10 Alternatives to a Clothes Wringer

Updated on October 1, 2022

If you are going off the grid or simply need a change of pace, you may be interested in alternatives to clothes wringers. A clothes wringer is a mechanical laundry machine that squeezes out excess water from wet clothes, and there are many alternatives that serve the same function.

Let’s look at the 10 best alternatives to a clothes wringer.

Top 10 Alternatives to a Clothes Wringer

  1. Hand wringing
  2. Clothesline
  3. Rolling pin
  4. Salad tosser
  5. Mop bucket
  6. Manual crank
  7. Heat
  8. Hairdryer
  9. Traditional electric washing machines and dryers
  10. Laundry service

10 Alternatives to a Clothes Wringer

Here are the 10 best alternatives to a clothes wringer:

1. Hand wringing

alternatives to a clothes wringer

If you are looking for the simplest alternative to a clothes wringer, just look at your hands. Your hands can wring out clothes just as well as a clothes wringer. Wringing the clothes by hand will allow you to gently control how much wear and tear your clothes go through.

You may want to wring your clothes by hand for several reasons. Most notably, hand wringing your clothes will save you a lot of money. Wringing your clothes by hand may be annoying, but it takes the same amount of time as a clothes wringer at no charge.

One downside of hand wringing your clothes is that they will not be completely dry after. After you finish wringing your clothes, excess water will be removed. You must hang them up or use another medium to dry them fully.

2.  Clothesline

alternatives to a clothes wringer

Drying your clothes by clothesline is a very simple and pleasurable way of drying your clothes. Even if you have a machine dryer, you may want to try drying your clothes on a line.

Clothesline drying is a great way to dry your clothes because it allows them to get fresh air. It also eliminates wear and tear caused by the machine dryer, which increases the longevity of your clothes.

If you want to clothesline dry your clothes often, there are some tips you will want to remember. Before hanging them up, you will want to wring them a bit. This will speed up the drying process. Also, remember to hang the clothes up in the morning. Hang drying clothes takes much longer to dry.

The benefit of using a clothesline is that it is very cost-efficient. You will simply need some line and pins to clothesline dry your clothes. Clothesline drying saves money on electricity as well.

The main downside of clothesline drying is that it takes more time and effort. Drying your clothes by the wind and sun takes a good amount of time, so you’ll need to hang up your clothes early. You will also have to wring all clothing before hanging them up to help speed the process along.

3.  Rolling pin

alternatives to a clothes wringer

If you don’t want to use your hands to wring out your clothes, you can use a rolling pin. In fact, a rolling pin is a simplified version of a clothes wringer, making it a great alternative option.

To use the rolling pin, simply place the wet clothing on a flat surface and roll the rolling pin over it. To make the process go faster, you can place a porous material under the wet clothing to help absorb the rolled out water.

A benefit of using a rolling pin is that it is easier than wringing clothes with your hands. You do not have to tire your arms out. All you have to do is roll the pin.

The rolling pin method is also very budget-friendly. Chances are you already have a rolling pin. If this is the case, you already have all the needed supplies, and you will not have to buy anything new.

The downside of the rolling pin alternative is that the water can get everywhere. With a wringer or your hands, you can somewhat control where the excess water goes. With the rolling pin, though, the water squeezes out from every direction. For this reason, it is best to put a porous material under the clothing.

Another downside of the rolling pin is that you will still have to dry the clothing after. The rolling pin only pushes out excess water; it does not dry the clothing.

4. Salad tosser

You can use a salad tosser, another kitchen staple, as an alternative clothing wringer as well. The salad tosser uses basic physics to wring out excess water.

Salad tossers work by harnessing centrifugal force. Due to the centrifugal force, forces strain out higher as velocity is increased in a curve or circle. The shape of the tosser creates a circular shape, while the spinning device increases the velocity. As a result, excess water strains out.

For smaller items of clothing, you can use an actual salad tosser to strain out excess water. This will provide you a fast way to get rid of unwanted water.

If you want to wring out larger clothes, a salad tosser will be too small, but you can create your own version of a larger scale salad tosser. Simply find a basket with holes in it. Attach a string to the top of the basket and attach the string to some item, like a tree branch. Put the clothes in the basket and spin!

You will want to wear clothes that are okay getting wet because, when you spin the basket, some water will likely splash on you.

The benefit of using a salad tosser is that it will save you money. You do not need to buy a dryer or even a salad tosser, for that matter. You can use items around your house and the laws of physics, which are both free.

A negative of the salad tosser alternative is that you will still need to dry the clothing. The salad tosser only helps to speed the drying process along by straining out excess water from the clothing.

5. Mop bucket

alternatives to a clothes wringer

A mop bucket with an inbuilt wringer is another great option for an alternative clothes wringer. Just like the mop wringer squeeze out the water from the mop head, the wringer will squeeze out the water from your clothes.

The mop bucket is a great alternative to clothes wringers because of how much moisture it can force out of your clothes. Since this wringer is designed for heavy-duty mops, it is very powerful and capable of getting out every last drop of excess moisture.

The negative of using a mop bucket is that the bucket might get your newly washed clothes dirty again. Since you usually use this bucket to wring out your mop, the bucket probably contains a lot of germs and dirt that can get on your clothes.

To avoid getting your clothes dirty, make sure that you use a clean mop bucket. Either purchase a mop bucket exclusively for wringing your clothes or thoroughly clean out your used mop bucket.

6. Manual crank

alternatives to a clothes wringer

Another great alternative to the clothes wringer is the manual wringer. Manual wringers normally come with feet so you can attach the crank to a bucket of some sort.

The benefit of the manual crank is that you get all the same features as the clothes wringer. You simply turn the handle, so it pushes out the excess water.

Like all other wringing styles, the manual wringer has limited drying abilities. This option is only designed to wring out water; it does not dry clothing. You will need to pair the manual wringer with an additional drying source to dry your clothing completely.

7. Heat

alternatives to a clothes wringer

Using heat is another great alternative to a clothes wringer. Heat will dry your clothes out in no time. You can use a camp, fireplace, or any other form of heating.

When you use a heat source to dry your clothes, there are some precautions you must take. Firstly, you will need to wring out your clothes before putting them in front of the fire. Wringing them first will speed up the drying process.

Secondly, you will want to place the clothing at a safe distance from the fire and continue to check on them for the duration of the drying process. You do not want your clothes or home to catch on fire, so you need to take safety precautions.

The benefit of using a heat source as an alternative of a clothes wringer is that your clothes will dry much faster. Heat will cause the moisture to evaporate from the clothing,

Another benefit of a heat source dryer is that your clothes will be all toasty warm. This fact will keep you comfortable when you put on the clothes.

8. Hairdryer

alternatives to a clothes wringer

If you have electricity, a hairdryer might be a great alternative to a clothes wringer. Hairdryers will help you to try small or single articles of clothing in a targeted and quick manner.

The benefit of using a hairdryer is that you probably do not have to buy any new products. Most people have a hairdryer in their bathroom, which means you just have to run to another room to get your drying contraption. This will save you a little bit of money.

The negative of using a hairdryer is that it takes longer than using a standard dryer. The reason for this is that the hairdryer only provides a targeted source of heat. Although it is faster than clothesline drying, your hand may get tired from holding the hairdryer.

9. Traditional electric washing machines and dryers

alternatives to a clothes wringer

Traditional electric dryers are a great substitute for clothes wringers too. With the electric dryer, you will not have to wring out your clothing at all. Instead, you can just throw the wet clothes in the dryer, and it’ll do all the work for you.

The benefit of having an electric dryer is that it is incredibly convenient. It does all the work in a fraction of the time. This fact makes the electric dryer the most convenient option.

Electric dryers come with downsides as well. Most notably, dryers are expensive. You will either have to buy your own dryer or pay to use one. Either way, drying your clothes with an electric dryer is more expensive than most other options on this list.

Additionally, dryers take up a lot of space. If you are thinking about buying a dryer, you have to have ample room. For small apartments or houses, dryers are simply not a feasible option.

10. Laundry services

alternatives to a clothes wringer

Another alternative option is hiring a laundry service. Laundry services are more expensive than any other option on this list, but they will ensure that your clothes are properly cleaned and dried.

The benefit of hiring a laundry service is that you do not have to do any of the work. This is extremely beneficial if you are on the go or have an important event coming up.

The downside to laundry services is that they are incredibly expensive. If you are on a budget, laundry services are not the best option for you.

Additionally, using a laundry service exclusively will prohibit you from washing clothes as you need. Sometimes, there are emergencies when you need to wash one particular item of clothing in a pinch. With laundry services, though, you are in no control over your washing and drying.

Conclusion

There are many alternatives to a clothes wringer. We listed hand wringing, clotheslines, rolling pins, salad tossers, mop buckets, manual cranks, heat, hairdryers, traditional electric washing machines and dryers, and laundry services as the 10 best alternatives to a clothes wringer.

Some of the items on this list lead to completely dry clothes, while others do not. When using a wringing object, like a rolling pin or mop bucket, you will need to dry the clothes after.