# Wringer washer alternative?



## Becka03 (Mar 29, 2009)

http://www.amazon.com/Behrens-Galva...qid=1366036915&sr=1-2&keywords=clothes+ringer

This is one of those mop bucket wringers- there is a wringer washer for like 160 something on amazon- but for small loads- i wonder if this would work- with the blue plunger- using it in a bucket then use the metal wringer bucket?
http://www.amazon.com/Rapid-Washer-Manual-Washing-Machine/dp/B002QUAPSO/ref=wl_mb_hu_m_3_dp

as a cheaper alternative?

thoughts? experiences?
We don't use a dryer- and make our own laundry soap- I am thinking not using the machine often- would be even more awesome!


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

i like this machine

[YOUTUBE]ZyRMuQ_8oj0[/YOUTUBE]


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

[YOUTUBE]c6OjuqRVXN4[/YOUTUBE]


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

heres one that has a few different options


[YOUTUBE]pTX6FKvsR84[/YOUTUBE]


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## Becka03 (Mar 29, 2009)

I like that first video- to me that looks relaxing and the 3rd video- love- looks even more relaxing- I still live in the neighborhood and they already call me Ellie May affectionately- LOL~ but those 2 set ups might push them over the edge hahahha- I could get away with a small bucket- like a 5 gallon - or a larger galvanized steel one- I suppose- I am wondering if the mop bucket though would be a cheaper alternative to the more pricey hand wringer washer one?


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## Raymond James (Apr 15, 2013)

While a mop bucket with ringer would work I would want a washer tub with a manual crank ringer for every day use. At least do something to elevate the mop bucket bending over gets old fast. I have seen new ones most recently at a car wash, used to ring out the car rags. I have seen new wash tubs with new manual ringers but do not know who makes them. 

Have you looked at what Lehman Hardware carries? That might give you an idea of what is currently being made.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

my only thought would be how the bucket would be secure enough to pull ya clothes threw it.


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## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

If you search "wringer" you get several sites that sell them...and some are marketed for car wash towels/sponges. They are not cheap, but I think they'll be worth the investment. I have a mop bucket with the squeeze and press style "wringer" and it doesn't do a very good job of getting the water out of the cloths for some reason. I can still hand wring lots more water out.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

I wonder if that first bucken you posted would work for clothes? I like the ones that you have the crank for, but I'm not sure about the bucket.


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

I'd want a dasher washer with a wringer... Wringing clothes by hand is really rough on your hands, even if you don't have any kind of arthritis.


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## Becka03 (Mar 29, 2009)

I am gonna keep looking around- I want a wringer washer - I see our neighbors have one- I think it works- but she doesn't use it at all-


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## rkintn (Dec 12, 2002)

I read the reviews on the bucket and there were a lot of complaints on how flimsy the wringer set up was.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

Becka03 said:


> I am gonna keep looking around- I want a wringer washer - I see our neighbors have one- I think it works- but she doesn't use it at all-



cash talks


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Becka03 said:


> I want a wringer washer


I would love to have one of those manual ones from Lehmans or like the homemade ones in the video.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

When all else fails, there's always that big rock that sticks out of the water down at the creek. :shrug:


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## Becka03 (Mar 29, 2009)

Cash does talk- although- I bet she would barter
and we do have a creek a block away


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Would an industrial mop bucket with wringer work? Seems that and one of those wash plungers would make a very basic clothes cleaning arrangment. And the mop bucket is probably more industrially built than that wringer you've linked to.


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## ovsfarm (Jan 14, 2003)

I lived in rural Mexico for a while when I was younger and I did use "that big rock that sticks out of the water down at the creek". Although it did work to get my clothes relatively clean, it is a major time suck, not to mention something that will destroy your wrists and hands pretty quickly. And up north, the creek would freeze up in the winter. A rock in the creek is a reasonable emergency option, but not a viable long-term solution for me.

If TSHTF, I would immediately find a better option than the rock in the creek if I could. Even a dasher washer would cut hours off the job, if you had to wash for a whole family. And honestly, if the situation was dire, I'd rather minimize the amount of time I spent on laundry and maximize the time on the garden and other food preps. Clean clothes are a necessary evil, to me. Nutritious food is an essential. So I'm going to try to proportion my time and attention in keeping with my overall priorities.

When our power was out for 7 or 8 days last summer, I did a load of light laundry, mostly out of boredom and to be able to productively play in the water during the sweltering temps. One light load was easy to wash, a bit harder to thoroughly rinse, and really hard to wring out well. My hands and wrists were tired after only one light load. 

I remember my great grandmother's hands. She took in laundry during the Depression to support her children after her husband died. After a while, she could barely hold a pencil to write, she couldn't do any sewing any more, or do any other work that required fine motor skills. I remember she had to have help planting the small seeds in her garden because she didn't have the finger dexterity to separate them and plant them one by one.

So a mechanical washer and wringer device are high on my list of important long-term prep items. Maintaining the use of my hands and good finger dexterity are too valuable for me to sacrifice them for clean clothes.


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## backwoods (Sep 12, 2004)

I've also seen a youtube vid where a guy drilled holes in buckets, placed wet clothes inside, then put another smaller bucket inside the 1st, and sat down on the lid of the 2nd bucket, which smashed the clothes underneath, with the water draining out the drilled holes. I haven't tried it, but it looked better than hang wringing and is a cheap alternative. Wringers would be pretty priceless though, if you had to do laundry the old way for long.​


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## campfiregirl (Mar 1, 2011)

backwoods said:


> I've also seen a youtube vid where a guy drilled holes in buckets, placed wet clothes inside, then put another smaller bucket inside the 1st, and sat down on the lid of the 2nd bucket, which smashed the clothes underneath, with the water draining out the drilled holes. I haven't tried it, but it looked better than hang wringing and is a cheap alternative. Wringers would be pretty priceless though, if you had to do laundry the old way for long.​


That's a cheap enough experiment - I think I'll try it out! The hardest part will be finding the right size for the inside bucket.


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## tab (Aug 20, 2002)

Elkhound, thanks for reposting the dasher washer video plus the update. Been thinking a 55 gallon drum would work. Taking horse blankets to the laudromat is kind of embarressing and have been thinking about alternatives.
Lehman's did sell wringers and they weren't much more than industrial mop wringers. Like everything else, more than one option is always a good thing. Steel cable for clothesline is another thought. Even with a wringer clothes will be heavier than being spun out. There is a reason the old fashioned clothesbars are stout, not wimpy little 3/8 inch dowels.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

ovsfarm said:


> A rock in the creek is a reasonable emergency option, but not a viable long-term solution for me.


Oh, right.....like you're going to wear it out any time soon. :indif:


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## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

tab said:


> Elkhound, thanks for reposting the dasher washer video plus the update. Been thinking a 55 gallon drum would work. Taking horse blankets to the laudromat is kind of embarressing and have been thinking about alternatives.


Hubby and I did make a "dasher washer" (AKA James washer) like the one in the first video (only bigger) out of a plastic 55 gallon barrel. Works very well. Takes a lot of water though. For a regular load of cloths it's too big, but for horse blankets I think it would be great!


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

Trisha in WA said:


> Hubby and I did make a "dasher washer" (AKA James washer) like the one in the first video (only bigger) out of a plastic 55 gallon barrel. Works very well. Takes a lot of water though. For a regular load of cloths it's too big, but for horse blankets I think it would be great!


Maybe one could be made out of 1/2 of a 55gallon barrel.


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## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

I was thinking about cutting down what we already have, but it might be handy for those really big items like horse blankets or bedspreads etc. It's already made up and usable. Wouldn't take much effort to make another smaller one for household laundry too.  
I also have a metal "rapid washer", which is the plunger made for laundry. It works REALLY well. I actually would prefer it for the really dirty stuff because it does such a good job. Can't do as big a load with it though. I use a muck bucket with that rather than a 5 gal bucket.


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## Becka03 (Mar 29, 2009)

I am going to get the plunger- thingy I posted- and use a 5 gallon bucket- and try to hand wring it- and hang it out- I will report back- 
I agree though- I am gonna look for a discarded older wringer mop bucket- that wringer has got to do some good....
IMHO- LOL
I am not telling anyone but ya'll- cause Hubby is on board prepping- but will think I am insane with this... I am seeing it as a $$ saving


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## ovsfarm (Jan 14, 2003)

Forerunner said:


> Oh, right.....like you're going to wear it out any time soon. :indif:


Um...did you read my post? I doubt the rock would wear out, but the tendons, ligaments, and joints in my hands and wrists very well might. I did my laundry not on a rock exactly, but on a concrete combed slab with a rock embedded that the local community where I was living in Mexico had poured for the purpose of laundry. I remember clearly the sensation of trying to sleep comfortably at night after laundry day, with my hands, wrists and arms aching. After only 3 months of it, I was having mild carpal tunnel symptoms that didn't resolve after a day of rest.

It's great if you don't experience any trouble when scrubbing loads of laundry on rocks, but I do, and some others here might also. I choose to work smarter, not harder. So spare me the snark and the indifference smilie. You choose your path and I'll choose mine


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

I think my attempt at further humor got lost somewhere in translation. :smack:


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## ovsfarm (Jan 14, 2003)

Sorry for misunderstanding. I just got back from a martial arts class where we were working on some major tactical/practical things, like being jumped from behind a wall, smothered with a pillow when you are in bed, and being garrotted. It takes a while for my hairtrigger response tendency to settle down.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

One of these http://www.menards.com/main/commerc...t-bucket-and-wringer-combo/p-80564-c-6199.htm and a toilet plunger modified with a few small holes will work in a pinch. Good for diapers, socks, shirts, shorts, mostly small stuff. My dh pants not so much.


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## backwoods (Sep 12, 2004)

myheaven said:


> One of these http://www.menards.com/main/commerc...t-bucket-and-wringer-combo/p-80564-c-6199.htm and a toilet plunger modified with a few small holes will work in a pinch. Good for diapers, socks, shirts, shorts, mostly small stuff. My dh pants not so much.


THIS is what I have, & it's better than nothing, but still not as good as a "wringer" by any means. If I were wanting something JUST to wring out clothes, then I'd invest more money and get a real laundry wringer.


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## backwoods (Sep 12, 2004)

myheaven said:


> One of these http://www.menards.com/main/commerc...t-bucket-and-wringer-combo/p-80564-c-6199.htm and a toilet plunger modified with a few small holes will work in a pinch. Good for diapers, socks, shirts, shorts, mostly small stuff. My dh pants not so much.


THIS ^ is what I have, and is better than nothing, but won't compare to a real wringer. If that was my only purpose in getting it, I'd recommend saving awhile longer & getting a real wringer. This is also the cheapy alternative I mentioned before, though I haven't tried it yet. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKODHAi4Jhg[/ame]


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

The whole 3 bucket system is rather brilliant! Just hope the buckets get stuck together! 
I'm blessed enough to have a wringer washer and a generator. If that all breaks I have 5 capable and willing children out of my 8 to wash laundry.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I have the industrial mop bucket and wringer, another garage sale score last summer, as the price of a new one was a bit had to swallow. It doesn't get all the water out of clothes, but better than hand wringing. I can still put the wrung-out clothes in the auto front-loader washer and the bucket it drains into will still have a few inches of water in it after spinning.

I also have the mop bucket/wringer posted by the OP, but haven't tried it out. Got it before I found the industrial mop bucket setup. It seems pretty sturdy, though. I think you'd have to stand on the part that sticks out at the bottom, or rig up a clamp to hold it to a table top, to stabilize it for wringing. Put the clothing item inside the bucket, pull it up between the rollers, then clamp the rollers and pull the item up through the rollers.


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