The Dirty Laundry

Wild1 · Senior Member

The Dirty Laundry

Beth54 · Guru

I use the Laundromat, unless I'm camping with my sister and bil who have a washer in their caravan.

I don't have enough strength in my hands to wring the washing out after bucket shaking or whatever.

valnrob · Guru

Twin tub washing machine for me Wild1 too hard washing and wringing by hand. Have a look on ebay. They are quite cheap.

Beth54 · Guru

Sorry, I should have added that my sisters is a Lemair purchased from Harvey Norman. Don't buy from a caravan supplier, they're always more exxy.

Or as valnrob says, ebay.

GaryKelly · Guru

I just avoid doing anything that makes me perspire.

briche · Guru

We bought one of those twin tubs washing machines and it does a great job. $149 from Rays camping store but you get them from other camping stores.

briche

Dougwe · Chief one feather

I do everything by hand in a bucket with wool wash (No rinsing needed) except my sleeping bag which I use like a doona and my sheet, they get done when I stay in CV Park. Works for me anyway.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

I wash sox and jox by hand but the rest has to wait for a laundromat.

herbie · Guru

Just throw some wool wash water into a water tight bucket(the while lidded ones from Bunning used by fisherman )around $20.

Add the dirty clothes and submerge them in the bucket.

Leave it in a safe position in van or vehicle while travelling and let the driving do your washing.

When you get to your destination wring out and hang out to dry.

We use laundry mat when in c/van parks ,just takes to long we find to use those small caravan washing machines.(as we have work clothes )

Sol · Senior Member

We saw a Landcruiser at Murray Falls a few weeks ago with an old washing machine wringer mounted on bullbar.
Good idea but where do you get one these days? Ha ha.

Cheers. Sol

Big Gorilla · Guru

I usually stop in a Caravan Park once every 7 to 10 days. I then use the Park laundry. Good chance to top up house batteries, especially if there have been a few overcast or rainy days. Many Parks have a dump point, not all, and drains alongside each site to get rid of grey water.

Gwian · Senior Member

We purchased a twin tub a few years ago and even use it at caravan parks as a lot of campers wash their dog mats , dirty mining clothes etc and the machines are not always cleaned properly. Well worth the $150 and paid for itself in no time with the cost of washing up to $5 per load.

Beth54 · Guru

My sisters buying of the Lemair was also because of unhygenic CP washers. Plus the cost factor. She still uses hers in CPs but some don't like washing to be hung beside the caravan. She has one of those mini clothes hoists, which seems to be acceptable. Maybe they think it's tidier.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

The clothesline ban might be because people leave them tied between trees/posts/van/ and somebody will walk into it then sue the park for getting throttled?

Nelly · Guru

Hello all - are those mini clothes hoists big enough for sheets and towels? Also what would you say is the proper etiquette of letting water out of the van before you head off? I stayed at a CP and the fellow next to me was hooked into mains pressure and while he and his wife were packing up to leave the man let the water go just on the ground - the ground was soft enough as it was as there had been a little rain before. I would have thought it would have been wise to carry water and also if one wanted to let it out it would be done further out on the road perhaps.

Happywanderer · The Master

I've always used the bucket method, easy enough. The other week I picked up one of those hand tumblers for $20. Its fairly old and is of the metal variety, not plastic. Haven't tried it yet and does take up a bit of room in my little van. Could be interesting.

villatranquilla · Guru

briche wrote:
We bought one of those twin tubs washing machines and it does a great job. $149 from Rays camping store but you get them from other camping stores.
briche

me too - they are great and use only about 20lts of water

Beth54 · Guru

Nelly wrote:
Hello all - are those mini clothes hoists big enough for sheets and towels? Also what would you say is the proper etiquette of letting water out of the van before you head off? I stayed at a CP and the fellow next to me was hooked into mains pressure and while he and his wife were packing up to leave the man let the water go just on the ground - the ground was soft enough as it was as there had been a little rain before. I would have thought it would have been wise to carry water and also if one wanted to let it out it would be done further out on the road perhaps.

You have to fold them to fit Nelly, but yes, that's what me sister does. I don't quite get the jist of him letting the water out, but I would think he should have put the hose in the drainage area.

Gerty, I think you're right there.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Re: drain-water etiquette ... different caravan parks have different arrangements. Some have a drain-hole for your hose, many don't. You can ask where they want the hoses, usually its on the bushes between sites. We only have a bucket under the kitchen sink, and dispose of that down a drain-hole or on bushes etc away from other campers. Wash-up water can be yucky!

I reckon people who flood a site before leaving aught to think about how they would feel to arrive at a site all wet and muddy.

Wild1 · Senior Member

cARY, im laffing so mucsh i can t typpe -@%#^&()_+ ..@!!!

Wild1 · Senior Member

Sol wrote:
We saw a Landcruiser at Murray Falls a few weeks ago with an old washing machine wringer mounted on bullbar.
Good idea but where do you get one these days? Ha ha.

Cheers. Sol

Hi Sol, those are what my grandmother used to have - we called them clothes manglers - don't think they make them anymore but they would be ROOLY XLNT if you could find one, maybe on EBay.

Wild1 · Senior Member

Beth54 wrote:
I use the Laundromat, unless I'm camping with my sister and bil who have a washer in their caravan.
I don't have enough strength in my hands to wring the washing out after bucket shaking or whatever.

Yes, its the wringing out thats hard, I bought a rubber plunger - like the plumbers use to unblock drains - and drilled a few holes in it so the water shoots thru, put a dowel handle on it and just sit with a book (or drink) in one hand and plunger in the other and just whoosh the clothes in a big bucket a few minutes. I think I just want the electric spinner (400 watts) does 4 kg load and the ads reckon it spins the clothes nearly dry at 1200 rpm. A bit pricey though at $198, none on Ebay atm.

Beth54 · Guru

Wild1 wrote:

Yes, its the wringing out thats hard, I bought a rubber plunger - like the plumbers use to unblock drains - and drilled a few holes in it so the water shoots thru, put a dowel handle on it and just sit with a book (or drink) in one hand and plunger in the other and just whoosh the clothes in a big bucket a few minutes. I think I just want the electric spinner (400 watts) does 4 kg load and the ads reckon it spins the clothes nearly dry at 1200 rpm. A bit pricey though at $198, none on Ebay atm.

At that price, you may as well go the whole hog and get the Lemair. But shop around, prices vary greatly. I'm sure my sister paid less than $300. For fulltime GN's, I reckon it'd be worth it.

Oma · Guru

I got my twin tub $109 online posted rom Sydney ($25) & it arrived within 4 days. Love it whether at a river, dam, caravan park.

jetj · Guru

Sol wrote:
We saw a Landcruiser at Murray Falls a few weeks ago with an old washing machine wringer mounted on bullbar.
Good idea but where do you get one these days? Ha ha.

Cheers. Sol

I have one but too heavy for a Highace. It's an oldy though.

herbie · Guru

I have to tell you what I saw on the back of a pop top caravan tow bar pulled in at Emerald on way back to Gladstone last Saturday.

It was one of those old toilet cans that we used to use when the toilet was called a out house.

He was a happy chappie camper,I had a yarn to him,I did not mention the loo on the back.

allinone · Senior Member

Use both coin operated laundromats, CPs and the hand method. It's a bit cold at the moment so the hand method is maybe quicker that it would be in summer. Large items like sheets and doonas usually get washed once a year if they need it or not.... :) looking forward to the spring clean again :)

Tomzys · Senior Member

I reckon those sheets and doonas would look forward to their walk across to the laundry once a year probly knock u over getting out the van

Dunmowin · Guru

Our Dometic front loader was installed at the van build. would not be without it. don't use Laundromats or caravan park laundries. if we have the water, and power (generator will do) I use the dometic. Takes queen sheet plus 4xpillow slips, or 2xbath towels, hand towel, bath mat and tea towels.

Mark · Senior Member

When we had the van built, SWMBO insisted on a front loader washer dryer.

Got to say at 55 kgs I was concerned but wouldn;t be without it. Failed unit after three months, a real B45t4rd to get out and replace, but worth the effort!!

We tend to free camp as often as possible when travelling and the machione takes a hiding once in a CP. If we have sufficient water, the Jennie comes out and we used it when free camping as well.