Here's how I do my laundry off the grid using rain water! I do sometimes use the laundromat as well but that is included in the 5 gallons of water I use per day at home. You don't have to do your laundry off the grid to reduce your impact and save money though. For tips on earth friendly laundry see my guide at http://www.RobGreenfield.org/laundry
— Rob Greenfield is an activist and humanitarian dedicated to leading the way to a more sustainable and just world. He embarks on extreme projects to bring attention to important global issues and inspire positive change. 100% of his media income is donated to grassroots nonprofits. His YouTube channel is a source to educate, inspire and help others to live more sustainable, equal and just lives. Videos frequently cover sustainable living, simple living, growing your own food, gardening, self-sufficiency, minimalism, off the grid living, zero waste, living in a tiny house and permaculture.
Welcome to the Teeny Greeny. My name is Rob Greenfield and this is my off the grid,
in the city, tiny house life. Today is laundry day. The typical washing machine uses 15 to 40
gallons of water per load, plus a whole lot of electricity and costs money whether it's on your
energy and water bill or the coins you use at the laundromat. Not to mention the dryer that sucks the
money right out of your wallet and the energy out of the wall as well. There's a lot of different
ways to do your laundry without a washing machine. This wash bag works well for me whether I'm at
home or on the road. It's like a new school washboard. I fill it with rainwater that I
harvest from the sky, add the clothes, roll and clip it up, deflate it to get the air out,
then I rub the clothes on the washboard on the inside. Next I take the water out and use it to
add more water and this time I add soap nuts that have been soaking in water for about five minutes
in hot water that is. Soap nuts are a totally natural form of soap that are completely
biodegradable. After about six loads with them you can literally just throw them in the yard
or your compost pile and then I scrub again. Next I take the rinse water out and use it to water my
garden and grow my food. This way the water is getting used twice and never needs to be cleaned
by a wastewater treatment plant. Then I hang the clothes out to dry on a clothesline in the sun.
The sun also kills bacteria on the clothes and keeps them nice and fresh. So this isn't for
everybody but it works for me and there's a few key things I do to make it manageable.
I own very few clothes so that it's impossible to have huge loads of laundry. All of my laundry fits
into these five baskets and my laundry never amounts to more than I can fit in this laundry
bag. A few years ago I combined my business and my personal lives so that I
wouldn't need to have two wardrobes. These days I wear most of my clothes a few times before washing
them. This means a lot less loads of laundry. I also own clothes that are durable and easy to care for.
Ninety percent of the environmental impact of clothing comes after it's purchased through the
user of the clothes. I wear mostly Patagonia clothes because they are one of the most ethical
clothing companies out there. Doing your laundry off the grid can save you a ton of money and
reduce your environmental impact. But you don't have to do it just like I do. If you want to make
your laundry days a little more easy and stress free while saving money and reducing your
environmental impact you can get some tips at robgreenfield.tv slash laundry
