Alternate Power Sources---Bicycles

Have you ever wondered how you would wash your clothes if the power was out for an extended period of time? About 35 years ago I made a photo-copy of a line drawing showing a bicycle that had the back wheel removed, then the bike was placed on a stand (a stationary bike). A belt replaced the chain and was connected from the bike to a washing machine. Pedaling the bike made the gears move, thus the clothes were washed. That picture has since disappeared, but the concept is still the same.

There are other ways to wash clothes. My youngest son lived in a poor part of Mexico City for two years and had to use a concrete washboard to wash his clothes (this was about 18 years ago). I think that would be a harsh way to wash clothes.

There is a James Hand Washer, where you rock the unit back and forth to create the washing motion. There is a wringer at one end of the unit to remove most of the water from the clothing. These washers can easily be found on the internet.

The "Wonder Washer" is a table-top container that you put the clothes, water and soap into, then hand crank it. The pressure builds up and forces the soapy water into the fibers and the turning helps release the dirt. This can be put in a car that will be moving, which will wash the clothes for you. These can also easily be found on the internet.

A 5-gallon bucket, clean plunger, and a mop wringer is another way to wash clothes. Even a washboard would work, although I think a wooden one would be better than concrete one! Doing the wash by hand is hard on the hands, arms and back, but it has been done for centuries.