Housekeeping without Power: Laundering by Hand "Sometimes you may not be able to wait until power is restored to wash clothes. Prepare for this by having on hand the following necessary and helpful items:" Ah yes, the joyous past time of washing your clothes without the washing machine or power or anything. I briefly touched on this when we talked about Wringer Washers in March. Click here for the March Blog post! Our Almanac suggests stocking up on these items for your Doomsday Checklist: Bar of laundry soap, box of pre-soaking laundry formula, detergent suitable for hand washing, plumber's helper, washboard, clothesline, clothespins, wooden drying rack, and metal pants stretchers. If you were scratching your head wondering what a pant stretcher is just take a look. You can still purchase these today in 2018. They are mostly meant to keep your pants from wrinkling while also giving your pants that crisp creased look too. Now y...