Laundry: Country style

     We live in the country and do not have "city" water but have wells.  The problem with our wells (and we have 3)  are that they tend to dry up rather quickly.  Because of this, we can not use or washing machine.  I got really tired of going to the laundromat so I began doing some internet searching for ways to wash at home.  I'd give about anything for an old time washboard but the set-up we have come up with works pretty well for us. 

     My husband Ron can bust out a load of laundry (gather, wash, rinse, and hang up) in about 30 minutes.  We combined several other people's designs and came up with our "washer".  It is a red plunger attached to a mop handle that is threaded down a hole in the lid of the 5 gallon bucket.  My husband cut 3 quarter sized holes with an exacto knife on the plunger.  He then adds a 1/2 bucket of clean water, 2-3 Tablespoons of laundry detergent, and then begins to move the plunger up and down and in circular motions.  He double rinses the clothes in 2 wash tubs and then hangs them out to dry.  We let them dry in the sun until they are almost dry and then we bring them in and throw them in the dryer for about 15 minutes to soften them up.  I will NOT go to a laundromat again!  :-)
     If you have any questions or comments, we would gladly answer your questions and appreciate your comments.