washing machine in the garage?

[aar0s]

I'm in a state of perpetual planing for my future garage but one thing i was thinking about was putting a old washing machine in the garage for washing shop rags and towels and dirty fire gear (i'm a paid on call FF) without yucking up the washer in the house, not sposta was the fire gear in the house washer anyway. the stuff would be hung to dry so i wouldn't need a dryer.
anyone else done this?

 

[arizonaadam]

Neat idea. You need a special wastewater plumbing for the anti-syphon and a way to treat water if you can't run it to a sewer. My only other thought is that a household washer may not hold up to oily rags for long.

 

[fomocoforrester]

I put an old washing machine in my shop, mainly because it is 7 miles away from where I live. I also have a mini apartment over my working area so the washer pretty much gets used like the one at home.

For effective hang drying in cold weather I found that a heater with some type of flue is neccessary to keep the air moving through the garage. I have a diesel / old engine oil heater that does not require electricity and it works very well.

I also found that the drying area does not have to be near the heater, its the movement of the air that is more important.

 

[s_morrison57]

An old ringer washer is the best I had one that must have been 30 plus years old , my new place has no water in the garage but try and find an old ringer , they work the best and almost imposible to kill, can't figure out why they don't make them any more??? Probly cause they last 30 plus years

 

[nate379]

If I washed only non greasy stuff in the house washer I'd have a load maybe once every 3 or 4 months Some of my work clothes are worse than the rags I wash even.

 

[61scout80]

i haven't done exactly that, but in an apartment i had I bought a $100 damaged washer from lowes and rigged it up to hook to the sink. Jammed the output hose in the disposal with some rags around it and never went to the laundromat again!

I think it's a good idea. currently i run my rags through our washer, then run it with only superclean, then run it again with detergent before putting our clothes in it again...

 

[akdiesel]

I have the washer and dryer set up in my shop and the idea is just as you mentioned, great. I wash my welding cloths, shop rags, detailing towels, etc... I also have a full bath with a shower if I need to clean up before heading back to the house.
I was not the installer of these items, the previous owner had them put in. The shop was set up so that he and his family could live in there while they built the house next door.
The advantage is great also when the main set up gives up and you still need to do laundry.

 

[aar0s]

I think it's a good idea. currently i run my rags through our washer, then run it with only superclean, then run it again with detergent before putting our clothes in it again...

This is what im doing when i was the fire gear but i still have to dig out the big parts that fall out of the pockets and elsewhere that i miss when im cleaning out the gear. Seems like the wife is allergic to everything so it would be easier to have a separate washer just for the rags and gear plus anything else i didn't want ran though the house washer.
I could probably plumb it to the sewer, that wouldn't be much of a problem.

 

[D KRAGER]

Yep have washer and dryer in the bathroom. Love it! Wash shop towels dingy work clothes, coveralls, and anything else the wife won't allow in the house.

 

[mx5.7]

I like the idea. I have a seperate washer for my work clothes in the house. It is a 30 year old maytag. We have been through 3 newer wahsers and the maytag is still going strong.

 

[61scout80]

This is what im doing when i was the fire gear but i still have to dig out the big parts that fall out of the pockets and elsewhere that i miss when im cleaning out the gear. Seems like the wife is allergic to everything so it would be easier to have a separate washer just for the rags and gear plus anything else i didn't want ran though the house washer.
I could probably plumb it to the sewer, that wouldn't be much of a problem.

after my first structure i ran my gear through the washer, then ran my other clothes. everything stunk!

I learned quickly that a washer is not magic!

 

[Kev442]

Go for it. Mine is only seasonal, winterizing it involves some RV anti freeze down the big hose and into the pump and removing the mixer solenoid to get the water out. Even with all that monkeying around, it is worth its weight in gold during the other 9 months of the year.

 

[michel]

Dont know about the washing machine but I installed this, just as important if you dont want to yuck the home bathroom.

 

[Wiggum]

Dont know about the washing machine but I installed this, just as important if you dont want to yuck the home bathroom.

How much was that?

 

[Art From De Leon]

I have a cheap Whirlpool washer in the shop, I hook the garden hose up to it, cold water only, and drain the water onto the grass. The fill hose got tangled up in the garage door and lifted it about 3 feet in the air before one side of the water manifold broke off, but other than it filling a little slower, it works fine.

I too, would like to know how much the urinal cost.

 

[Falcon67]

I do the laundry around here, so the trashed towels become general shop towels. And I wash 'em in the house, so there I get blue rags from a friend by the giant bag - not worth the trouble to wash. I also keep a good stock of blue towels from Sams in the shop.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

This sort of was discussed in this thread...................

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35178

I used to have a old washing machine at my parents house just for shop rags. The machine gave out, and I've sold the house. Here, now, I do it in a rather old fashion way....

1940's portable washing machine, mop bucket and wringer and a couple of other buckets, and lots of tide liquid degt. I have a clothes line I can string almost 60 ft across the shop, and hook it and tighten with a turnbuckle. dry the rags, when done, take it and roll it up and hang it on one side.

Rags come good and clean, I pre soak them, then I dry, fold, sort and stack them in rubbermaid containers.

Charles

 

[aar0s]

Dont know about the washing machine but I installed this, just as important if you dont want to yuck the home bathroom.

Dude, If and when i get to build the "shrine" that will be part of it.

I have a cheap Whirlpool washer in the shop, I hook the garden hose up to it, cold water only, and drain the water onto the grass.

seeing that the codes here are pretty non-existent im probably not going to go though any drastic measures to hook it to the sewer, unless i get one of those urinals cause, really, who wants to smell that!
I like the rubbermaid container idea, im going to have to do something in the garage im in now as far as rags go, i eat through a roll of paper towels and im too cheep to keep buying them. I think that we have some old 12 inch wall cabinets at work that were displays and was going to see about liberating one of them but the rubbermaid container idea might work better.

 

[MN BIANCHI]

We have a front loading washer in the shop. It is used mostly for washing coveralls, and snowmobile gear. Works great for those extra big loads.

 

[michel]

How much was that?

Didnt cost me a thing.
A friend of mine was is a plumber, it was a left over from one job he did.
he gave it to me when we had the house built.

It has a Sloan automatic flush too, all brand new in the box LOL
Had this for a while so when we build the house I made sure there was a separate water line and a 2 in drain for it.

All there is left to do is to tile over the plywood and it will look cool.
Then I'll be able to wash it just spraying it with the water hose.
Not a good idea in the house bathroom.

At least I now have a place for the used beer.

 

[crewchief888]

good idea.
ive screwed up more than one washing machine in my lifetime with work clothes. sometimes it takes forever to get the grease and oil outta them.

several laudramats around here have "special' washers set aside for work clothes only.
any more when i get a bunch of rags/towels i toss em all in a garbage bag along with my insulated coveralls and winter work jackets take them out to our shop and pressure wash them with hot water and degreaser.
they aint perfectly clean , but a lot better than they were.
gloves and hads get handwashed in VERY hot water with dawn dish detergent, cascade (dish washer) and a little bleach then air dried

 

[nolatoolguy]

ive never done it but it would be ausome to have

sounds like a good idea

expcially if you dont have to pay to much

 

[richashley]

I've got one for just the purposes you mentioned. I run it on cold water (no water heater in garage) and just let it run out on the driveway.

 

[Brad1234]

Some of you guys sure go to alot of trouble to wash your rags. My wife won't let me do them in the house so I go to the laundry mat once or twice a year.