Whether you’re living off grid, camping in the middle of nowhere, on an RV trip, have a tight budget, or the power just went out, you can make yourself a DIY manual-powered washing machine to get your clothes clean. It’s a super cheap method that involves a toilet plunger and a five-gallon bucket you can get from your local hardware store. Plus, it’s of course portable and practical for various situations you may find yourself in. Just like the peeling potatoes with a toilet brush scenario, please, please, please use a brand new toilet plunger for washing your clothes! I found this tip from LifeHacker who referenced the weblog, Five Gallon Ideas. Basically all you need is a five-gallon bucket with a lid and a plunger. On the lid, you need to drill yourself a hole for the wooden part of the plunger to go through and move easily around, yet snug enough so water doesn’t spurt out. Drill about a dozen holes in the plunger, this allows for water and detergent to flow through so the clothes are cleaned efficiently. Finally, pop in your clothes, water, and biodegradable detergent in the bucket. Place your plunger handle through the lid hole, secure the lid into place and pump away. Depending on how soiled your clothes are, you can allow them to soak in your sudsy mixture and then plunge for 10 minutes or so. Once you're finished washing your clothes with the soap, repeat the above process a couple of times with clean water for a good rinse. It’s a simple process with a little bit of elbow grease involved to get clean clothes in a snap. It sure does beat having dirty, smelly clothes.
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