New And Improved TEOTAWKI Laundry

It has been a while since I regularly did laundry by hand. One of the reasons that it has been so long is that it is kind of a pain to do, it also takes a while and you can't do something else like you can while the washer or dryer is running. Another problem with it is that you have laundry taking up a lot of space while it is drying. 


I have one wooden rack to sit in my bathtub and dry laundry on. That does not begin to be enough space to get all the laundry dry. I just got another laundry rack. This one is partly metal. I suspect the parts that actually hold the wet clothes on it are fiberglass. 


I am interested to see whether it will hold up to wet laundry on it most of the time. It cost about twice as much as an all wood rack next to it on the store shelf. If the new rack holds up better than wood, it may be worth the extra money.


Laundry racks made entirely from wood do not do so well when in constant use. They warp and split, then break and they mildew.


My previous laundry racks came pre- assembled. This one did not. I liked tinker toys ok, but maybe not now. It was a lot cheaper than the pre-assembled ones. I guess it is ok to put it together rather than pay a lot more. There is a $40 difference in a pre-assembled one I saw. 


This isn't a big problem as long as all of the parts are there. That is one of the things I hate most about build-it-yourself stuff. Missing parts are pretty sure to involve another trip to exchange it or go to a hardware store for parts.


While doing laundry regularly this time, I noticed something I forgot to tell you about TEOTAWKI Laundry. I used to use a pair of extra long nitrile gloves to do laundry. Doing laundry by hand is very hard on your hands. 


Even if you don't care how your hands look, it can become a health problem and make it difficult to get things done if your hands are damaged. My hands used to get so dry and irritated from the soap and other laundry substances that the skin on them cracked and bled.


Nitrile gloves are made for handling chemicals, and that is what laundry soap and other laundry substances are. I like extra long gloves because they keep the water with the chemicals in it from running down your arm and back into the gloves. 


Keeping the water out of your gloves is especially hard when you are handling big items like sheets and blankets. I made myself a waterproof apron when I used to do laundry by hand all the time. I expect I will do that again. That waterproof apron made life easier.


I am not sure whether readers will think the reason for a waterproof apron for hand laundry is a good idea. If you don't like chemicals on your hands, then you probably don't want them on the rest of you. 


I forgot to explain the extra drying rack. If you have two you can take the whole rack, damp laundry and all, out of the tub and put it somewhere else to finish drying. I wait until it is no longer dripping, and then take it out. That means you have room in the bathtub for another rack to put more dripping  laundry on. 


You may have a real chance to keep up your laundry that way. I will see what happens. I am far behind at this point. I have been thinking that three racks may be required. I will let you know how it turns out.