washnig things you can't wash with other types of things

[larknm]

This is about not wanting to waste water and electricity. I have four dogs, three big, one middle sized. Each has one orthopedic bed (each has had hip surgery) covered with some non-natural material that can be zipped off. Over these I have a cotton rag rug or small shag rug. My dogs run outdoors every day for 30-minutes to an hour in dusty, dirty places, so the rugs get dirty. The dogs, bird, and I have allergies to all this, so I wash these rugs maybe 3 times a year. They're very heavy, so I have to use extra spin cycle, and can only put one or two rugs in at a time. They're too dirty to wash with other things. Then I hang them out to dry, which is no energy problem. My dogs are not comforted by the beds without the rugs on them (I've tried it). They sleep on our bed with DH and me, but it's a double bed and only 2-3 dogs can sleep on it with us at a time. Of course in daytime they can use it all they want and that washing is much simpler.


This same problem happens with washing my oily robe I mentioned on another recent thread--seems like a waste of water and electricity, but I need that robe.


Any solutions, or anyone else have things they have to wash one or two at a time and wish they weren't using so much water and electricity/gas?

[Mrs-M]

No solutions to share. Oil-cloths, the worst offender in our home! I use them to oil down furniture, and they're so oily!!! Wouldn't dare temp to launder them with anything else! So... it's in with two (or so) dozen oil-cloths every few months to clean.

I believe with all good, comes evil, and our exceptions should be seen as just that... necessary evils.

[Miss Cellane]

I consider stuff like this part of the cost of having pets. In my case, it's cat beds and a couple of throws that I use to keep the cat hair off the furniture. All together, it's too much for one load, so it has to be two separate loads. Which have to be carefully sorted out, because one of the cat beds you can't take the stuffing out of, so it can easily unbalance a load if you aren't careful.

If you are only doing this 3 times a year, I wouldn't consider it wasteful. It's simply required maintenance that comes at a slightly higher cost than you are comfortable with.

Another option might be to take everything to a laundramat, where they probably have a washer that could take all the rugs at once, or at least cut the number of loads in half. Then take everything home to line dry.

[puglogic]

I agree with Mrs. M.

When we have to wash heavy rugs that our dogs use (we have 3), we often take them outside in a rain storm (or create our own with some buckets water) and soak them through. Then I spray on a diluted Dr. Bronner's soap solution and let it sit, scrub with a little brush if necessary, then hose the whole thing off very well, or let the rain do the rinse cycle. Hang dry over the deck railing. It's less wear and tear on our washing machine that way, and I feel I have the luxury of doing it several times a year.

Have you considered a more lightweight cover for the orthopedic beds? We have several lightweight-but-warm synthetic blanket we purchased at goodwill, and these wash up much more easily than the rag rugs, and get cleaner.

[decemberlov]

We have a large dog bed that when we need to wash it we bring it to the laundry mat and put it in the huge washers they use for the horse blankets. Maybe not all that frugal but I feel much better about taking it there rather than putting it in my washer :~)

[MamaM]

Can you bring them to a car wash and attach them to the clippy thingies and power wash them and then leave them in the sun to dry?

[Tussiemussies]

We had an orthopedic bed for our dogs, I the summertime I would cover it with a sheet to help keep them cooler and in the winter a cheap blanket.

These things can be washed frequently and I never considered it a waste, I used to wash them once a week so the house wouldn't get the doggie smell. :)

[goldensmom]

I agree with the laudromat method. I've also taken dog rugs to the dry cleaners but that gets expensive. We have regular twin mattresses on the floor covered with matress pads and fitted sheets for our to dogs sleep on. I can wash the mattress covers and sheets in the washer weekly so they don't get to smell doggie. An added bonuse is that the dogs smell like fabric softener the first few nights they sleep on clean sheets.

[Tussiemussies]

I agree with the laudromat method. I've also taken dog rugs to the dry cleaners but that gets expensive. We have regular twin mattresses on the floor covered with matress pads and fitted sheets for our to dogs sleep on. I can wash the mattress covers and sheets in the washer weekly so they don't get to smell doggie. An added bonuse is that the dogs smell like fabric softener the first few nights they sleep on clean sheets.


Golden, the only thing about using fabric softener is that it might be too much for the dogs since their sense of smell is so much keener? :)

[jennipurrr]

Be careful with how big the rugs are. I thought I was doing something fabulous washing a 3 x 5 rug with no backing and it tore up my washing machine :(

[larknm]

Fantastic replies! And to think I almost didn't post this thread because I didn't think other people had this problem. You all's imaginations are the best! I think I'll try MamaM and Pubglogic ideas first because they seem like fun--only I don't know what the little clippy things are at the carwash, but will improvise if need to. I stay away from laundromats ever since I read the machines are full of e-coli. We don't get many rainstorms, and when they're predicted, often don't materialize or just a drizzle. But when we get one, I can rush these things out there. Thanks to all!