Many of us love hiking, outdoor life, and camping and we find our comfort in it. But the reality is much different because when you are trying to get away from a tumultuous scenario, it will be a lot more complicated for you to get clean clothes.
For those who do not have all the money to play around with, a simple bucket washing machine can be rather helpful for you. You can even take a step further and redesign the parts in a way that you can put them to use for other tasks.
How It Works
Although the regular washing machines in use today are known for being loud, gigantic, and massive consumers of water but the most interesting thing here is that they use the same principles just like the bucket washer. There is an agitator at the center which is known for swishing the clothes and water all over. It is this swishing movement that allows for the removal of dirt from the fabric.
Soap assists in the mechanism because the removal of the dirt is facilitated by it. The agitation by the water allows the soap to get the dirt sucked from the clothes. For bucket style, all you need for the agitation to be done is just a regular plunger. You are going to find it a lot simpler than if you were to make use of a rock in a stream or a scrub board at your campsite.
Tools and Parts Needed
- Round hole bit
- Drill
- General-purpose bit
- Plunger
- Few gallon bucket lids
- A pair of gallon buckets. It is possible to make use of bigger buckets or even trash pails but that is if you will be able to get a handle that is adequate for the plunger
Steps to Take
- You should commence by drilling holes in the bottom and sides of one pail. When you are doing the drilling of the holes, you should make sure that they are not too big or too close together. This is because it is the inner bucket that is going to handle much of the pressure resulting from agitation with the plunger. Although the outer pail is what will ensure the water is in, you are not going to be interested in having the plastic sag or break apart as you remove the washed fabrics.
- The next step is for you to have the holes drilled inside the plunger. Just as it is with the inner pail, it is good that you do not have numerous holes or even the ones that are just too big. The plunger is going to be damaged quickly or not even swish the clothes well if the structure is not strong enough. If you discover that the plunger is not working well for heavy fabrics, you can get that fixed by making use of a wooden handle or an agitator that comes with a fin. Considering that a good number of plungers are not that strong, it is expected that they will fold up or not even work well in cases where the clothes are too heavy. This kind of washer is ideal for regular shirts or blouses but you should not try it with denim.
- Drilling a hole right in the center of the top lid is the next step. You should ensure that the plunger handle enters well via the lid top so it can be easy for it to work well.
Operation
Now that your set is in place, you can add soap to the water at the pail bottom. For those making use of bleach, use less quantity and dilute before even applying. You can then put the clothes and plunger before filling with water. Now, you can wash your clothes. The DIY bucket washing machine is ready and operational.
