Somewhere on an RV site I found a story about a guy who uses a modern day version of the plunger and bucket system. If I recall properly, it was a three bucket system. One was for washing and two for rinsing. Each bucket was a five or six gallon tall plastic design commonly used for paint and other things. The plunger looked more like a bell than a plumbing drain cleaning model.
There was a formula for creating the soap. One ingredient was white vinegar. To me adding that would seem to make the whole process more expensive, maybe not. The person using the system said that the clothes came out cleaner than they would using a commercial or home washing machine. The article said that such a kit was sold on ebay. I found the plunger on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQurD1JXHy8
This kit would seem like a good thing to have for an RV dweller that didn't want to move his machine around town looking for a laundromat. It wouldn't be needed for the people who only park in RV parks.
I also remembered the Wonder Wash:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk-CK_2OmHk
Would these things make life simpler? They might for an apartment dweller who didn't have a washing machine. On Amazon.com (where I go to read product reviews) several apartment dwellers loved the money savings and not needing to walk down several flights of stairs to the cold basement.
This post made me also realize just how much the internet has simplified my life. I can learn about so many things so much faster than ever before. Without the internet how long would it take for me to come across somebody who owned a Wonder Wash or Breathing Mobile Washer?