The twin tub is tucked in its space in the front boot of the caravan, where it fits neatly next to the generator. We (that is K ) thought that I would walk up to the washing machines provided by the caravan park this week, so K could finish breaking down our camp and put the other bits and pieces into the caravan boot.
Well........ Not such a good idea. It has been close to 40 degrees for a week. I struggled over with a big box of washing on Sunday, set up the big commercial washer and realised that now I had to sit and supervise the wash lest someone should decide that our clothes were more wonderful than theirs.
The big commercial machines are fast, but half an hour in the laundry was too sauna-ish for me. Besides I have never liked laundromat washing. Its not so bad here because K is the washing machine cleaner outer, but I have a thing about my dirt mixing with everyone else's.
So plan B. Extricate my baby.......The twin tub now has all of the other things that live in the front boot packed around it so ..... Not gonna happen.
Plan C involves a soak and hand wash of each day's clothes. Get a bit of exercise. Use the kitchen sink to rinse. Not much wringing out happening, but dripping wet clothes dry in an hour at the moment. Not very many days to go. I can handle this. When are we leaving again?
Over the years before we found and adopted our twin tub we used to plonk the dirty stuff in a bucket with a lid and let the road do the wash. Half a day's road bumps for a wash, the other half for a rinse. Twist it all in a towel to wring it dry. Hope no one stole it off the back of the van at night. (We still have to worry about that.)
At one stage we thought we would make a Hill Billy washing machine like this one . K and I looked for ages for an old fashioned wringer to bolt on the drawbar of the van. There were lots of ancient washing machine carcasses in the dumps but no wringers. Other people must have got the idea before us. Just as he was about to get around making one (a wringer that is) we stumbled over a portable washing machine in Broome. When that one died we found a dealer in the Adelaide Hills and believe it or not K decided to buy new rather than fix. Enter new twin tub...... Which is as I have said tucked away ready to travel and so I am back to hand washing.
And that, I believe, where you all came in......
Gosh I love my twin tub..........pictured here snug under its cover in its rightful place next to the caravan door.
Cheers Sue
A Ferg on the move.
We had twin tubs for years...always bought from garage sales. A couple of years ago after over 30 years of marriage, we bought our first 'new' washing machine...a front loader. While it is convenient to just press a button it does use up more water and I have been thinking of going back to a twin tub when the new one dies. My sister is still using mum's twin tub which would be about twenty or so years old now.
ReplyDeleteHi Nanna Chel. That brings back memories. Like you we started out with a twin tub, very second hand with a Fergusson fix of a bent bolt sticking out at the bottom to switch it from drain to fill. I think it finally rusted out the floor panel.
DeleteI still think if you have to watch water consumption they are fantastic. They spin dry really well.
Of course my little one is designed for small spaces like caravans and it does take a few small loads to do a week's wash.
I quite like to routine of using it. Mind you I'm only washing for two.
I recently had a two week stint at handwashing when the washing machine died.
ReplyDeleteIt was a novelty at first, and we were blessed with some warmer than average weather, so it was still dry at the end of the day.
However, washing for four people was getting a bit old by the time the 'new' machine arrived.
At least you don't have much longer to wait.
PS I also hate using the laundromat. It's not just other people's dirt, but also the big sign saying "do not use for dog/horse rugs" that puts me off. Because obviously some people do...
Hi Jay. Leaving tomorrow so I have just hung out the last of the hand washing. Things can sit in the laundry sack while we travel and wait till we set up somewhere long enough to pull the machine out.
DeleteIn caravan parks the dog and cat beds get run through the machines. Yuk.
Glad you have a working machine in time for the baby.
Cheers Sue