Monday, February 2, 2015

Laundry Day

Shorts wearing weather yesterday changed to cold and rainy this morning.  So, while my new windows are getting their water leak test, I decided I should probably get some laundry done.  Right now, laundry is pretty easy.  The marina I am at has free laundry facilities, so it is just a matter of lugging the laundry over to the clubhouse, finding an empty machine, and letting it do its thing. But my goal isn't to live at marinas, for it gets rather expensive, so I will need to find another option.


One option is to pack up laundry, toss it into the dinghy, and motor to shore in search of a laundromat.  While this would be workable, laundromats can get rather expensive.  And the expense isn't just the $3+/load, it is also the amount of time taken to babysit machines at the local laundromat.  Undoubtedly, we will have to do this for some things like big, bulky, bedding items.  But for normal day-to-day laundry, I'd really like another option.


Some nicer boats have washing machines installed.  These are often interesting devices that include both a washer and dryer in a single unit.  Unfortunately, these units can consume a fair amount of water (10 to 20 gal/load or so) as well as electricity (most are 110 volt units running 10~15 amps).  Even if we could justify the water and power usage, we don't really have space for one of these units unless we converted one of the berths to a laundry room as they are about the size of an apartment washing machine.  Not really an option.

 Bonus Package Panda Small Mini Portable Compact Washer Washing Machine 5.5lbs Capacity

Taking another step down, there are small, portable washing machines.  These can range from something about 2/3 the size of a small apartment washing machine down to an appliance not much larger than a food processor or large blender.  The size and weight not only determine the amount they can wash, but usually the features available.  Some have multiple levels and cycles and can spin dry, the other end of the spectrum are ones that just agitate.  Power requirements vary, but some of these are getting to the level that a solar system and inverter may be able to support the occasional load of laundry.


Then there are manual options.  There are manual crank washing machines.  Some use a 5 gallon bucket and a plunger (hopefully not one they have been using to unplug their toilets), or hand washing in a sink.  More labor intensive, but no power requirements beyond manual labor.

 Honestly, I have no idea what the best option is for living on a boat.  Energy and water are always an issue, but there is something to be said for convenience.  So, if you are a cruiser, what do you do?  If you are thinking about cruising, what do you think you may want to do when you need to wash a few things?

14 comments:

  1. We have a collapsible tub that fits directly into our sink. I can hand wash a couple items at a time in there. I start with the light color stuff then do the dark in the same water. It uses way less than any machine and takes up no space at all. When we're in the islands I usually do a load every couple days.

    Deb
    S/V Kintala
    www.theretirementproject.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks Deb. That was the kind of information I wanted to know. Wasn't sure if any of the machines did a better job washing or if hand washing was the same. I've washed a few things directly in the sink and that works fine, but the idea of a machine seemed a bit appealing.

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    2. Hey Deb, do you do the same thing here, or just in the islands?

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    3. Mike,

      It depends. If there is a laundromat nearby we usually use it unless it's horribly overpriced. Hauling laundry isn't an issue for us with our rolly cart. We try to be careful about doing laundry by hand in some anchorages in Florida. I'm not going to hang our tidy whities on the line in Middle River a hundred yards from our five million dollar house neighbors' picture windows. We try not to aggravate an already touchy situation between cruisers and rich property owners. It also depends on the weather. If it's colder and we're wearing more long pants and sweatshirts then I'm going to the laundry. In the islands where we live in swimsuits and shorts it's easier to keep up with.

      Deb
      S/V Kintala
      www.theretirementproject.blogspot.com

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    4. Thanks Deb. Don't get me started on the Florida anchoring issues...I see them just like people that buy a house near an established airport and then complain about the noise.

      The idea of a washing machine has partly come about after selling the one we had at home at the estate sale. We've both been using laundromats of one sort or another and I'm pretty sure my wife doesn't care much for them. I showed her this video of one of the small washers in operation and she seemed impressed. Debating the storage needs and if 7~8Ah/load is justifiable or if this would use more water than hand washing. If justifiable, my wife could try it out at home as I think it would help her out there now. Just another thing to toss on the need/want scale.

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  2. Seems space and water are issues. Based on Rovers description ,it seems you do not have a watermaker but do have a generator. Not that you need another project but here is website for someone (plumber/sailer) who made watermaker from components - they are not rocket science
    sailingjourney.net/2014/03/26/getting-technical-the-watermaker.
    That would solve your water issue at least.
    Doug from VT

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    1. Hey Doug, A watermaker is on the list of things I intend to add. The boat currently can carry 210 gal, so it just hasn't been a priority yet.

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  3. The irony of this post is that I just read it while in the laundromat.

    My bride and I have talked about this a fair amount lately. I looked up some of the hand wringers and can't get over the expense. Over $150 for anything decent. The manual machine like you showed doesn't cost too much but is too bulky for us. That leaves us with hand washing and carrying stuff to the laundromat.

    Good post.

    Jesse

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    1. Yeah, the hand wring/dry options seem to be the pricey bits. Stupid expensive for something that equates to an electric salad spinner for clothes. There are combo units for about the same price as the stand alone spinner, if you can justify the 23" x 14" footprint and 26" height. If it was only 12" deep, I'd actually be able to store it in one of our lockers. Just don't think it would look good stored under our cockpit table. lol.

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  4. Mike have you seen this? Several women on Women Who Sail have bought them and love them. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BUI7HFC/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1423101570&sr=8-1&pi=SL75&keywords=scrubba

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    1. Yep, I saw that. Seems interesting, but the thing I worry about is drying time more than wash/agitate part. The spinners sound like a good way to get things mostly dry so air drying is more effective.

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  5. Here's a couple ideas as well. I've been following the progress of the model Gira Dora. Looks promising for third world countries.

    http://www.hometone.org/2858/2012/08/16/washing-machines-that-need-no-electricity-to-do-your-laundry/

    Deb
    S/V Kintala
    www.theretirementproject.blogspot.com

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    1. That one looks interesting...wonder if they will make a smaller version. I know the Laundry Pod has the right features...but I doubt the hand-crank could spin fast enough to expel much water. Pedal power might, but that big blue bucket looks huge. I'm guessing that it is probably larger than the unit in the video I linked above (but on the positive side, doesn't require power).

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    2. That one looks interesting...wonder if they will make a smaller version. I know the Laundry Pod has the right features...but I doubt the hand-crank could spin fast enough to expel much water. Pedal power might, but that big blue bucket looks huge. I'm guessing that it is probably larger than the unit in the video I linked above (but on the positive side, doesn't require power).

      Delete