1 Week without a Washing Machine.. Could You Do It? Could I Manage?!

So imagine the scene; you put clothes you need for tomorrow into the washing machine, add the detergent and fabric conditioner, and switch it on.. except nothing happens. Your machine is broken. Disaster! 

Alternatively, perhaps you're just away from home for a while and have nowhere to wash your clothes. If you're a camper then you're probably familiar with that scenario. Unless you visit a launderette on holiday, but who has time for that!?

When Blogging Edge and Ransom Spares invited me to take part in their "Survival of the Fittest" competition, and go without my washing machine for a whole week, my first thought was "I can do that, no problem!" So I signed up. Then I thought about it a bit more.. What if I spilt something? What if I got muddy out on a run? But I was determined to do it, and so I prepared myself by making sure that everything I thought I would need for the next 7 days was washed and ready. Sort of a meal plan for clothes! So keep reading to find out how my week went...

DAY 1
So today started off nice and fresh, no issues at all! The weather is dry & sunny, but quite chilly. I stuck with some skinny jeans and a black cashmere jumper. They're both simple items of clothing, but actually it's one of my favourite outfits.

I had a couple of meetings and hit the gym, the first day has gone well.

DAY 2
This morning started very badly.. I spilt hot chocolate on my dressing gown, which is white. DISASTER! Normally it would go straight in the washing machine, but I can't do that. So instead I attempted to hand wash that particular part in the sink. It went quite well all things considering, but my wrist cracked quite a lot when I was wringing it out. Thank god hand washing isn't a regular thing for me! 

I stuck with the same jeans as day 1 and went with a white jumper (see above) as it's still quite chilly. Got splashed on the street, so I now have muddy marks all down one leg of jeans. I know I have no chance of hand washing them, so in the laundry basket they go.

DAY 3
It's much warmer today luckily, so I wore something that's been in my wardrobe for a few weeks that I haven't worn yet. A red dress that I really like, I should have worn it sooner! The sun is shining so it's warm enough to skip tights, hoooray! 

After a run this morning and another trip to gym later on I really want to wash my gym clothes and sports bra. They don't smell, but they don't feel fresh any more. Not good.

DAY 4
It's grey, gloomy and wet on day 4 so it's definitely a jeans day. I stick with yesterday's plan and wear something new! A pair of biker jeans that I won in a competition from Oasis and a cookie monster jumper (see above). It's a comfortable outfit that still looks like I've put some effort in. 

Tonight after a shower I really wanted to put clean jammies on... but as the pair I'm wearing are the warmest & the only pair that don't fall down looks like I'm stuck with them for a couple for days. I'm not willing to compromise on the pillowcases though so I end up changing them, and having completely mismatched bedding (looks quite interesting)!

DAY 5
Today will not be a jeans day as I have quite an important meeting to go too.. instead I opt for a blue tunic dress over black tights (don't bring the black tights/class war here). I end up working out at home in an old pair of leggings as  my gym kit is still unwashed.

DAY 6
Ill day! Luckily I don't have to be anywhere or do anything, so I grab an old pair of tracksuit bottoms & a hoodie. So glad I'm not leaving the house today as I have no idea what I would wear. I now realize I have a wardrobe of clothes that don't get worn... what a waste of space.

DAY 7
YAY YAY YAY! Today is the last day of this challenge! I wore the black jeans mentioned earlier, a white tshirt and a grey cardigan. I skipped the gym and instead WASHED EVERYTHING! It was so nice to get into clean jammies and fresh bedsheets. I love my washing machine.

Now I chose to go without my wonderful washing machine, but what if you don't have a choice because your own has broken? You might not be able to replace it straight away, so it's super handy that Ransom Spares have created a survival guide for you! 

FOR HAND WASHING:

1. Check the garment's care label first. It might tell you something important!
2. Pre-treat stains now, before you start washing.
3. Fill your bath or sink with warm water and add your washing detergent.
4. Swirl the items around (this helps avoid stretching).
5. If you have any stains, scrub the material against itself to remove them.
6. Rinse with clean, cool water and then wring out excess water.

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FOR FASTER DRYING AFTER HAND WASHING:

1. After squeezing out excess water, lay on a dry towel.
2. Roll up the towel with the clothes inside.
3. Using your hands or knees press down onto the towel to absorb any remaining water.
4. Unroll the towel and hang up the items to dry!

Click the link to read the full Survival Guide from Ransom Spares.

I found the tip about rolling the clothes into a towel to speed up drying so useful! I would never have thought of that by myself, but it so clever and means you don't have clothes dripping over the bath for ages! 

When I was hand washing the stain on my dressing gown I found that my hands were quite red afterwards, even though I was using sensitive laundry detergent. So my top tip would be to get a box of nappy detergent for hand washing. I know it sounds mad, but they are even gentler than normal sensitive variations! 

My week went quite well all things considered.. I wish I hadn't spilt hot chocolate on myself and that I hadn't been splashed with muddy water, but they were issues I could deal with. I don't like not being able to wash my gym clothes or jammies regularly though and I was so happy to have fresh bed-sheets at the end of the week. I don't think I'd want to go much longer than a week without a washing machine, and of course if you have kids even a few days would be a complete nightmare! 

So I suppose my top tip is to look after your washing machine, they do a great job! Since I gave mine a week off mine has started making a very funny noise, so I'll have to get it looked at. I think it's in a mood with me... oops! 

I'd love to know your thoughts on not using/having a washing machine. Could you manage? Do you have any tips? Drop me a comment below! 

​Stay safe, x

This post is an entry into this competition from Blogging Edge. 
Thanks for having me guys!