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Most people do their laundry at a laundromat like anyone who doesn't own a washer/dryer. It's not that bad:
The only real pro tip here is to bring your own detergent; buying it at the laundromat is very expensive.
Bucket washing is a normal fact of live for off-grid families. For vehicle dwellers, there are some important limitiations to consider:
Normal laundry detertgent can be used, although it will require a rinse “cycle”. Use as little detergent as required.
No-rinse washing with ingredients like a bit of vinegar or bleach may be preferable offgrid in order to preserve water.
Remember that wash water doesn't have to be potable. If you find a rest area with non-potable water outlets it could be a sign to do laundry.
A common off-grid clothes washing solution is a bucket with a laundry plunger. These plungers differ from toilet plungers because their design forces water back-and-forth through the laundry.
Demonstration (youtube)
A regular broom handle will screw into the plunger, allowing standing operation.
You can make a great washer with 2five gallon buckets and a plunger. Drill holes in the bottom of one. Place it inside the other, with clothes inside the innermost bucket and plunge away! To wring out, take the no-hole bucket and nest it in the holed bucket with the clothes and sit on it. Then line dry to complete. No electricity required and it doubles as a laundry hamper. JaredUmm1)
lennyflank uses a laundry tumbler, and describes its use in this reddit post. Also see this blog post.
Scrubba and similar camping wash bags work by filling with clothes and washwater. As the hiker walks or van moves the water sloshes around and cleans the clothes.
SunnySouthTexas uses a washboard.2)
Wring is removal of excess water before drying.
Buttons and other breakable items should be laid flat before going through a roller
Salad spinners and similar devices may be used to fling out some water, but they are difficult to balance. The largest item Secessus was able to spin-dry was a pair of calf-length socks.
after bucket testing