How to Wash Clothes Without a Washing Machine

A washing machine is arguably one of the most valuable and convenient machines in the home. There are, however, several reasons why you should know how to wash your clothes without using it. For example, if your machine should suddenly stop working your clothing will still need cleaning. In addition, certain materials require washing by hand.

1. Separate your light clothes from the dark.


2. Fill up your bathtub or a large washtub with water. Hot water works well for whites, otherwise fill your tub with warm water.


3. Add liquid or powder laundry detergent to the water. If you're using powder detergent, stir it with your hand to help it dissolve.


4. Put your laundry into the tub and push it down to ensure that it is completely submerged. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes.


5. Use a wooden stirrer or your hands to aggressively agitate your clothes in the water. Continue for several minutes.


6. Add additional detergent directly to stains and rub the fabric together to remove the soiled area. If you prefer, scrub the detergent covered stain over a washboard.


7. Remove the clothes from the wash water and wrap them up in a towel to remove excess water prior to rinsing out the detergent.


8. Drain the dirty water from your tub and then fill it up again with clean water. Rinse your clothes two or three times until you've removed all traces of detergent.


9. Once again, roll the garment in a clean dry towel to remove excess water.


10. Either hang your clean clothing to dry or put them in your clothes dryer as you would normally.