Broke Laundry: updated 2021
For the time being, let's skip talking about how almost all of us have too many clothes. The clothes that you have get dirty, and must be washed. I am going to assume you have access to a modern washing machine, either at your house or a laundromat. We'll call step one sorting:
Sorting: Ain’t nobody got time for this. This is an extra chore that is 99% not necessary. Unless you have specialty fabrics or are particular about how white your whites are, it’s just added stress and a waste of time. I don't actually own any white clothes anymore, but if I did I'd run a load of whites with a cup of bleach once a month. I do not own things that can’t survive the washing machine, either. No delicates, no dry cleaning. I wash towels with clothes, and sheets together with bedspreads. Cleaning rags and towels have their own basket and get washed when it gets full.
Laundry Detergent: Avoid the very cheapest for the sake of your darks, but there is no need to spring for the most expensive thing on the shelf. In fact, I make laundry detergent from one part washing soda, one part Borax, and one part soap. A double batch is enough detergent to last three months for a single person. Good recipes can be had all over the internet, so go forth and find yourself one. If you’re washing in cold water and your tap water is very cold, such as in the winter, you may find it necessary to stir your homemade detergent into a cup of hot water before putting it into the machine. Out of detergent? A spoonful of dish soap will do in a pinch. Regardless of whether you’re using store bought or homemade, don’t use too much detergent; it’s bad for the machine, the environment, and your clothes. We do not want to buy new clothes until we absolutely have to, right? Right.
Fabric Softener: I recently saw a headline about how Millennials are killing the fabric softener industry. The truth is, they are prioritizing groceries and lights over luxuries like Downy. If you must have it and can afford it, go ahead. Measure carefully but don’t dilute unless the package says so. Fabric softener sheets are a good alternative, if you are using a dryer. Here at Brokest Minimalist, we use a Downy ball with white vinegar in it. The vinegar cuts soap residue, softens most fabrics, and is much cheaper. Plus it’s versatile enough to be used for cleaning as well. An added bonus is that it doesn’t reduce the absorbency of your towels like regular fabric softener does.
Water: Set your washer on Tap Cold. Yes, really. Unless your clothes are very greasy, almost anything can be washed in cold water and will get just as clean. It isn’t so much the temperature of the water or even the detergent that does the washing, as much as it is the action of the clothes rubbing against each other inside the machine. Anything that’s machine washable can be washed in cold water, period.
Settings: On our machine at home, clothes go on “casual” and sheets/bedspreads on “heavy duty”. Don’t stress too much about this. Choose a water level that is appropriate to how full the machine is, add your stuff, and go ahead.
Drying: Here at Brokest Minimalist, we don’t dry anything in the dryer. Why? Because air dries stuff for free, that’s why. Clothes dryers are one of the most frivolous uses of electricity in the modern world. They are also one of the number one causes of fire in the United States, after candles and cooking fires. Unless you are in a huge hurry, hang your clothes to dry. Outdoors if possible, as sun dried clothing smells much better than any fabric softener does. You don’t even have to spend all afternoon pinning stuff to a clothesline like your great-grandma did, either! Our system is beautiful in its simplicity. We take our clothes out of the washing machine, hang them on clothes hangers, and then hang the hangers on the clothesline. If you have a smooth line, tie knots in it or use clothespins to keep stuff from sliding back and forth in the breeze. If you don’t have a line, put one up or buy a portable or retractable one. In summer your clothes will be dry within an hour in direct sunlight, which is a comparable time to many dryers. If it’s raining, you can hang them indoors over curtain rods, from your mantel, or on your shower curtain rod. Even if it’s freezing outside, in direct sunlight your clothes will dry within a few hours. For free. No kidding. And UV light is a great sanitizer if you’re worried about germs! Here we hang our and towels and unmentionables on racks purchased from Amazon, such as this and this. Another tidbit we have figured out, is that there is no need to wait until daylight to hang your clothes. In the old days it was nigh unheard of, but there’s no harm. The morning dew won’t make your wet clothes wetter. Do you work nights? Do a load of laundry after you get home from work and hang it out to dry, even if it’s midnight. It will be dry by lunchtime tomorrow. This saves wear and tear on your clothes, it saves electricity, it won’t create extra static like the dryer, and hanging stuff is kind of a nice, meditative way to spend a few minutes. Take some deep breaths of fresh air, reflect on your day, let go of some anxiety.
Does all of this sound too complicated? Written down it’s a lot, but let us take you through a load of laundry we just did. For the record, it is currently one o'clock in the morning. It’s 31 degrees outside.
1) Put clothes in washer. Not sorted, just all the clothes in the hamper or off your floordrobe, dumped into the washing machine.
2) It’s cold out, so put a tablespoon of detergent into a cup of hot water and stir. Pour in washer. Put white vinegar in Downy ball, toss in washer.
3) Push start button and go do something else. Read, take a nap, cook, clean bathroom. Write a long-winded Tumblr post. Whatever.
4) When load is done, hang everything on hangers/racks still wet. This is the longest part, and it takes 5-7 minutes, max. You can do it while watching tv or listening to music.
5) Carry your hung up clothes outdoors to the clothesline and hang them up, or to whatever indoor location you have deemed fit if it is raining.
These will be dry in a few hours except for very heavy things like thing hoodies or jeans, those may take longer. Yes, even if it’s cool outside. As long as there is direct sunlight, they will dry. When you’re ready, bring them in. All the clothes are already on hangers, so just stick them in your closet.
Once upon a time we had a lot of drama about laundry. We had fights over whose turn it was, how much Tide to put in, and who was going to clean the lint trap. When the dryer broke, I absolutely agonized over the three hundred dollars it would take to buy a new one. That three hundred dollars meant going without cable for two months, it meant scrimping for groceries and paying a late fee on the phone bill. It was more than an entire paycheck, just to dry clothes!
Today that same dryer is sitting in our laundry room in disuse. We have it, for emergencies. A drink spilled on a work shirt, perhaps, that needs to be worn in 30 minutes. It’s good for fluffing up pillows, on the no-heat setting. It wasn’t worth the stress or the tears or the three hundred dollars we put into it all those years ago. It’s basically a glorified shelf for our detergent now:
So today, I challenge you, broke person. Don’t wear those grungy jeans for one more day. Do a load of laundry, as frugally as you can. Measure your detergent carefully, hang your clothes to dry. Your clothes will last longer, your utility bill will be lower, and you will have a few minutes of peace and quiet outside. It’s less wear and tear, less electricity, and less stress, and that’s a minimalist win.
If you do choose to dry your clothes in a dryer, beware of over-drying as that can cause static and extra wear and tear on your clothes. Clean out your lint trap, it will make your clothes dry faster and reduce the risk of fire. If you are too broke to have dryer sheets, wool dryer balls are pretty cheap and effective for fabric softening and reducing static. We have also heard that you could use tennis balls or a couple balls of wadded up aluminum foil for this purpose.
Happy washing!
Some links: homemade detergent at TSD, and Mr. Electricity’s opinion on dryers.
