dirty laundry...

there is no way around it. when you are a potter, everything gets covered in clay, including your clothes. we all know that clay in your plumbing is not a good thing. this is one thing i do to prevent that...

this is my pre-wash station behind the studio! i spray the clay off with the hose, let them almost drip dry, then throw the clothes in the washer. i do this with our aprons and shop towels as well. i used to soak towels etc. in a large bucket of water and ring them out, prior to washing. i found that the wringing out and handling the heavy wet stuff was hard on my shoulder, so some time ago i decided on this method.
if our clothes aren't too clay encrusted i will just scrape off any globs before washing and skip this rinsing off step. my washer also has an extra rinse cycle that really helps.
i am curious to hear what other methods readers use to keep their washing machines and plumbing clay free.
illness update: still coughing and blowing my nose, but feeling and sleeping much better... thank you for all your get well soon wishes... despite being under the weather, all my pots are glazed and we are ready to load the ground hog kiln tomorrow. i think the sunshine helped my recovery. i did a lot of the glazing outside and absorbed some good vitamin C & D via the sunshine!