review: laundry in a bucket

based on this post, where we were discussing laundry options, including spin driers.  I had mentioned some YT videos wherein people used salad spinners for light drying work.

> > OK, picked up a salad spinner at a thrift store for 25 cents for this experiment. > > > > > > [](http://amzn.to/2DAWDHZ)Washed 4 days of socks (3pr shorties, 1pr crew)  and underwear (boxer briefs) in a bucket with a [Breathing Mobile Washer plunger-style thingy](http://amzn.to/2DAWDHZ).  The washer works great, by the way.  After washing I hand-squeezed the items tightly, and wrung them gently.  I limit wring to (hopefully) extend the useful life of the items. > > > > > > The socks balanced and spun easily.  Underwear required 2-3 attempts to get them balanced enough to spin decently. > > > > > > Wrung weight --> spun weight: > > > > > > > > > * socks batch - 18.4oz --> 15.7oz = 2.7oz additional water spun out > > * underwear batch - 28.1oz --> 25.8oz = 2.3oz of additional water spun out > > > > > > > I suspect in the desert stuff dries so fast the water reduction would be unimportant.  In areas of higher humidity it might make some difference. > >

 I had read in Lenny Flank’s book Electronic Nomad that he uses a weak bleachwater solution for bucket washing/sanitizing/defunking, and uses soap only when the clothing is soiled.  That made a lot of sense to me.

It also reminded me of a weak bleach-based sanitizer used by homebrewers;  a pH-adjusted no-rinse solution I call 1ozBWV.  It’s a mnemonic for:

• 1oz unscented bleach

• in 5 gallons of water

• 1oz of white vinegar

in that order!  You really, really don’t want to mix the ingredients full strength or you can chlorine gas yourself.    Which would be a Bad Thing.

I use half a bucket of water which means the B & V will be 1/2oz each.