Resolution #160: Go Green By Default Once Again... And Start Hand Washing My Laundry...

Date: 6-9-2014

Due Date: 6-9-3015

Resolution: When I fantasized about having an in-unit washer and dryer in my apartment this was the last thing I had in mind.

Yesterday when I went down to my apartment complex's laundry room I found that my key no longer fit in the door. I tried way more times than I needed and no matter what angle I tried it was growing more and more apparent that this was a new lock.

I gave up my effort and returned to my abode to call my landlord to see what was up. This is how I was informed that due to multiple machine burglaries the property owners decided to give up on the whole coin-operated money-making venture and shut down the laundry room. I was informed that I could walk to the laundromat on 65th st.

The problem is I live on 90th street, just sold my truck, and had a hard enough time working up the motivation to head down the two flights of stairs to do laundry, let alone a 25 block venture.

It's really beginning to seem that the world is working hard to encourage my shut-in ways. Now that I know there's a simple hand-cranked washing machine that I can operate in my own bathroom I'm kind of excited.

The laundry room only had two washers and two dryers to begin with. With 24 units it was often difficult to get the timing down as to when the machines would not be in use by other tenants or broken down from overuse.

If anything this will probably lead to fewer cases of giving in to re-wearing a dirty shirt as I exit the house swearing I'll remember to pick up a roll of quarters on my way home. It also helps that I'm whittling wardrobe as part of Resolution #73 and also may end up preparing me for tiny house living!

Maybe everything does happen for a reason?

Result #160: I Successfully Went Green For 7 Months… Doing My Laundry… In What I Like To Call "The Ice Cream Maker!!!"

Update #1: How Green Is This???

Date: 6-27-2014

I think I bought a repurposed ice cream maker to do my laundry.

As I pointed out a couple of weeks ago in the initial resolution, my landlord decided to shut down the laundry room. I learned this on my Sunday night after putting off laundry for quite a while.

Upon learning the news of the closure I ordered this hand-cranked washing machine right away. Unfortunately, this "machine" was not Amazon Prime eligible so not only did I have to pay for the shipping, I had to wait two weeks for the thing to show up. I don't blame the company though. I got a notice that it shipped, hours after I ordered it.

Luckily I'm starting to lose weight so I was able to get by the first week by wearing old clean clothes that finally fit again. I wasn't that lucky the second week. After tracking the package to discover that I had another five days to wait until the estimated arrival date, I decided to wash a load of laundry in the sink.

Sink laundry worked but it was a pain in the ass.

I received the Wonder Wash last night and just finished washing my first two loads. I think I did it right. I loaded the laundry, added water and soap, cranked the handle this way and that, dumped the dirty soapy water, added more water for the rinse cycle, cranked away again, and viola clean soaking laundry!

The water from the first cycle was filthy and the water from the second cycle was clean. I think that means this thing is doing a good job. Right now I have to pretty much wash everything I own so I'm guessing I'll learn better techniques and whatnot in the process.

Eventually, I'll just use this thing as a laundry hamper to then "run it" whenever it's full. I'm also going to buy a spinning machine so that I don't have to wring out my clothes by hand. The wringing is pretty much the only part of the process that I'm not a fan of. 

I'm actually kind of excited to never HAVE to leave my apartment to do laundry ever again!!!

Two loads fills an entire drying rack.

Update #2: The Conclusion…

Date: 6-9-2015

What I thought was going to be a temporary fix to my landlord locking down the laundry room ended up being a seven-month ordeal since they never did end up reopening the facilities. I ended up giving my "washer and dryer" to an old friend once I moved and now I live at a place where I get to do my laundry for free using real machines!

That said The Wonder Wash is a great buy for apartment dwellers that need to do light loads of laundry but I don't think I'd recommend it as a sole means of doing laundry.