Laundry bag

Abstract

oiled garments are placed in a mesh laundry bag. Two holes in the bag are placed over a spindle of a washing machine so the spindle passes through the center of the bag. Releasable closures around the holes prevent garments from slipping out of the bag during washing. The bag allows delicate garments to be washed and held separate from other garments in the washing machine.

1 . A laundry bag for washing laundry in a washing machine having a spindle with a base and a shaft perpendicular to the base, the shaft having a diameter, comprising: 
 a bag made of a porous material, the bag having at least one spindle opening forming a spindle passage that extends through opposing walls of the bag, the spindle opening sized to allow the shaft to pass through the opening during use of the bag in washing;    an access opening sized to allow laundry to be inserted into and removed from the bag;    a releasable closure around at least a portion of the access opening to vary the size of the access opening.    
   
   
       2 . The laundry bag of  claim 1 , wherein the bag has two spindle openings on opposing sides of the bag, the spindle openings being sized about the same diameter as the shaft adjacent the openings during washing.  
   
   
       3 . The laundry bag of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the spindle openings has a releasable closure around it.  
   
   
       4 . The laundry bag of  claim 1 , further comprising a strengthening member around the at least one spindle opening.  
   
   
       5 . The laundry bag of  claim 3 , further comprising a strengthening member around the at least one spindle opening.  
   
   
       6 . The laundry bag of  claim 2 , wherein each of the spindle openings has a releasable closure around it, and at least one of the spindle openings has a lock to restrain the size of that at lest one spindle opening.  
   
   
       7 . The laundry bag of  claim 1 , wherein the bag has an annular shape with the annular shape defining the spindle opening and spindle passage.  
   
   
       8 . The laundry bag of  claim 7 , wherein the access opening is on an exterior surface of the annulus and further comprising a lock on the closure to restrain the size of the access opening during washing.  
   
   
       9 . A laundry bag for washing clothes in a washing machine having a spindle, comprising: 
 a mesh bag having at least one spindle opening defining the location of a spindle passageway through the bag at about the center of the bag, the spindle opening being about the same size as the spindle which is immediately adjacent the portions of the bag defining the at least one spindle opening during washing when the bag is placed on the spindle for washing; and    an access opening in the bag, the access opening having a releasable closure to restrict the size of the access opening during washing.    
   
   
       10 . The laundry bag of  claim 9 , further comprising an inner wall defining the passageway through the bag and connecting to the bag.  
   
   
       11 . The laundry bag of  claim 9 , further comprising a lock on the releasable closure.  
   
   
       12 . The laundry bag of  claim 9 , wherein the passageway is defined by two opposing spindle openings formed in walls of the bag, and wherein the access opening also comprises one of the spindle openings.  
   
   
       13 . The laundry bag of  claim 9 , wherein the passageway is defined by two opposing spindle openings formed in walls of the bag, with a strengthening member around at least one of the spindle openings.  
   
   
       14 . The laundry bag of  claim 13 , wherein one of the two spindle openings is weighted to better hold the adjacent portion of the bag against the spindle during washing.  
   
   
       15 . A laundry bag, comprising: 
 a mesh bag having spindle opening means for allowing passage of a spindle through the bag; and    means for releasably closing the spindle opening means.    
   
   
       16 . The laundry bag of  claim 15 , further comprising lock means for releasably locking the size of the spindle opening means.  
   
   
       17 . The laundry bag of  claim 15 , further comprising means for strengthening the spindle opening means.  
   
   
       18 . The laundry bag of  claim 15 , wherein the spindle opening means further comprises an inner, annular wall.  
   
   
       19 . The laundry bag of  claim 18 , further comprising access means for placing laundry into and removing laundry from the bag.  
   
   
       20 . The laundry bag of  claim 15 , further comprising access means for placing laundry into and removing laundry from the bag.  
   
   
       21 . A method of washing clothing in water in a washing machine having a rotating spindle, comprising: 
 placing laundry to be washed in a bag made of mesh material with sufficient porosity to allow the water to freely pass through the mesh during washing;    placing the bag over the spindle by passing the spindle through one or more openings in the bag;    washing the bag and the laundry within the bag by rotating the spindle;    removing the bag from the spindle.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising removing the laundry from the bag.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising restraining enlargement of the at least one opening during rotation of the spindle by placing a strengthening member around the opening.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein restraining enlargement of the opening comprises attaching opposing sides of the bag with an annular wall.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein restraining enlargement of the opening comprises placing a strengthening member around two opposing openings which surround the spindle to restrain the size of the two openings during rotation.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein restraining enlargement of the at least one opening comprises placing an elastic member around the at least one opening to restrain the size of the opening during rotation.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein restraining enlargement of the at least one opening comprises placing a drawstring around the at least one opening, tightening the drawstring and locking the drawstring to define the size of the opening at least one opening during rotation.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising placing more than one such bag containing laundry on the same spindle during washing.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising placing more than one such bag containing laundry on the same spindle during washing and placing indicia on each such bag that is associated with a person whose laundry is in the bag.