I’ve been in the (often miserable) process of apartment hunting for about a month now, and I am hopefully just a few days away from making a decision. In between no-show appointments, closet-sized kitchens and completely running out of quarters for the parking meters, I’ll be glad to be done with it all.
One thing I’ve noticed in my search is that most apartments I’ve seen don’t have laundry on-site. I’ve been fortunate in my last three apartments to have a washer and dryer in the apartment, and I suppose I’ve just gotten used to it. Having easy access allows me to get my clothes clean while I make dinner or clean the bathroom (or, sometimes, take a nap).
So instead, in each apartment I view that’s without a washer and dryer, I picture myself pouring some detergent into the bathtub, letting my clothes soak for a few hours, and stomping the heck out of everything from socks to sports bras.
Sounds weird, right? I first saw the idea in the documentary “No Impact Man,” (which we’ve blogged about before, here), and it intrigued me.
Colin Beavan (No Impact Man, himself) decides to nix the electricity for part of his yearlong experiment, which means no washer and no dryer. So they make a homemade detergent (no chemicals flowing down the pipes into the refuse system) from Borax and castile soap, and let their clothes soak in the bathtub before spending some time stomping on them. And his toddler daughter joins in, and then his wife, and it’s adorable.
My mother let me know straightaway with her incredulous look and unsuppressed laugh just exactly how she felt about that. Which might be warranted — for someone like me who does laundry about once every two or three weeks, it would probably take a full day and maybe even two to wash and then fully air-dry all of my clothes.
But depending on where I end up living at the end of this apartment hunt, and depending on how curious I am some Saturday afternoon, maybe I’ll try it. Any tips from anyone who has?
Or do you have your own “going green” method that others laugh at?
