


It appears from your posts that you have already decided to buy one of the spinner laundry devices and are just looking for validation rather than experience and real world data. So buy the silly thing and find out for yourself what others have found before. You'll use more water than you expect, you won't be able to wash reasonable sized loads, and the storage requirement will frustrate you. Fine. Don't learn from those who have passed before you. Don't be surprised if your experience is not different from those reported to you.


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

SVAuspicious said:


> It appears from your posts that you have already decided to buy one of the spinner laundry devices and are just looking for validation rather than experience and real world data. So buy the silly thing and find out for yourself what others have found before. You'll use more water than you expect, you won't be able to wash reasonable sized loads, and the storage requirement will frustrate you. Fine. Don't learn from those who have passed before you. Don't be surprised if your experience is not different from those reported to you.


It does NOT appear I am buying this... was thinking about how great an idea it is (did you read the whole story of how it came to be... not that it matters any) I am surely not looking for any validation from anyone here... that you can be sure! Not sure you use any more water than the bucket method... same wash/rinse cycles right? Concerning the storage it is the same footprint as the bucket taking the same space anywhere you put the bucket but with the bucket you can place other items... the Drumi could be used as a hamper right? We have the space on the boat as would anyone with a certain footage... no it won't fit on boat less than 28 feet or less unless you find the right space in a locker.... either way if I did buy it I surely will not post here my experiences at all with it. That is now long gone... too bad no one will know.


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## RobGallagher (Aug 22, 2001)

Google.

Plenty of options for less than $100. Storage would be an issue for me

I'm not real cruiser, but I did run out of underwear once.

Ingredients:
Feet
Dish soap (a little bit goes a long way)
Dirty clothes
Water

Directions:
Dump contents onto cockpit floor.
Use feet to mix well.
Rinse with fresh water
Don't forget to rinse your feet.

Serving suggestions:
Proudly hang your unmentionables and your PIRATE FLAG from shrouds, lifelines, boom, running rigging, etc.

It is best to do this at anchor. However, your anchor is not the best anchor. The best anchor is my folding, rubber coated, ferro cement, fisherman-delta-hybrid.

Caution:
If people point and laugh at your drying underwear it will be illegal in most ports of call to shoot them.

If you do shoot them; you may no longer navigate via those socialist, big government, libtard, aids to navigation.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

guitarguy56 said:


> Minnie... why oh why do you always turn a simple thread into a whiny situation and deflect it towards others....





> ...I guess if I wanted ideas on the 'bucket & plunger' method I would have brought it up..


The second was your quote, after getting good feedback, wasn't it. Pretty obnoxious.



> This is like the composting vs marine head thread.... You seem to ruin it for those composters happy with it.... You have a marine head... Why would you bash them for using it.... but you do...


I have nothing against composters for others, nor bash them for using it. I might push back when one insists they are right or refuses to allow other points of view, like you are. I do not want one and all points of view belong in these discussions. You seem to think a conversation can be censored to only include what you want to hear. Good luck with that.



> By the way that is a Boeing 787 Dreamliner cockpit... if you are so inclined!


I'm not.


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

Clearly you two kids know each other and have some history together.... Moving on.

This is the one I have seen in person and read reviews of but not used myself. The "pressurization" of the water and the spinning effect to agitate and perhaps dry seems like it might make it worth it. Not too expensive either.

https://www.lehmans.com/p-1470-pressure-handwasher.aspx?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googlebase&utm_campaign=1152405&zmam=32933335&zmas=1&zmac=1&zmap=1152405&gclid=CKD7xrfks8oCFQqjvQodINsF0w

MedSailor


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

MedSailor said:


> Clearly you two kids know each other and have some history together.... Moving on.
> 
> This is the one I have seen in person and read reviews of but not used myself. The "pressurization" of the water and the spinning effect to agitate and perhaps dry seems like it might make it worth it. Not too expensive either.
> 
> ...


Yea, I have one, biggest waste of $50! very cheaply made, apparently they used to be made better, really does not work very well. It has such a small capacity it did not even keep up with a single person! The only thing it really did well was clean sweaters, one at a time. They came out nice with no pilling but more because it really did nothing more than wet the clothes. I think a bucket is easier takes less room and has more than one function. Can you tell I did not like it?


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

miatapaul said:


> Yea, I have one, biggest waste of $50! very cheaply made, apparently they used to be made better, really does not work very well. It has such a small capacity it did not even keep up with a single person! The only thing it really did well was clean sweaters, one at a time. They came out nice with no pilling but more because it really did nothing more than wet the clothes. I think a bucket is easier takes less room and has more than one function. Can you tell I did not like it?


Hey thanks! That's a useful first hand review. I'll probably give these things a pass or at least eye them with suspicion...

I'm not sure what my laundry strategy will be yet. I've been offered a free washer/dryer from another boat, but it takes up so much space that I'm not sure I want it as a gift.

I do need a strategy though, the kiddos love to make dirty laundry. Following with interest...

MedSailor


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## travellerw (Mar 9, 2006)

RobGallagher said:


> Google.
> 
> Plenty of options for less than $100. Storage would be an issue for me
> 
> ...


I get tired of people asking why my pirate flag has a brown stripe


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

MedSailor said:


> ....I've been offered a free washer/dryer from another boat, but it takes up so much space that I'm not sure I want it as a gift.
> 
> I do need a strategy though, the kiddos love to make dirty laundry.......


If it's a Splendide, there's no way it will keep up with dirt-ified kids. 

Fairly small capacity. Wouldn't work with sheets and towels, either.

If I was living aboard at a slip, I would just use a laundromat. Their machines usually hold a ton more and work faster.

Still, you would love the onboard washer for small batches and when cruising.


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

guitarguy56 said:


> I guess if I wanted ideas on the 'bucket & plunger' method I would have brought it up... I am asking about the concept of the Drumi or similar washing machines... geesh! Civilized washing of clothes need not bring the toilet plunger to task or worse the 'composting crowd'!


Haier actually makes apartment size washers that would sit on deck of most cruising boats. They do about 5 lbs a load with 3 water level settings. If you've got a gene & a watermaker anyway, they are great. I think I got my last one for about us$235.00. Never should have got rid of it.


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

MedSailor said:


> Moving on.
> 
> This is the one I have seen in person and read reviews of but not used myself. The "pressurization" of the water and the spinning effect to agitate and perhaps dry seems like it might make it worth it. Not too expensive either.
> MedSailor


Med... Thanks for that URL and is exactly what I was hoping others could comment on... Yes I had seen that hand crank unit but dismissed it right away... but glad others have used it and had comments about it good or bad.


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

capta said:


> Haier actually makes apartment size washers that would sit on deck of most cruising boats. They do about 5 lbs a load with 3 water level settings. If you've got a gene & a watermaker anyway, they are great. I think I got my last one for about us$235.00. Never should have got rid of it.


Capta... I have seen those also and could be had for a great price on E-Bay... too big for my 28 footer and was looking for a non electric solution that doesn't churn butter!

I could fire up the H2000 but that would anger the enviros or worse cause them to be thieves... so we/ll keep searching and comparing... Funny on the Spanish sailing threads no one posted the plunger/bucket stuff.


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## Sea&Stars (Jul 22, 2015)

Here's a take on the portable washing machine, be sure to scroll down for the demo video ... http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/portable-washing-machine/82157
And its under $100.00


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

Sea&Stars said:


> Here's a take on the portable washing machine, be sure to scroll down for the demo video ... Portable Washing Machine - Mr. Heater F235884 - Washers - Camping World
> And its under $100.00


Seen this one too on the E-Bay site as well... Electric and smaller load 4.4 Lbs... but it should work for our small spaces... I still think something may be out there similar to the Drumi that is either self powered or manual/foot operated. Cost is of course always an issue and I think something closer to $150 may be in the ballpark... But if the Drumi unit survives testing and marketing and proves effective I don't see why the costs would not drop considerably in the near future.

I'm not an investor or buyer of the product but waiting to see the results of testing by the markets. Just think it would be ideal for marine use while off the hook.


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## Gee Cee (Jan 21, 2016)

I like this and have heard good things about it. Popular with the apartment dwelling people in Toronto. My only concern would be whether its fragile or fairly rugged. I would rather see it up close before I purchased on online. But I would make the trip to check it out.


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## travellerw (Mar 9, 2006)

Sea&Stars said:


> Here's a take on the portable washing machine, be sure to scroll down for the demo video ... Portable Washing Machine - Mr. Heater F235884 - Washers - Camping World
> And its under $100.00


I loved the video.. My wife commented on how it was 2 hot girls.. LOL, I'm SOLD!


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## kenr74 (Oct 13, 2012)

miatapaul said:


> Yea, I have one, biggest waste of $50! very cheaply made, apparently they used to be made better, really does not work very well. It has such a small capacity it did not even keep up with a single person! The only thing it really did well was clean sweaters, one at a time. They came out nice with no pilling but more because it really did nothing more than wet the clothes. I think a bucket is easier takes less room and has more than one function. Can you tell I did not like it?


I have to agree. We bought one when we lived in our rv for 6 months. The pressurization bit is a joke. It is small. It doesn't wash all that well. On top of mediocre performance, the base broke all to pieces after a while. I would definitely opt for a bucket next time.


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## Erindipity (Nov 29, 2014)

I'm a bucket and feet guy myself. Drying is the issue. Having bits of clothing hanging off of the Cabin handholds to dry can prove embarrassing, especially when I have to explain that the frillier bits aren't actually mine.

So I have been experimenting at home.
I have one of those collapsible wooden pole Drying racks. It actually works pretty well, in time. Looks peculiar under full sail when stuck on the Salon table, though... not enough room on the Cabin Sole.
Mom had one of those old roller Wringers, but she stopped using it, because when set for maximum effectiveness, newer plastic buttons tended to crumble to powder.

Dad made Wine. Not very good wine, but he made it nonetheless, and he eventually left this to me:










I treated it as decorative for decades- I had it spanning the top of two bookcases; Classical Albums to the left, Rock and Jazz to the right.
A couple of years back, it attacked me; I'm unclear on the details, but I ended up on the floor, looking at its butt, surrounded by scattered scores of LP Records.

I did the only sensible thing, well sensible at the time- I put it in the bathtub, where it was well contained, and then cleaned up, and calmed down, and went to bed.

The next morning, It hit me. Again. There It was, in the bathtub. I got a pair of my grungiest jeans, turned them inside out, and stomped them in a soapy kitchen bucket for a minute or so, then turned outside in, and stomped again, rinsed twice by foot, and put them in the Press, and Pressed, with Prejudice. No laundry Salad Spinner could be remotely as effective.
I put the jeans on, and except for the oversewed bits, it was dry within an hour, smelling only slightly of old Oak and old Grape.

The neat thing is, the entire thing knocks down for storage. Try that with a Salad Spinner. On top of that, it can be useful for other things, like clamping freshly glued bits together, compacting Aluminum cans, driving Wrist Pins into Connecting Rods, and the Barrel part can be used for storing Charts or Baguettes on the Salon table, when not otherwise needed.

Frillier bits have yet to be dealt with, and yet to be dealt with are those that leave them behind.

¬Erindipity


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## Victoria Demontelimar (Jan 20, 2016)

Saw a family on a cat with a big black trash can firmly attached at the back. They explained that they fill up before sailing, let the swell do the shaking and the sun the heating. When they arrive, they rinse and finito.


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

Erindipity said:


> I did the only sensible thing, well sensible at the time- I put it in the bathtub, where it was well contained, and then cleaned up, and calmed down, and went to bed.
> 
> The next morning, It hit me. Again. There It was, in the bathtub. I got a pair of my grungiest jeans, turned them inside out, and stomped them in a soapy kitchen bucket for a minute or so, then turned outside in, and stomped again, rinsed twice by foot, and put them in the Press, and Pressed, with Prejudice. No laundry Salad Spinner could be remotely as effective.
> I put the jeans on, and except for the oversewed bits, it was dry within an hour, smelling only slightly of old Oak and old Grape.


So let's see the grape crusher is in the 'bathtub' and so the idea struck to wash the jeans in the wine crusher in the bathtub? Why not just have washed the jeans in the bathtub? What benefit will this be in the boat to wash clothes without a bathtub in the boat? Will this fit the galley sink? Will you have to supply a larger bucket to fit the grape crusher in?

Crazy ideas.... Salad spinners? Maybe the other washing gizmos might be salad spinners but surely there are other methods besides plunger and buckets. The smell of fresh crushed grapes on my jeans... PRICELESS!


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

Here is another neat gizmo for those that have the room on their boats:










And provides for some exercise we may all need one way or another.

And yet again another unit that even though may be slightly large (means a larger payload) can be stored on a larger boat but is similar to the Drumi...










Other ideas are out there...


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## Erindipity (Nov 29, 2014)

guitarguy56 said:


> So let's see the grape crusher is in the 'bathtub' and so the idea struck to wash the jeans in the wine crusher in the bathtub? Why not just have washed the jeans in the bathtub? What benefit will this be in the boat to wash clothes without a bathtub in the boat? Will this fit the galley sink? Will you have to supply a larger bucket to fit the grape crusher in?
> 
> Crazy ideas.... Salad spinners? Maybe the other washing gizmos might be salad spinners but surely there are other methods besides plunger and buckets. The smell of fresh crushed grapes on my jeans... PRICELESS!


The point is to practice on land before messing up the boat... any further. I left a lot out, like using a quart of water to wash, and two quarts to rinse. I washed the jeans in the kitchen bucket, in the bathtub. A quart of water otherwise doesn't go far in an empty bathtub. If the weather is mild, I have a Clothesline in the back yard, so the Press isn't really necessary. And I don't use a plunger, I have two perfectly adequate feet. This is an Experiment.
This may all seem eccentric, and I've done far more eccentric things not yet mentioned here, but there is a point:

My house, and my boat, are roughly equidistant and on opposite sides of the Hayward Fault, and it's going to blow. We are Overdue.
One of my tasks before retiring was writing up and testing Emergency Procedures, like Earthquake Procedures, and then training others. I developed this mindset; looking at things, and thinking about what could go wrong with them, when it shakes. If I didn't get any fun out of it, I would end up like one of those Survivalist Nuts.

I have provided the boat, and the house, with a month's worth of supplies, and I can live in either, without any Utilities- no water, no electricity, no Nob Hill grocery store, for at least that amount of time, just as a Cruiser sailing from SF to Hawaii would.
I'm set for communications- Ham Radio and Marine/Public Service VHF in both places. I'm set for charging Batteries, and Cell Phones, and Macbook Airs. (My two year old Air still gets ~10 hours on a charge.)

A Sailboat with a lifting keel is about as Earthquake-Proof as it gets, unless something bigger falls on it. And it's old and very French, so no primitive living in a mildewed tent. 
I Earthquaked my house years ago; the bookcases where the Grape Press reigned are screwed into studs; I failed to Earthquake-Proof the Grape Press, so thus the Experiment. (I still have no idea why it jumped me; I checked the USGS website- not even a glimmer of an Earthquake then. But Earthquakes can occur _very_ slowly; every few years, the City realigns the street- It doesn't stay straight for very long.)

If I lived in a Hurricane or Tornado area, I would do things differently; I would have a basement, and make it comfy. If I lived where Wildfires are a problem... Well, I wouldn't live in a wooden-framed Barbecue Pit.

Now as for some other eccentricities, I've learned to like Cold-Brewed Coffee, with condensed milk out of a can, and I'm working on Cold-Brewed Tea. I take Navy Showers, which actually allows Ivory Soap some time to work, and all the captured gray water is then good for a Flush.
I have all of my MP3 Tunes on USB Sticks, which my 12VDC boat and home systems are happy with. Now about the home systems- this may seem to be _really_ eccentric, but I have 21 speakers in my Living Room. Audio is sort of a hobby of mine, with first-rate gear. But the boat system is duplicated at home as well, 12VDC is run throughout the house, and for that system, I use highly efficient JBL "Loft" speakers. Normally I don't like ported speakers, but these are actually good, and surprisingly inexpensive.
I'm working on a new concept for 12.0VDC LED Lighting; much of what is available is Junk. The "Zero" in "12.0VDC" is significant.

This stuff is fun for me; others may find it incredibly trivial and pointless. I find football trivial and pointless. I find wine trivial and pointless. I _don't_ find Sailing trivial and pointless, although most residents of the US do. The Wind is free; why not use some of it?

Back to laundry.
It turns out that I have some kind of sensitivity to laundry detergent. I have no idea what makes me sneeze in the laundry aisles at the supermarkets, or what it was that used to give me purple crotch-rot. It turns out that cheap Boat Soap is inoffensive; good for boats, good for laundry, good for crotches.

¬Erindipity


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

Erindipity said:


> The point is to practice on land before messing up the boat... any further. I left a lot out, like using a quart of water to wash, and two quarts to rinse. I washed the jeans in the kitchen bucket, in the bathtub. A quart of water otherwise doesn't go far in an empty bathtub. If the weather is mild, I have a Clothesline in the back yard, so the Press isn't really necessary. And I don't use a plunger, I have two perfectly adequate feet. This is an Experiment.
> This may all seem eccentric, and I've done far more eccentric things not yet mentioned here, but there is a point:
> 
> My house, and my boat, are roughly equidistant and on opposite sides of the Hayward Fault, and it's going to blow. We are Overdue.
> ...


Great post Erindipity.... Not knocking your idea... just the method... I've been around a lot too... done my own thing as well but cautiously... Done the Navy thing (retired 1995) so yeah know the shower scene too... Not sure how you earthquake proof a house unless you're a structural engineer/construction guru... Ha ha... I lived in California a while and felt those earthquakes and seen how many try to shake-proof their abodes... oh well... nothing a 8.5-9.0 Mag won't shake loose.

I'm not a survivalist (not yet) and unless civil war or the zombification of America comes around then maybe another reason to believe.... my daughter works near the CDC in Atlanta and it scares me her being near one of the 'ground zero' hot-spots for the virus to escape... not pleased!

Wine is good, sailboats are good, life is good.... Enjoy... Laundry stuff aside... My wife has used many a laundry soap as I too got rashes and seems the simpler detergents are best at keeping rashes at bay... those pesky irritants are not in cheaper detergents.


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

I got to thinkin' which at my age, may not be the best thing to do sometimes. It would be very easy to construct a simple, yet very effective, washing machine from a five-gallon plastic bucket with a snap-on lid. The agitator would resemble a canoe paddle, with a weight on the top, and a couple heavy Bungee cords to keep it upright. Then, the motion of the boat would do all the rest of the washing work. After 20 or more minutes of agitation, remove the lid, wring out the clothes, then empty the bucket and refill it with fresh water and repeat the process, thus providing a rinse cycle. I have a bunch of 5-gallon plastic buckets with lids around here, and I think I'll put one of these together during the long, cold winter months here in Maryland. And, yes, I'll be sure to post some photos.

All the best,

Gary


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

Gary... Good idea and I'll take it one step further... why not take the 5 gallon barrel and insert an agitator on the inside and a prop/fan on the outside in such a way as the boat is moving forward tows the barrel and the prop/fan spins thereby spinning/agitating the clothes on the inside with soap/seawater and then pull in when you believe the clothes have been thoroughly cleaned? A quick rinse in fresh water should suffice... always the problem of drying the clothes right?


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

travlineasy said:


> I got to thinkin' which at my age, may not be the best thing to do sometimes. It would be very easy to construct a simple, yet very effective, washing machine from a five-gallon plastic bucket with a snap-on lid. The agitator would resemble a canoe paddle, with a weight on the top, and a couple heavy Bungee cords to keep it upright. Then, the motion of the boat would do all the rest of the washing work. After 20 or more minutes of agitation, remove the lid, wring out the clothes, then empty the bucket and refill it with fresh water and repeat the process, thus providing a rinse cycle. I have a bunch of 5-gallon plastic buckets with lids around here, and I think I'll put one of these together during the long, cold winter months here in Maryland. And, yes, I'll be sure to post some photos.
> 
> All the best,
> 
> Gary


I thought it wasn't cool to discuss buckets here. Maybe it's just plungers. :devil:devil

A bucket can be pimped out to the point where it would be very effective.

Check out the gamma seal lids. I have some and they're amazing. I've seen people use a bucket and one of these lids to mix concrete during trail renovation. They added the stuff, sealed the lid and rolled it down the hill.

Weighted balls or something of the like could help with agitaion as well. Also, tehere are screens for the bottom of the bucket which would help things drip dry before you hung them.

Gamma seal lid (with pretty girl in the video :wink ):






Bucket screen:
Chemical Guys - Grit Guard Insert

If you really want to get fancy/DIY/LowBuck:






MedSailor


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Med posted a way cooler bucket lid than I was going to suggest. I was only going to point out that you can get 5 gallon buckets with lids that have an o'ring to prevent any spillage. 

I bet just a few decent sized plastic balls and agitate any way you see fit.

(Yes, no doubt we'll be spanked for mentioning buckets again  )


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

MedSailor is cool... at least he posted a cute girl with buckets! :2 boat:


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## drakeParagon (Dec 8, 2011)

All the great ways to do laundry!  When I lived at anchor in the Caribbean I put the dirty clothes in the shower pan with soap and washed them by stomping on them with my feet. Or I'd wash them by hand in the galley sink. Then I'd wring them out by hand and hang them up to dry on the lifelines. 

Today I have a Splendide Ventless Washer Dryer Combo and as long as we have shore power and access to freshwater then it's great. For the past few years living aboard in Iceland, Faroe, Ireland and Scotland we have used it for 100% of our washing/drying. It only does small loads, takes a while, and uses a ton of water, but we just keep it running almost all of the time and love it. I like that I can fill it, start it, and come back hours later to clean and dry clothes. The best news to report is that it has not broken down after years of heavy use.

If we don't have shore power then I can run the washer part off of our inverter and solar panels for limited amounts, but not the dryer. I think it's a godsend especially for living aboard through the winters.


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

guitarguy56 said:


> MedSailor is cool... at least he posted a cute girl with buckets! :2 boat:


When you own a yacht with a sauna, pretty soon it's hard to find any footage in the collection that doesn't have cute girls in it.

Don't pity me though. Its my cross to bear... 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk


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