Do you hand wash more clothing as a senior?

Yes, I use those bags too all the time! You can actually wash almost any delicates in them.
 
I have a gentle cycle that I use for more delicate items. After they rinse I hang them on my wash line to drip dry. Yes, I still have a wash line. My mom hung everything out. Sometimes she would hang the wash out and it would freeze.Then she would have to drag it all in and hang it in our basement to dry over night. My Dad wore overalls to work and when they froze it was the funniest sight. They were so stiff they seemed to walk along side of her. If she took to many at a time she had trouble getting in the door if one kind of slipped sideways.
 

When I was a kid (1956 or so), we DID have a dryer, but my mother insisted clothes had to be hung up outside to get that fresh smell. So when it was 24(F) degrees outside, I had to hang the wash on the line with clothespins. Then about 2 hours later, I had to break the frozen clothes off the line and crack 'em so they'd fit in the dryer, and then "dryer" dry them. My mother thought this was perfectly OK. I mostly swore under my breath.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
When I was a kid (1956 or so), we DID have a dryer, but my mother insisted clothes had to be hung up outside to get that fresh smell. So when it was 24(F) degrees outside, I had to hang the wash on the line with clothespins. Then about 2 hours later, I had to break the frozen clothes off the line and crack 'em so they'd fit in the dryer, and then "dryer" dry them. My mother thought this was perfectly OK. I mostly swore under my breath.
Click to expand...
hahahaha
Sorry that made me laugh :D
 
Gosh, I remember growing up and everything was put on a line outside to dry. Those towels were brutal to dry off with....stiff as a board! As a "grown up", I don't think I have ever hand washed anything. I love the modern conveniences of different cycles on your washing machine! But now that I think about your question, even if it were just one person to wash for...I would still wait until I had a small load and run the washer on the smallest setting.
 
maggiemae said:
Gosh, I remember growing up and everything was put on a line outside to dry. Those towels were brutal to dry off with....stiff as a board! As a "grown up", I don't think I have ever hand washed anything. I love the modern conveniences of different cycles on your washing machine! But now that I think about your question, even if it were just one person to wash for...I would still wait until I had a small load and run the washer on the smallest setting.
Click to expand...

Here is a picture of the clothesline that I made for my wife. At one time one end contained 2 swings for the grandkids until they got older!!
.
P_20150430_094226.jpg
 
My son bought me the *best gift ever* for Mother's Day this year - a mini-washing machine. I live in an apartment and I have severe back problems, so hauling laundry over to the community laundr-o-mat was very challenging (painful). Also the community wash machines are all gummed up with dried, gloppy liquid detergents and they don't always work (one of them ripped me off for $5). Now I just set my little "camper washer" in the bathtub and wash and rinse up to 8 pounds per load - perfect for me! I wring out the big pieces with a mop wringer bucket, the rest by hand, and I have a length of PVC pipe that I hang over the tub to dry my clothes on.

I LOVE my little wash machine!
 
Hey Ralphy, I hand wash my undies all the time and hang them on the bathroom rod. They smell really fresh that way, too, because they get more detergent.
 
jujube said:
I never had to hand wash the fatigues and khakis, but I sure did have to iron them. Yow. Iron in one hand and a can of spray starch in the other. Get those creases lined up with military precision, ma'am!
Click to expand...

Boy, do I ever remember that -- except I used that blue starch in the bottle because the stupid spray starch didn't get them stiff enough.

Thank God the military housing finally put washers and dryers in the basement, so at least I didn't have to wash them by hand.
 
My father worked in a factory, but my mother thought he should still have creases in his pants. She bought some metal adjustable frames. You slid the pants over them where you wanted the creases, and hung them on the line to dry. Apparently they still make them. Who would have guessed. These are on Amazon.

creasers.jpg
 
NancyNGA said:
My father worked in a factory, but my mother thought he should still have creases in his pants. She bought some metal adjustable frames. You slid the pants over them where you wanted the creases, and hung them on the line to dry. Apparently they still make them. Who would have guessed. These are on Amazon.

View attachment 33269
Click to expand...

My mother used those too and also some heavy metal rods that went into the rod pocket and hem of the acres and acres of ruffled Priscilla fiberglass curtains she had on all of the windows. Mom would be shocked to know that I don't own any curtains!
 
Aunt Bea said:
My mother used those too and also some heavy metal rods that went into the rod pocket and hem of the acres and acres of ruffled Priscilla fiberglass curtains she had on all of the windows. Mom would be shocked to know that I don't own any curtains!
Click to expand...

My mom had lace curtains on the first floor windows. Twice a year she'd wash them and then stretch them onto frames that my dad made. There were little nails sticking out and she'd "peg" the curtains onto the nails. What a major undertaking that was.
 
I live alone in a apartment and have a washer and dryer. I wash some things almost every other day in the machine.I wash sheets and pillow cases twice a week because fresh sheets help me sleep better.
 
QuickSilver said:
I have found the neatest thing. Mesh bags to put bras and delicates in so they can safely be machine washed. They have special bags for bras... and I have some expensive ones that I don't want ruined.

1006412
Click to expand...

I love these things! No more hand washing once I discovered them.
 
I tend to handwash more in the summer months as the clothes dry quicker but only ever use my washing machine on a cool wash and 30 minute cycle
 
No hand washing here. It can go on the delicate cycle or be thrown away. Did enough of that as a kid helping mama.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top