How to Use a Washboard

If your washing machine breaks, your power is out or you are going some place where you won't have access to laundry facilities, another way to get your clothes clean is to use a washboard. Doing your laundry with a washboard can take a lot of elbow grease, but it is a pretty simple procedure.

Things You'll Need

• Washboard
• Bucket
• Bar soap
• Tub
• Drying rack

Instructions

1. Place the washboard in a bucket with about one gallon of hot water.

2. Take a piece of laundry, wet it in the water and place it against the washboard.

3. Use a bar of laundry soap or a mild bar soap such as Ivory. Rub the bar against the laundry until you make lather. As the water in your bucket starts to get soapy, you will eventually be able to skip this step.

4. Scrub the washboard with the laundry like you are cleaning the washboard. Repeat the process with the next piece of clothing until all of the laundry has been washed.

5. Fill another large bucket or a tub with three to five gallons of clear hot water. A bathtub works great for this step. Place the washed laundry in the clear water and swirl the pieces around using your hands until all of the soap is rinsed from the clothing. You might need to empty the tub and re-fill it with hot water for a second rinsing.

6. Wring the water out of the laundry and hang it on a clothesline or a drying rack to dry.