h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just thought i'd chuck in my tenn penn'orth, especially since i once wrote an article for Narrowboat magazine regarding the problems of doing your laundry whilst living on a narrowboat!

It's a difficult one, to find ways of being environmentally fiendly, yet having clean(ish!) clothes.

When i lived in France, i managed to buy (2nd hand from local pharmacy) a little sort of 'bucket which spins', uses only 7 litres of water, would cope with a couple of pairs of jeans, 3 Tshirts, or a duvet cover, with the minimum of detergent. can't find it on internet & left it behind when i moved to Ireland last year

The disadvantage was it had to be rinsed & wrung out by hand....wish i had Grandma's old mangle!

Here, we are powered by Solar & Wind energy, so if it's a bright & breezy day, on goes the washing machine (rescued from a skip!)

My partner is electrician/Solar Power expert; he has programmed the thing to work at 40° for minimum time, with minimum water, we use Ecover in minimum quantities. The water that goes in is recycled from bath, assuming we are clean(ish!) & i pre-soak the washing before it goes in.

It seems to work, i do feel some folks maybe wash clothes a little more than necessary, we don't (as far as i know!) smell, we never iron, clothes dried outside in sunlight seem to keep shape & colour.

zdt