So, the Laundromat's Closed—Here’s How to Hand Wash Clothes in Your Small Apartment

Now more than ever, home is where many of us are seeking refuge and solace in light of the novel coronavirus. This is a tough time, but we’re here for you—whether it’s a new pantry recipe or a useful tip for your kitchen, here are some ideas to make things run a little more smoothly for you and your loved ones.

I live in New York City, where having a washing machine in your apartment building outweighs many other standard living space must-haves. Windows? Who needs ‘em? Heat? I’ll get an electric blanket. And apartments with laundry in-unit? They’re myths. If you tell me you have a washing machine, I simply won’t believe you.

Since I have yet to live in a building with laundry (see aforementioned myth), I’m a frequenter of the laundromat around the block, where I drop off a hulking IKEA bag full of mostly oversized sleep shirts to be washed and folded. I know, I know, I could be saving money by doing the laundry myself—but this is a small luxury I’m hard-pressed to give up. I’ve done the math many times over, and the extra $7.50 is worth a Sunday unimpeded by dinging phone timers and frantic scurrying up and down the street.

But it doesn’t matter now, as I’m paranoid about communal washing machines in the wake of COVID-19. I don’t want to drop my laundry off for fear I might be carrying coronavirus—passing it along to the elderly laundromat owner, but I also don’t want to do it myself for fear of germs on the machines.

What else to do, then, but roll my sleeves up and swish my socks and underwear around in the sink? Here’s how to get it going when your apartment is simply not set up for laundry day:

Set Up Your DIY Washing Machine

Fill your sink or wash basin of choice (ice bucket? Tub? Large serving bowl? No judgements.) with room temperature water. Cold water works too, if you’re concerned about color-bleeding, and hot water should be reserved for disinfecting and for really hardy fabrics like terry cloth. Another hot tip (ha!): Try bringing a few clothes and a bottle of detergent into the shower with you. You’re already getting sudsy, so why not save some water and do it all at once?

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Get Things Soapy

Add a dose of detergent to the water according to the package instructions—some formulas are more concentrated than others (I like the concentrated versions by Seventh Generation and Love, Home & Planet because they conserve water and storage space). Give the water a swish with your hand to get everything mixed up.

Submerge the items in question and gently rub it together with your hands to ensure the detergent is doing some work. Leave the items to soak for about 20-30 minutes, then rinse with cold water, being sure that it runs free of soap and bubbles.

Dry 'Em Off

Gently press each item against the sink or basin to remove excess water—this part is kind of like the spin cycle! Fun! To get your things to dry even faster, lay them flat on a dry bath towel and roll them up like a cinnamon roll, which will press more water out and transfer it to the (quicker drying!) towel.

Hang or lay everything to dry and give yourself a pat on the back. Some favorite places I like to hang things: over every single chair in my apartment, over the shower curtain rod, on exposed pipes that don’t get hot, draped over my fan to dry quicker, over the back of the couch, with hangers on coat hooks, and on the blanket ladder. Desperate times, people!

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