Washboard

In Groton, I lived in an apartment complex.  There was a laundry room there, but the cost of its use was exorbitant, so I used drying racks, which conserved energy and saved money.  In New Haven, however, I do not live in a complex with a laundry room, so I drive to my favorite laundromat in Orange, two towns over.  Not long ago, the incorporation of hand-washing into that old system of doing laundry struck me as an extension and improvement on that model and my current system of doing laundry. I searched for a washboard at stores in the area, but there weren't any so I eventually had to order one online.  It arrived last week, and yesterday and today, Labor day, I hand washed two loads of laundry.  Just as I thought, hand washing clothes is a time and labor intensive activity, but it does conserve a significant amount of energy.  I did not have to drive out to Orange this weekend, nor pay for a machine to wash my clothes.  I will still go to the laundromat to wash loads of large items (blankets, sheets, etc.) and when the temperature drops, but otherwise I can see myself doing laundry in this way from now on, except maybe when I'm feeling tired or lazy.