Swiffer: Not Just for Floors Anymore

Suffice it to say, I miss my washer and dryer. No, I didn't have to give them up when we gave up the house. But after a year of paying storage fees of over $100 per month, I gave them up. Along with many other niceties that I had accumulated over the years.

The apartment complex where I live doesn't allow washing machines or dryers. And those that did didn't allow dogs. So we chose to keep our beloved little pooch over the convenience (not to mention affordability) of washing our clothes and other soft goods whenever we needed to and from the comfort of our own living space. 

A total of $4.00 per load to wash and dry can really add up. And with Christmas literally breathing down our necks, I had to get creative with the sheets, which really needed washing. Sure, I'm no stranger to handwashing a few items here and there, the occasional sweater, once even my husband's work pants - only one pair alloted per employee for his seasonal job delivering packages for Fed Ex.

Of course the bathtub was the only real choice to wash the king sized bed sheets, in some water good and hot, and some nice fresh smelling liquid laundry detergent. The swiffer as an agitator was a last minute brainstorm, borne from the need to save my back and hands trying to stoop over and reach through the shower door enclosure, which I knew from experience trying to clean said bathtub would be painful, to say the least.

It actually works quite well. As I write this I am letting them soak a little longer, and have determined I can probably also use the Swiffer as a sort of water extractor, stamping them down rather than wringing. Though there will no doubt be some wringing involved eventually.

The laundromat across the street has large dryers for 25 cents per 8 minutes, so if I can scrounge a few quarters, I may be able to dry them quickly. If not I will try hanging them in the bathroom with the space heater as I've done other times with smaller items I needed to dry quickly. Wish me luck.