Daniel and Katie Wash Their Clothes

Because our brownstone was built circa 1860, we are without washer and dryer hook-ups. We do have a friendly neighborhood laundromat down the street, where we can pay $1 per pound of clothing to have it washed, dried, and returned to us in neatly folded stacks (the underwear even comes bound with a rubber band). 

The other day, however, while browsing the shelves at our local Winn-Discount, we discovered this miniature washboard: 

Katie thought the opportunity to hand-wash clothes on a miniature washboard in a cramped, tiny space was too deliciously urban to pass up. Daniel agreed that it could be economical, too, so this afternoon we gave it a try.

First, we dumped the clothes and some liquid Tide in the bathtub and ran some warm water. After letting them soak for a few minutes, we got out the washboard and began scrubbing:  

Then Daniel took the clothes to the sink and rinsed them in cold water: 

After rinsing, Daniel wrung out each article and Katie arranged them on the drying rack (we put leftover packing paper underneath to keep the water from dripping on the floors). At the rate they're going, we should have dry clothes in about 17.5 years.