Wash them clothes....how?

[The Local Ned]

What you use , ideally , should be dictated by the circumstances.

If you are in your final BOP then it should have some form of water able to be used in it.
This carries little risk in itself.

If you are in the 'field' so to speak and are moving around then I would be very , very cautious regarding washing clothes and self. You are very vulnerable near water , we all know animals need water to survive ,they may use the area you are near , it may even have some form of edible fish swimming around in it.
These make the water course an ideal position for foragers to keep under observation - if they see you washing your clothes etc ,then not only is your security compromised , your safety may well be too.

If clothes are to be washed then choose a site that you can easily bug out from and straight into some form of cover.
Have sentries out.

As for hygiene - same rules apply - in the field - bag it/seal it and bury it if possible....dogs will sometimes struggle to pick up a scent from old waste , especially when sealed and buried properly.
When using TP - remember - it burns , and can be disposed of this way.

In the BOP then personal hygiene will likely be more of a priority than security / remaining undetected.
I know of no natural substitute for TP , large 'dock' leaves have been used in the past , not ideal , but they do the job.

[Ukprepper88]

I'm thinking of using something I saw on a tv programme a year or two ago (Victorian farm I'm sure there be a youtube video about this but as I'm on mobile Internet I can't search for it for you)... Basically the Victorians apparently got a barrel with a spout at the bottom filled it up with ash from their fire (about half or 2/3 I think) then poured boiling water slowly into the barrel so it seeps through the ash and trickles out of the spout a slightly greeny colour which they said was a lye solution (lye is used in soap making) which is what they used as washing liquid... But I definately want to try it before I need it just to make sure it really works as I don't take anything for granted!

[NorthernRaider]

You can reduce your reliance on chemicals and soaps with hot water and abrasive or agitive cleaning methods and the commonest is the POSS STICK. Basically you beat the shit out of the clothes in a barrels using a poss stick to agitate the clothes clean, then some folks would add home made scents to make clothes smell nice and keep fleas at bay.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?num=10&hl...6bcwkOlMzI

[Melissa15]

I don't think soap nuts have been mentioned on this thread yet, I'm not sure what their shelf life is but they'll be handy to have. I plan on trying them soon. You can reuse them too. http://www.soapnuts.co.uk/how-to-wash-la...pnuts.html

1kg on amazon is £10.99

[Metroyeti]

Tea tree oil and lavander are natural flea repelents.

[Rachel_K]

This is an old thread, I know, but washing is a big part of my life as a housewife with a baby in cloth nappies!

I do already have a decent stock of soap nuts as they are great for nappies - they clean well (although not so great on stains) and wash out thoroughly which is untrue of 'proper' detergents. Detergent left in nappies (and towels) reduces their absorbency and also traps nasty bacteria, not something you want in normal life let alone in a survival situation. Detergent residues also 'eat' at elastic and more delicate fabrics, reducing their lifespan significantly. Soap nuts don't leave any residue even with little rinsing and they have a softening effect too (I doubt we'll be using fabric softener or the tumble dryer much!) so I will want some around. They can also be used for personal hygiene and are a natural insecticide - I use soap nut liquid on my tomato plants to kill aphids with good effect. When you're done with them, they just go in the compost. I sound like a soapnut salesperson, I'm not but I do love them!

My other alternative is soaking in 'eco bleach' - sodium percarbonate. I use this anyway for general washing and nappies, but it sanitises things so I would consider it for nappies or sick people's clothes. It breaks down to water, oxygen and soda ash so I think the water could then be used on the garden, although I haven't checked that properly. The soaking option sounds pretty good for me as I don't like hand washing things at the best of times.

[NorthernRaider]

Thats very useful stuff Rachel as cleaning terry nappies will be an issue for families after TSHTF

[Debbie_F]

a good method of washing I read once is to have 2 plastic tubs and a clean plunger. one tub for washing, the other for rinsing, the plunger is used as the agitator. wash outer wear clothes in first run, under clothes in second.

[bigpaul]

I think it has been said before that 21st Century people are far too fussy about washing clothes, stuff is put in the washing machine on a daily basis, stuff that has only been worn once and dosent have a mark on it...yet we wash it anyway, I think post shtf when we have to wash stuff by hand we wont be so fastidious or picky, if it can be worn again it will be, I expect some people are going "yuck" at reading this but I think that is the way it will be..especially in a power down situation.....you don't think "Selco" was worried about getting his washing done over there in Yugoslavia, no, he was more worried about surviving the war.

[SecretPrepper]

Soap nuts have a long shelf life, "forever" and the nuts can be used repeatably.