Grape-Stomping Laundry

So, today I did my laundry in the bathtub for the first time.

I’ve been reading a lot of blogs about people who have switched from chemical cleaners to natural products that our ancestors had used for ages that were much gentler on the environment. Since this greatly appeals to me and seems to be the direction my home life has been heading anyhow, I decided to give borax in the bathtub a go.

I dumped my dirty clothes in the bathtub, filled the tub with warm water just enough to cover all the clothes, and let them soak for two hours. Then, I added some of my chemical-free laundry detergent, and got in the tub. I stomped the laundry until the water was tinged brown (not sure if this was dirt or dye; I had a few new, never-washed items in this load), then drained the tub. When all the water was gone, I turned on the shower and proceeded to rinse and wring out each item individually. They’re hanging up drying now on a line of cording I strung up inside the shower.

My over-all impression of this experience so far is that it involves a lot more work than using a machine; my arms and wrists hurt from 30 minutes of twisting wet material, and my back and thighs are sore from bending and squatting while I worked. However, there is something much more satisfying in knowing that I’m helping the environment while at the same time learning a new skill and connecting with women throughout history. I can’t wait to see how the clothes dry!