# How would you hand/tub wash your bath/shower towels???



## XAlbertaWarriorWomenX (Sep 19, 2020)

Hi People!

I would really like to wash some bath/shower towels, would like to wash & hang dry to take a shower, but got no fundz to use a laundry machine either to wash/dry them, used my money for food, thinking of hand washing them in a relative's kitchen sink, since i got access to one. Anybody have any tips, advice on hand-washing bath/shower/beach towels in a sink, tub, basin???


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## Eng JR Lupo RV323 (Sep 19, 2020)

Sure! 
Step 1. Add water to sink/tub/basin
Step 2.
Add soap to water in sink/tub/basin
Step 3.
Place the bath/shower/beach towels in the sink/tub/basin
Step 4.
Swish all that shit around vigorously in the sink/tub/basin with hands
Step 5.
Drain soapy water
Step 6.
Add water to sink/tub/basin
Step 7.
Swish all that shit around vigorously in the sink/tub/basin with hands
Step 8.
Drain less soapy water
Step 9.
Mash down on bath/shower/beach towels with hands
Step 10
Add water to sink/tub/basin
Step 11.
Swish all that shit around vigorously in the sink/tub/basin with hands
Step 12.
Drain even less soapy water
Step 13.
Mash down on bath/shower/beach towels with hands
Step 12.
Add water to sink/tub/basin
Step 13.
Swish all that shit around vigorously in the sink/tub/basin with hands
Step 14.
Drain even less soapy water
Step 15.
Mash down on bath/shower/beach towels with hands
Step 16.
Add water to sink/tub/basin
Step 17.
Mash down on bath/shower/beach towels with hands
Step 18.
Drain water
Step 19.
Mash down on bath/shower/beach towels with hands
Step 20.
Wring out bath/shower/beach towels with hands
Step 21.
Remove bath/shower/beach towels from sink/tub/basin
Step 22. 
Locate clothesline/fence/object
Step 23.
Hang bath/shower/beach towels over clothesline/fence/object to dry.


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## MFB (Sep 19, 2020)

I've had to wash my clothes by hand for the last 5 years. Solid advice above.
To add to it.
I use castile soap and a cap of apple cider vinegar w the mama.
It's easier if you have a stick or pole to agitate with. End of of broom, etc.
I agitate once for 5 or so minutes, then let my clothes sit a half an hour to let the soap and vin pull out all the dirt and grease. Crazy how dirty the water will get in that time.


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## ali (Sep 19, 2020)

If you're really traveling light, shampoo will do in a pinch. You can use it to wash your hair, body and clothes. Useful if you stay in motels or hotels from time to time and can swipe some supplies.


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## Deleted member 23824 (Sep 19, 2020)

Eng JR Lupo RV323 said:


> Sure!
> Step 1. Add water to sink/tub/basin
> Step 2.
> Add soap to water in sink/tub/basin
> ...



Good job, Lupo, you should have been a technical writer.

Where can I get the abbreviated Cliff Notes?


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## Coywolf (Sep 19, 2020)

Eng JR Lupo RV323 said:


> Sure!
> Step 1. Add water to sink/tub/basin
> Step 2.
> Add soap to water in sink/tub/basin
> ...


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## Citizen (Sep 28, 2020)

Childgoddess said:


> Hi People!
> 
> I would really like to wash some bath/shower towels, would like to wash & hang dry to take a shower, but got no fundz to use a laundry machine either to wash/dry them, used my money for food, thinking of hand washing them in a relative's kitchen sink, since i got access to one. Anybody have any tips, advice on hand-washing bath/shower/beach towels in a sink, tub, basin???


I use a 5 gallon bucket with some bar soap and i soap them up real good and let them soak overnight. In the morning i add about a 1/4 cup if bleach if i have it and let sit for another 30-40 minutes. Rinse them out real good and hang dry outdoors. I use really thick fluffy extra large bath towels so i know they can be a pain. Plan B is wash them in the shower when you take a shower... Both have worked well for me. Good luck. Ps: I look for sales at target/ walmart type stores. New large bath towels can be picked up for $3-5 each.👍


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## Manney Walker (Nov 23, 2020)

Childgoddess said:


> Hi People!
> 
> I would really like to wash some bath/shower towels, would like to wash & hang dry to take a shower, but got no fundz to use a laundry machine either to wash/dry them, used my money for food, thinking of hand washing them in a relative's kitchen sink, since i got access to one. Anybody have any tips, advice on hand-washing bath/shower/beach towels in a sink, tub, basin???


I wash almost everything in 4-6 gal buckets, works great.
I put soap, bleach and smell goodies in with steaming hot water, filling the bucket half way. Then I put in my clothes or towels. I always use bleach with towels, and whites and socks. I like to make sure that whatever I wash soaks up the water. Then I add more hot water filling the bucket 3/4 of the way. I use a wooden rod or stick to stir and agitate what I'm washing for a minute or so, then I let it sit until it's cool enough to stir by hand. Depending on what I am washing, the amount of stiring varies. Certain things need more work depending on how dirty they are.
Then I empty the bucket and replace with warm or cold water. Once full I agitate/stir then empty and repeat until the water is mostly clear. It may take 2-6 times to rinse.
Then I hang up the wet clothes allowing gravity to pull out majority of the water. Takes about 30-60 minutes. Towels, rags and socks hold water and must be wrung out. Pants, shirts and underwear don't need wringing as much.
Then I hang them on a line some place warm or hot, preferably in the sun or in front of an oscillating fan until dry.
For sleeping bags and backpacks I use a 9 gal Rubbermaid trash can and do the same thing. Sleeping bags take forever to dry and take a lot of work to do properly. It may take a day or two to dry.


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## Deleted member 23824 (Nov 23, 2020)

Do you carry the buckets, the trashcan, and the oscillating fan around with you in your backpack? And do you do this in the woods, under a bridge, or at the end of an on-ramp?


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## Manney Walker (Nov 23, 2020)

Faceplant said:


> Do you carry the buckets and the trashcan around with you in your backpack?


I have carried a bucket, but typically no I don't. I own many buckets and trashcans though. I also use a 2 gal quickcrete bucket for small items that I forgot to put in the larger buckets.
I have a decent 6gal baseball bucket with padded lid. That's what I primarily use. It works great, been washing clothes by hand for about 2 1/2 years.


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## Gin (Aug 13, 2022)

I carry a drybag for laundry. After the wash, rinse, rinse, rinse cycle you can lay the bag flat & an item of clothes on top (towel too if in motel, or have a clean one) then roll it up to squeeze out water. Much easier on hands than wringing. I find hand washing easy


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## Usagi (Aug 13, 2022)

ali said:


> If you're really traveling light, shampoo will do in a pinch. You can use it to wash your hair, body and clothes. Useful if you stay in motels or hotels from time to time and can swipe some supplies.



I washed using only shampoo for years. Now that I don't rock long hair I've cut it out all together in favor of using bar soap. If you don't have much hair it works as good as shampoo. Just don't use it on your hair everyday because it's going to strip out all the natural oils. I do my own haircuts now and since I'm lazy I just go for shaving it all off. Bar soap works just as good as shampoo up until about 2-3 months worth of hair growth. By which point I'm ready to shave it again.

You can also use dish soap in a washing machine if you're very careful not to add that much. Dish soap is also the best thing for washing caked in grease or oil stains. Works better than that orange stuff they sell at the auto parts stores. I usually keep dish soap in the shower for that purpose because I'm sometimes elbows deep in that nasty crap and it's impossible to get off otherwise.

By the way if any of you have sensitive skin generic baby shampoo is the best soap to use ime.


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## Gin (Aug 13, 2022)

Usagi said:


> I washed using only shampoo for years. Now that I don't rock long hair I've cut it out all together in favor of using bar soap. If you don't have much hair it works as good as shampoo. Just don't use it on your hair everyday because it's going to strip out all the natural oils. I do my own haircuts now and since I'm lazy I just go for shaving it all off. Bar soap works just as good as shampoo up until about 2-3 months worth of hair growth. By which point I'm ready to shave it again.
> 
> You can also use dish soap in a washing machine if you're very careful not to add that much. Dish soap is also the best thing for washing caked in grease or oil stains. Works better than that orange stuff they sell at the auto parts stores. I usually keep dish soap in the shower for that purpose because I'm sometimes elbows deep in that nasty crap and it's impossible to get off otherwise.
> 
> By the way if any of you have sensitive skin generic baby shampoo is the best soap to use ime.



I use goat milk soap on hair, body & sometimes clothes. I started using bar shampoo a few years ago & my hair was waist length till recently. Shampoo bar did fine. So does goat soap.


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## Usagi (Aug 13, 2022)

Gin said:


> I use goat milk soap on hair, body & sometimes clothes. I started using bar shampoo a few years ago & my hair was waist length till recently. Shampoo bar did fine. So does goat soap.



Soap is pretty much all the same ime. It's just that a lot of stuff in the store has shit added to the soap for scent or whatever. That stuff can be very harsh depending on the person. Some people are allergic to certain washing powders or soaps. I have a family member that breaks out horribly in hives from certain washing powders. He has to wash all his work stuff at home even though his job provides laundry service to all employees. His employer switched to a cheaper powder and it fucked him up really badly. Hives all over his body, out of work for weeks, and a trip to the ER. Thankfully, the company paid for the visit to the hospital.

Generally, if you look at the label of whatever soap it'll tell you if there are added chemicals. I avoid anything with a long list of gibberish in that list. Most of the stuff I've gotten made by the local hippys has never bothered my skin. I'd use it more often and make my own if I had the time. These days I just buy a well known bar soap with nothing added to it from a well known brand.

Lotion is the same way. I don't use anything that has "petroleum by product" written on it. I'm sure it gives people cancer. I switched to shea butter a long time ago. I have a skin condition that flares up from time to time and the shea butter takes care of it within a couple of days. Also works well for sexy time if you're into lube. 99% of lotions and sexy time products sold in major stores are petroleum by products. It's all just industrial waste they sell to us. Same reason they put the fluoride in the water by the way. Before they started doing that they were having to pay big money to dispose of it. Most of the fluoride they put in the water comes directly from the production of aluminum. That's why they started putting it into the water after WW2. They were producing tons of aluminum for the war effort and having to store the toxic fluoride on-site or paying big money to bury it in dumps. Once they convinced the public drinking fluoride was good for them all they had to do is start dumping it into the water supply.

If the average person ever worked for a city water treatment plant they'd never consume tap water again. I don't even like bathing in the stuff anymore. There is really no way to filter all the crap that's in it. I personally only drink and bathe in water from a well. Even that is contaminated with a bunch of crap I'd rather not consume like hormones and industrial run-off. But at least they aren't up to the levels of what's coming out of the taps hooked up to city water.

Sorry for off-topic rant. It's a bad habit.


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## Gin (Aug 13, 2022)

Usagi said:


> Soap is pretty much all the same ime. It's just that a lot of stuff in the store has shit added to the soap for scent or whatever. That stuff can be very harsh depending on the person. Some people are allergic to certain washing powders or soaps. I have a family member that breaks out horribly in hives from certain washing powders. He has to wash all his work stuff at home even though his job provides laundry service to all employees. His employer switched to a cheaper powder and it fucked him up really badly. Hives all over his body, out of work for weeks, and a trip to the ER. Thankfully, the company paid for the visit to the hospital.
> 
> Generally, if you look at the label of whatever soap it'll tell you if there are added chemicals. I avoid anything with a long list of gibberish in that list. Most of the stuff I've gotten made by the local hippys has never bothered my skin. I'd use it more often and make my own if I had the time. These days I just buy a well known bar soap with nothing added to it from a well known brand.
> 
> ...



I agree 100% My soap is local made. I use She's Butter too. I also like Neem Oil in bug season. I try to keep my chemicals & poisons to a minimum


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