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This Overlooked Skill Will Keep You Healthy if Disaster Strikes
Survival Institute
Survival Institute

This Overlooked Skill Will Keep You Healthy if Disaster Strikes

by
May 10, 2019

Nobody knows when a crisis will disrupt our everyday lives.

Being unprepared for that unexpected emergency could leave you helpless to deal with issues that you’ve taken for granted.

Here’s one overlooked skill that will lessen your mental stress if a disaster hits.

Each part of the country is susceptible to some type of disaster that could create havoc at any time.

The West Coast must contend with earthquakes and forest fires.

The Midwest has to deal with powerful tornadoes that can blow through town with almost no notice.

The Southeast often suffers the destructive wrath of hurricanes, which can tear apart several states.

And the East Coast has to face the prospect of colossal snow storms that can shut down basic functions for extended periods of time.

In each of these scenarios—and others—the power can be knocked out for hours, or even days.

Without power, mundane tasks suddenly become difficult because we’ve discarded so much wisdom.

One skill that shouldn’t be forgotten is washing clothes without power.

Blackouts, or simply life out in the wild, may necessitate cleaning clothes without the convenience of a washer and dryer.

Washing clothes may not seem like a priority in a crisis, but hygiene is gravely important.

Poor hygiene can kill you just as fast as anything else.

Here are some simple steps for washing clothes without power.

First, shake out your clothes thoroughly.

This will remove dust and debris, and make the task of washing your clothes that much easier.

It will also help preserve water, which may be scarce depending on your circumstances.

A good shake will go a long way.

Next, soak the clothes in water.

This will help soften any dirt and grime that’s seeped into the fabric of your clothes.

Avoid using a lot of soap.

You can use a little bit—especially if you need to treat deep stains on your clothes—but too much soap can causes problems.

The more soap you use, the more water you’ll need to rinse, and again, water resources may be limited.

Soap will also add to your overall rinse time.

Next, using cold water is acceptable.

Depending on your heating source, using hot water might consume valuable fuel, such as campfire wood.

For this reason, washing with cold water will still get your clothes clean.

If fuel sources aren’t an issue, then hot water is optimal, but cold water will get the job done, too.

However, when you’re cleaning undergarments, use hot water.

Boiling them in water over a flame will ensure that they get properly sanitized.

Next, wring out your clothes, then give them a good rinse to get rid of any excess dirt or soap.

Finally, wring them out again and set them for drying.

Make sure the clothes have exposure to air and sunlight, and don’t dry them in a clumped mass.

Separate them so the moisture doesn’t collect.

Losing power doesn’t mean that you can’t perform important tasks.

Civilizations functioned for ages without 21st-century creature comforts.

A good survivalist never loses sight of that.

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