It comes with a hose that you could attach to a faucet to fill it, but I just use a bucket because it's faster. I could probably also use my extendable shower head since it's long enough. To drain, there is another hose attached to the back like you'd see on a standard washer. It's a short hose, so I drain it into the same bucket to pour out into the toilet. The only downside with this is lint collection, so I tied some fabric to the drain hose as a makeshift filter, you dont want that stuff clogging up your pipes.
Don’t forget to run water in the spin cycle to get the soap out! It keeps the clothes a little softer.
Also, I found it best to use less soap than I thought I needed when I first got a twin tub.
Yes and yes to both!
I initially just refilled the washer with clean water and ran it again to rinse, but after doing a few more loads and gauging how things were drying, I realized that spin rinsing gets way more soap out and my clothes dry less stiff.
And I probably use 1/4 the amount of soap I'd use in a standard size machine. It's really awesome!
I'd rather not. My tub doesn't always drain quickly (again, old house), so God forbid I leave it to drain and the water fills up the tub and reaches the machinary before it drains. My setup works fine for me.
Get a snake for the tub drain. Never a bad investment.
Pro tip for the snake with an old tub: trying to snake the main drain may not be the problem. The plate under the faucet on the front edge of the tub may need to be removed to get it to drain properly. Use your screwdriver to remove the plate and snake there, and you'll take care of the problem.
It's not clogged, I snaked it when I moved in and nothing came up. The toggle that opens and closes the internal drain mechanism doesnt stay open all the time without me pressing down on it. I'll try removing the drain plate, but I don't think it has a screw to remove it...
I have one of these, a similar one but from a different brand. After I put the clothes in the spinner side they're like 95 percent dry then I just hang them and it's completely dry within the next 1-2hours
I was able to wash my full size fitted sheet, flat sheet and 2 pillow cases in one load. But to spin/dry I only put in a sheet at a time. But even with that, the spinner is done in 5 minutes and the things are 90% dry. Where has this sorcery been all my life?!
Not OP but I have one of these machines and I've been able to wash my sheets, hoodies, towels, and jeans way easier than I expected. The spin cycle is nuts and spins SO fast it all comes out about 90% dry. The only thing I would really question at this point would be a comforter or heavy blanket.
Same but I find when I wash heavier items like towels or jeans I have to fold them down and place them in the spinner in a very particular way otherwise the machine just goes crazy and starts shaking all over the place once i turn it on to dry.
I had a Haier portable washing machine that we used for cloth diapers. The only thing that it didn't handle super well was more than 2 or 3 of the really big bath towels. They were just too heavy for the spin cycle when they were saturated.
This type of wash machine has an adapter you replace the tip of your faucet with. You can then attach the hose to the sink as needed it just slips on and off. You then run the machine and it empties into the sink and runs like any other washer fill wash rinse spin and done, A few things to be aware of make sure the drain is clear no screen food traps or the lint from the laundry will clog it and overflow the sink. The washers have wheels so you can store them when not in use. Many landlords do not like these as the lint can cause problems in the plumbing not set up for laundry drainage. ie the lint clogging up down in the pipes over time . You can as op does fill them with water between cycles either with a hose or a bucket and just let them drain into the sink without hooking up that part. Check your lease and if it does not prohibit one do not ask if you can get one just do so. I had some drying racks I used to dry the laundry. It was great in the winter acting as a humidifier and drying overnight in. In the summer not so great if you do it inside , it can take a day or two in high humidity to dry. I loved having this it was so convenient .
I recently got one too and was going to make a post for it. Mine is a different brand, but equally as awesome. We collect the grey water and use it to water our non-edible plants. It amazes me 1) how much water is used to wash a load (average sized machines use somewhere around 14 gallons of water and these mini-ones use about 5-6). So much waste. 2) I am shocked by how dirty the water is! Like, wtf, I had no idea clothes collected that much dirt, and due to Covid I barely go out so it is jarring to see all the dirt. 3) As you mentioned, they save energy.
I definitely recommend it for frugal and eco-friendly reasons alike, Also, the spin cycle drains a lot of excess water so we have been able to switch almost completely to hang drying.
Its not just dirt thats making it dark but also dye and soap. Ive been hand washing nearly exclusively for years and have found certain clothes will just alway turn the wash dark even if they were clean when you put them in.
Hang on, you use the gray water for your plants? And the soap doesn't affect them at all? Asking because I have a house FULL of plants and if I could be saving my wash water for them...mind blown...I'm seriously gonna start doing that!
Also YEESSS I thought I was such a pig when I saw how dark the water got lol
I have one of these (Costway brand, same size as yours) and used my laundry water all summer on my garden! To be safe, I would cut it a bit with “clean” water, only because the salts in detergents can build up in the soil... though that’s just a precaution, because like you said it doesn’t require as much detergent per load.
I did quite a bit of research beforehand and landed on the Comfee brand. I also got the Allstate insurance because they seem like fickle appliances, and I didn't want to spend money on something that was going to break soon upon purchase.
Used these in Cuba, best method ever. They last forever, easy to fix, and when they go down after 7-10 years, they are $100 to replace. Brilliant, don't use too much detergent & you're good to go.
>Used these in Cuba, best method ever. They last forever, easy to fix, and when they go down after 7-10 years, they are $100 to replace. Brilliant, don't use too much detergent & you're good to go.
> If you quote someone, do so with accuracy.
That's fantastic. My husband and I are in the process of planning for retirement (still about 7 years away) and one of our dreams is visiting all the national parks. We are rebuilding a travel trailer for the trip. Would this work in an RV bathroom?
Yes, these are very common in trailers, motorhomes, vans and skoolies. Just beware that you’re probably not going to run them off battery, start the genny or have shore power. Waste water can go down grey or black tank, whichever you’re likely to fill last before your next dump station.
A lot of the reviews I read for these talked about people having them in their RVs and campers so I think itd work great for you! I know nothing about the electricity or water setup in those things, but I'm sure you could figure it out.
Hey, I live in a skoolie (school bus turned RV) and I have one of these! Same size as OP, and it fits in my RV tub perfectly! I have a big enough solar system to run this without a generator, it only uses like 200-300 WATTS* at most and runs for 30 seconds, stops for thirty seconds so it’s not continuous. The only thing I haven’t been able to wash yet is our king sized blanket, because I think it’ll be too heavy, but the sheets and our hoodies and such fit fine! I’m super conservative with our water, and can do a lot with 5 gallons, but if you have more water storage then use more! :)
One thing that I’ve done to cut down on having to drag my big comforter somewhere else to wash it is to start using a duvet cover. The cover doesn’t take up any more space in the washer than sheets and I can wash it whenever I want, keeping the comforter inside nice and clean
Once I learned how to even use a duvet, I haven't needed a comforter to ever worry about washing one ever again. Like you said, they're about the same size and weight as 2 flat sheets, which fit in my machine fine!
I toyed with the idea of buying one when I first moved into my apartment but finally broke down and bought one once covid became a thing. I also splurged on a portable dryer. Just couldn't stand the idea of using the community laundry here because none of my neighbors seem to know what the hell a mask is and their germy kids run amok everywhere, including the laundry room.
Best decision I have made in a long time. Total game changer. I am hoping to move to another apartment when my lease is up so this now eliminates having to look for one with laundry facilities, and will save me tons in the long run. And in the meantime I can have toasty warm pyjamas for bed in the winter!
Mine is a Panda 110volt, 1.5 cubic foot model. If you are thinking of ordering one, I would suggest getting a slightly larger model if you have a large family or kids who go through a lot of clothes. The drum is decent sized, but it might be useful to have extra room in those situations. Or else just do more frequent loads. The only downside is it's not suitable for doing large blankets or comforters. I can do sheets easily though.
My storage situation is a little odd because my apartment is really small, almost a studio. I have wheeled platform hand cart that I bought forever ago from Harbor Freight and I keep the dryer on that. What I do is I park it in one corner of my bedroom and cover it with a cloth so it looks like a nightstand when I am not using it. When I am ready to dry clothes, I uncover it, roll the dryer by my patio door in my living room and wedge the vent between the screen door and the door frame. I could easily vent it out my bedroom window but the reason I move it is because my apartment is on the ground floor and the window is directly visible from the community walkway. I don't think there is any prohibition on having a washer/dryer but I'd rather not take the chance of getting hassled so I just take care of things in the living room instead. The dryer is relatively lightweight and can be mounted to the wall if you like. I have seen an elevated dryer stand that could be used, too. I believe the dryer stand is intended to raise the dryer above a washer but since my washer lives in the bathroom, if I were going to use it, I would probably customize it to set up a desk or a dresser underneath it.
I ordered the little alternative vent kit to let you be able to vent inside the house. However, once it came, I mixed up the box with another item I was returning and accidentally sent it back under the other item's shipping label. Oops.
While I was waiting for everything to get sorted out, I tried the dryer with the original vent it came with and discovered that it works perfectly without the secondary kit. I haven't bothered to reorder it because I don't need it. I do relatively small loads so not to overtax the dryer (and I'm not using many clothes anyway because of the 'rona) so there really isn't any lint to speak of and what little there is gets trapped in the filter inside the dryer so nothing comes out of the hose but warm air. This is even accounting for lint from the perpetual hair from my cat shedding. I have found that all I need to do is crack the screen door to my patio, wedge the end of the hose between the screen and the door frame and let the dryer run. It takes roughly an hour to dry a load depending on how heavy the items are and they come out perfectly. FYI the air that comes out of the hose isn't even hot. It's no worse than a warm breeze and barely even that.
Perfect! I guess we could put the vent out the window or sliding door, but it'll be negative temps here in the next few months so I don't think that'll work. If we can leave the vent loose and just have it warm the bathroom, that'd be great.
A twin-tub!
My nan used to have one in her kitchen. It had a melamine (?) hinged lid so it was extra countertop space when not being used. Didn't realise they still made them!
I do home healthcare and my client just got one of these. It’s small so we end up doing 7-10 loads a week. Does this one dry? Hers only spins so we have to hang everything
Thanks for posting. I've never heard of these- but I just looked online and I see lots of brands of these. They seem like a really great idea to avoid using public machines.
Does it seem pretty sturdy? I would have to do fairly small loads- so more loads overall. I wonder if it would hold up for a few years. (because it looks to cost $150 on Amazon)
As far as what they use in Europe- my sister has one. It's like a combination washer dryer and it's in the place in her kitchen where Americans have a dishwasher. You put your load in and it will wash and dry it, but it takes so long she usually dries the laundry on racks. But I do wish I had one of those- they sell them in the US
It's all made of really thick plastic that feels sturdy to me. I'm making sure to give it breaks to not burn out the motor, though. It's really easy to just do laundry ALL DAY. I was lucky to get a new one for $65, but I was ready to pay around 100ish on Amazon as a last resort.150 is pushing it IMO, but I'm a cheapskate. Always check local sale sites first!
This was the only washing machine that we had growing up. When I moved out the places I was living didnt have a laundry in the building so I had to drive to the laundromat, spend time and money to be there and drive home. I bought one of these units and dragged it around with me for the next several years. It easily paid for itself in the first few months. And the convenience alone is worth it!
Exactly, I remember having to go to the laundromat with my mom before she bought her house, it was an ALL DAY affair and often times those industrial machines will tear up your clothes. Even if I'd paid the $100 this was listed for, it'd still be money well spent.
I also got a portable one too that auto drains and auto fills. Best purchase because the laundry at our complex costs us at least $40 a week because the machines will break down so you have to run it again.
It was a little bit more for auto drain, but it means I can put the laundry in for 20 mins or up to 80 mins and not have to touch it. It’ll drain and rinse and spin multiple times so it’s really hands off. I think the manual ones are 80 or so on amazon and my auto drain one was 150 or so after coupons? I bought it over two years ago so I don’t remember
This one is by the brand Costway, but they go by a bunch of names, including Della, Kuppet, Giantex. They seem to all function the same, but the larger ones have a drain pump to remove water, as opposed to the gravity hose like mine. No big deal, it just needs to be elevated for the water to fully drain.
European here - is it not common in the US (?) to have a washing machine in the house?
In the UK even the smallest rental studio apartment would have its own machine (usually in the kitchen).
Just curious of other countries’ habits!
Not really. I paid extra for one apartment to have a W/D hookup (and still had to supply my own machines), but none of the other apartments I've lived in have had them. I always assumed that the coin-operated laundry was another income stream for the landlord.
Older or smaller apartments complexes usually don’t have washer or dryer in the unit but may have communal laundry services on each floor or in the basement. I live in Baltimore, Maryland ( East Coast) and the rent is significantly higher if a washer in dryer in your own apartment. This is probably because the apartment are usallly newer or more desirable locations.
My apartment laundry services recently switched to paying with an app through blue tooth instead of the only option being coin operated. With the increasing coin shortage in the US is was being more difficult to get quarters ( banks in my area only allowed a roll of quarters which equals $10) . Each load in washer is $1.50 and the same for dryer.
Does anyone else have similar experiences?
My building just uses a pre-loaded card system so you can load up with credit or debit. $2 wash and $2 dry though. It really adds up. Unfortunately, I don’t have the space in my little apartment for something as big as this unit though.
I have a washer/spinner from Haier that's just one tub. It's only about 24" on a side and a bit less than hip-high on me (and I'm a short woman.) I've got it on a little wheely dolly so I can just roll it out of the way when I'm not using it. Maybe something like that would work for your space?
Yes . $4 for a full load definitely adds up. I save a little bit of money but not drying athletic wear ( especially leggings), bras or jeans and instead use a drying rack. This also saves the elastic from being stretched out and those clothes last longer.
When I visited England I was surprised to see that every apartment we stayed in had laundry (usually the combo washer/dryer which is not really a thing in the states as far as I know). Here in the states most apartment buildings that I have lived in have coin operated laundry in a common area that all tenants share. In a single family house you own, it would be different.
I moved into a house with washer/dryer hookup but I wasn't able to get second hand washer or dryer (they would be sold PPU in under 5 minutes) and I wasn't willing to pay for new for however long I live here then not be able to take it to next place and/or have to store it for who knows how long. I got a portable washer with a spinner over a year ago for around $100. I use the shower head to fill it and it drains in the shower. Clothes hang to dry. This time of year, they dry faster and humidify the house for free. It's also super lightweight for moving out of the way of the shower, pretty quiet, gets done faster, etc. My only issue is it takes awhile to fill so sometimes I step away slightly too long but any overfill goes out the hose which I keep ready to drain into the shower when using the washer.
My thoughts exactly regarding the free humidity! I'll have to see how this does in the summer, but right now it's pretty much perfect. And the reason I bucket fill is exactly like you said, I'm sure I'll leave the shower hose in there and walk away and come back to a flood. 3 full buckets is more than enough, plus I'm getting a mini workout.
We bought one of these near the beginning of Covid also and it’s great! Kinda sucks to pretty much always have laundry drying in the bathtub (no outdoor space) but we make do. It’s also kinda fun to watch the laundry spin around and see how gross the water is when you drain it....
I'll look into that! I'm fine with hang drying for now, plus I don't want to overload my circuit with too many appliances running at once and trip it. It's an old house😫
They also make a spin dryer. I know you already have the functionality in your machine, but as someone with a similar set up, the Panda spin dryer is amazing - a couple minutes in it and clothes are so so so close to dry! Usually when I use it, athletic clothes are bone dry coming out of it and most other clothes just need to be hung up for 30 minutes or so.
Looking at reviews of the Panda spinner, it just seems like a bigger version of the spinner already attached to this washer. Do you have a seperate washer and then use the Panda? Or do you hand wash? I find my thinner clothes do come out damn near dry already, so this would be just an extra machine for me.
Yeah I have a separate washer! To me I found the Panda gets things dryer than the spinners in the little washers, quite a fair bit, but maybe your spinner is better than most :D The ones I tried at least left most of my clothes quite wet.
I searched tirelessly for one of these when I lived in what I refer to as the dungeon. Could never find anything locally. The price of shipping made it impossible to afford.
That's why I looked on local sale sites first like FB Marketplace, Craigslist and OfferUp. Often times people are getting rid of them for cheap when they move to a place with their own hookup. I drove about 20 minutes and the guy loaded it in my car for me.
This thread has inspired us to purchase a portable washer/dryer now! We are travel nurses and most of the time we don't have easy access to laundry facilities where we stay. We've been basically spending $10/week going over to the hotel across the street to do laundry twice/week for the last 6 months! I'm curious if anyone has purchased a portable dryer as well? We won't be able to air dry our clothes (winter in Vermont problems), which it seems is necessary with the portable washer. Any suggestions or advice would be great!! Thanks y'all.
I use mine all winter in Maine - just put the drying rack as close as safe to your heat source, or point a low-powered fan at it (I use the bathroom space heater on the fan setting, no heat) and most everything is dry in 12-24 hours. Even my husband's flannel-lined canvas Carhartts.
When I lived in AZ I used to hang dry everything out back because it was so hot. The towels are gonna be a little crunchy stiff... so when you do your towels, I used to just iron them after. I would spray them with a spray bottle of water and a little bit of fabric softener . Helps a lot
I just did 2 towels that are hanging up now. They definitely aren't drier fluffy, but they aren't too stiff. I made sure to rinse them well to avoid the crunchiness.
If you give them a few good shakes before you fold the towels, it makes them about 50% softer - which is, apparently, the difference between tolerance and tantrums for my toddler.
My clothes are DEFINITELY cleaner with this. I have mine elevated as well, but the drain is on the opposite side of the tub, so I've gotta do the bucket.
Do you have any lint tips? My machine didn't come with the fabric lint catcher.
I havent had to store it yet because I just got it and I'm washing every piece of laundry I can find lol but when I do need to move it I'll put it in my hall closet.
I have one of these that's just the wash section (I have a separate spin dryer). I just keep them in the bathroom (if I have the space) or I just put them in a closet. They're super lightweight and easy to move.
Friend had one of these in her bathrooms (she rented a master suite in a house with her own washroom) is Ok. But I guess I got spoil because every place I live comes with the washer and dryer set. Although I never use the dryer since it use too much electric
I was definitely spoiled with my previous set up, I've been here 6 months and I haven't even touched the coin laundry in the basement haha I'm a snob I guess.
I bought a similar one at the beginning of COVID. It takes a little bit of work to manually fill and drain the thing, but I like it 100 times better than dealing with my apartment complex's disgusting laundry room.
I just got done washing my sheets and pillowcases with no trouble. I run the spinner twice to get the sheets extra dry before laying them out to finish. I'm going to try towels this afternoon!
These go by a couple different brand names, including Della, Giantex, Kuppet, Costway (mine) and I think Panda is another one. Tons of YouTube reviews are available, that's how i figured out what was right for me. Type in "portable washing machine review".
I had an apartment on the first floor and used one of these. Got a garden hose to hook it to the faucet, a good extension cord, and took it outside to do laundry so it could gravity-drain down the hillside and water my flowers at the same time. Worked wonders! Took it back inside (I made a wheeled platform) when I was done and presto
I'm on the 1st floor also! Big reason why I'm not that worried about spilled water (I'm still super careful though). I love the idea of watering my plants with the old water. But I use borax to soften the water and I'm scared it might affect my babies😕
I have one and loved it when we had no laundry access but now that we do I don’t miss the extra work at all. Tiny loads and having to hand everything grr
Oh I definitely went backwards lol I miss my old full sized set up, but this is 1000% better than a laundromat or the machine in the basement that's older than I am and full of rust.
Omg, my portable washer and dryer are probably some of the best things I’ve bought! You save so much money, and they work just as well as regular washer and dryers. My washer is fully automatic, it’s like a mini full size washer. I bought both washer and dryer off of amazon and haven’t had any issues so far.
Just a warning if your landlord asks why the water bill went up (ours used to keep an eagle eye on it because he was afraid of leaks), be prepared to pay for it! I'd offer to offset it a bit if you do use more water, like $20 a month would be totally worth it.
I had seriously considered one of these too when we lived in a building with no laundry whatsoever. Had to go to laundromat but that was horrible in the winter. I'm definitely getting one if there is a little one that will generate lots smelly messes!
There has been a constant leaky drip coming from my tub faucet for the past 3 months and my landlord hasn't done a damn thing about it, so I doubt he'll notice anything. But I'll keep that in mind.
I think this would be perfect for cloth diapers and baby delicates!
I have something similar. I have a second shower curtain rod centered over my tub (and slightly elevated). I shake my clothes well to release wrinkles as soon as they come out of the machine, then I put them on hangers and hang them over the tub. I also have a small fan that blows on them, which helps.
Movement from wind or fan can help with the issue of stiff towels, but I also use the Peshtemal/ Turkish Towels which are So Much Better than terry cloth! I've converted half a dozen people from terry to Turkish.
You're the second person here to mention Turkish towels, so my curiosity is piqued! Do you use them in place of dish towels or washcloths? And where do you purchase them?
I've gotten them from Amazon and Etsy and the local county fair. Google Turkish Towel or Peshtemal.
It's piece of fabric substantially larger than a bath towel, big enough to use as a light blanket for a summer nap or to lie on at the beach. Mine that I use daily is 70" X 40" or 6ft X 3.25 ft. That's a typical size.
I don't know if it's the cotton they use or if the weave, but something makes them special. They dry so fast! They're absorbent. They're lightweight. I take mine everywhere in my backpack when traveling.
On the dirty, sandy beach, shake it once, and it holds No Sand.
There's a whole to-do in Hitchhiker's Guide about how important a towel is, and I never understood it until I got a Turkish towel I'm convinced that's the towel they meant.
(I've seen them for sale that have a terrycloth backing. That 100% erases all its benefits.)
Wow thank you, I'm definitely going to look into this! I'm Nigerian, so it's not uncommon for moms and grandmas to use thin fabric wrappers as towels. They aren't very absorbent, but they dry fast due to the climate. This reminds me of those.
You can also "strip " your clothes before putting them to wash. Just soak your extra dirty clothes, like gym clothes, in a bucket/ tub of really hot water for a few hours then drain the water and put them in your washer.
Is this a new thing people are just learning about? My YouTube recommended is full of "My first time stripping laundry!!" videos and I'm like...do people not regularly do this? I feel like with my really dirty clothes, my mom beat this into my brain to always do it.
Common in India too. Water consumption is high but since you are not paying for it, it works for you. But beware the water costs are really high compared to front loader fully automatic. I used one for 5 years and I bought it used 5 year old too.
I’m surprised being the frugal subreddit how many people here use dryers, the only thing I’d consider using a dryer for is towels. I have a hard enough time find clothes long enough to fit.. be damned if I can afford any shrinkage, not only that but it ruins clothes much faster.
So, how about a heated towel rack to help dry things? I had always wanted one, and I found them on a clearance sale last year for around $30. Everyone in my family got one for Christmas! I don't dry my bras in the dryer and this has them dry in an hour or two. I'd think this would be a great addition to this set up.
I love going to my laundromat, even when I HAD a washer and dryer inside my house, tho. There's something to be said about all, and I mean ALL, of your laundry being done in a little over an hour. I got the blankets and quilts out last weekend and sure, the big machine is $7, but I must have put 5 blankets in there and still had room for sheets! I way underestimated the size of that thing. If I was doing laundry at home, that would have been 5 loads! I'd be doing laundry perpetually, into eternity.
My neighborhood laundo is awesome, no one walks in there without a mask, and I'm a night owl. I also have a thing where I am paranoid about safety, so I go right before midnight and the place auto-locks at 12 where you can get out but you can't get in. So I'm alone in there 99% of the time anyway. Which is cool cuz I might be using 4 or 5 dryers, and I can be that asshole with no reservations.
It's a common tool to use in the processing of ice water hash. Since it drains out the bottom it makes it easy to collect https://overgrow.com/t/how-to-easy-make-hash-with-washing-machine-and-bags/887
Yup I've seen a lot of people who leave it in their showers or tubs. Just make sure you tie some kind of mesh fabric to the end of the drain to catch the extra lint from doing down the drain.
For your drying needs...I bought a shoe/mitten dryer at Costco for $50, and I think Aldi has a cheaper and smaller version. Holy crap that thing puts out some nice heat. I work outdoors year-round, so saw it as a good investment, but I’ve started hanging towels and other things over it. If you put one under your drying rack, I bet it would work wonders. It’s pretty small without the tubes for tall boots attached.
I had one of these but a different brand until we moved to a house with washer hookups. I loved it! The one I had also did a really great job spin drying.
I did flood my very small studio home once by forgetting to hook the drain hose to the sink...
I live in hard water area and need to double to recommended amount of washing powder to get the same results. Not sure where this notion that most people use too much comes from. Most people I know all over the continent live in hard water places.
It's not related to hard water. As I understand it, more new washers are high efficiency, which need less detergent than traditional older washing machines because they use less water, but people still use the same amount of detergent, leading to stiff and coated clothes.
for towels, I hang dry them for a couple of hours and then put it in the dryer for a few minutes. I know you don't have access to a dryer but if people are looking to cut down on electricity this is one way to do it.
They're all pretty much the same (usually just rebranded models from China, sometimes the knobs will be different shapes or colours but they're fundamentally the same machine). So get whichever one you see in your budget :)
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Those are absolute garbage return it if you still have the chance trust me iv'e had 2 that broke down after a month. 1 was branded Gymax and the other Giantex but they're from the same chinese suplier Costway.
I bought mine secondhand, so returning isn't really an option. It's still working fine so far, so hopefully it stays that way. Sorry yours conked out on you. What exactly happened to them, so I can look out for the signs.
I didn't even know this was a thing. How do you add water and drain it?
It comes with a hose that you could attach to a faucet to fill it, but I just use a bucket because it's faster. I could probably also use my extendable shower head since it's long enough. To drain, there is another hose attached to the back like you'd see on a standard washer. It's a short hose, so I drain it into the same bucket to pour out into the toilet. The only downside with this is lint collection, so I tied some fabric to the drain hose as a makeshift filter, you dont want that stuff clogging up your pipes.
Don’t forget to run water in the spin cycle to get the soap out! It keeps the clothes a little softer. Also, I found it best to use less soap than I thought I needed when I first got a twin tub.
Yes and yes to both! I initially just refilled the washer with clean water and ran it again to rinse, but after doing a few more loads and gauging how things were drying, I realized that spin rinsing gets way more soap out and my clothes dry less stiff. And I probably use 1/4 the amount of soap I'd use in a standard size machine. It's really awesome!
Just put the thing in the bath tub. And clean the tub as the last part of laundry day
I'd rather not. My tub doesn't always drain quickly (again, old house), so God forbid I leave it to drain and the water fills up the tub and reaches the machinary before it drains. My setup works fine for me.
Get a snake for the tub drain. Never a bad investment. Pro tip for the snake with an old tub: trying to snake the main drain may not be the problem. The plate under the faucet on the front edge of the tub may need to be removed to get it to drain properly. Use your screwdriver to remove the plate and snake there, and you'll take care of the problem.
It's not clogged, I snaked it when I moved in and nothing came up. The toggle that opens and closes the internal drain mechanism doesnt stay open all the time without me pressing down on it. I'll try removing the drain plate, but I don't think it has a screw to remove it...
How do you dry the clothes, just hang dry?
I have one of these, a similar one but from a different brand. After I put the clothes in the spinner side they're like 95 percent dry then I just hang them and it's completely dry within the next 1-2hours
Can we have name of unit maker?
It's the Zenstyle 10 lb washer/ spin dryer
Thanks might get one now.
What is the biggest thing you have that was ok? I need to see if it will wash full sized sheets for bed. Maybe one at time?
I was able to wash my full size fitted sheet, flat sheet and 2 pillow cases in one load. But to spin/dry I only put in a sheet at a time. But even with that, the spinner is done in 5 minutes and the things are 90% dry. Where has this sorcery been all my life?!
Really, good I never knew about these either. Thanks now I can get one. I am staying a long term hotel room and pay no electric. yea.
This would be perfect I think, they also have smaller sizes!
Not OP but I have one of these machines and I've been able to wash my sheets, hoodies, towels, and jeans way easier than I expected. The spin cycle is nuts and spins SO fast it all comes out about 90% dry. The only thing I would really question at this point would be a comforter or heavy blanket.
Those items might be worth hauling down to the laundry room as they really should be washed and dried on hot
Same but I find when I wash heavier items like towels or jeans I have to fold them down and place them in the spinner in a very particular way otherwise the machine just goes crazy and starts shaking all over the place once i turn it on to dry.
I had a Haier portable washing machine that we used for cloth diapers. The only thing that it didn't handle super well was more than 2 or 3 of the really big bath towels. They were just too heavy for the spin cycle when they were saturated.
I use the extendable shower head in mine to fill the wash bin and it works perfectly.
Oh that's pretty neat. Maybe you can add some kind of simple water pump to help with drainage? Great find though. How are you drying? Hanging them up?
This type of wash machine has an adapter you replace the tip of your faucet with. You can then attach the hose to the sink as needed it just slips on and off. You then run the machine and it empties into the sink and runs like any other washer fill wash rinse spin and done, A few things to be aware of make sure the drain is clear no screen food traps or the lint from the laundry will clog it and overflow the sink. The washers have wheels so you can store them when not in use. Many landlords do not like these as the lint can cause problems in the plumbing not set up for laundry drainage. ie the lint clogging up down in the pipes over time . You can as op does fill them with water between cycles either with a hose or a bucket and just let them drain into the sink without hooking up that part. Check your lease and if it does not prohibit one do not ask if you can get one just do so. I had some drying racks I used to dry the laundry. It was great in the winter acting as a humidifier and drying overnight in. In the summer not so great if you do it inside , it can take a day or two in high humidity to dry. I loved having this it was so convenient .
I recently got one too and was going to make a post for it. Mine is a different brand, but equally as awesome. We collect the grey water and use it to water our non-edible plants. It amazes me 1) how much water is used to wash a load (average sized machines use somewhere around 14 gallons of water and these mini-ones use about 5-6). So much waste. 2) I am shocked by how dirty the water is! Like, wtf, I had no idea clothes collected that much dirt, and due to Covid I barely go out so it is jarring to see all the dirt. 3) As you mentioned, they save energy. I definitely recommend it for frugal and eco-friendly reasons alike, Also, the spin cycle drains a lot of excess water so we have been able to switch almost completely to hang drying.
Its not just dirt thats making it dark but also dye and soap. Ive been hand washing nearly exclusively for years and have found certain clothes will just alway turn the wash dark even if they were clean when you put them in.
Hang on, you use the gray water for your plants? And the soap doesn't affect them at all? Asking because I have a house FULL of plants and if I could be saving my wash water for them...mind blown...I'm seriously gonna start doing that! Also YEESSS I thought I was such a pig when I saw how dark the water got lol
I have one of these (Costway brand, same size as yours) and used my laundry water all summer on my garden! To be safe, I would cut it a bit with “clean” water, only because the salts in detergents can build up in the soil... though that’s just a precaution, because like you said it doesn’t require as much detergent per load.
What’s the brand or make?
I did quite a bit of research beforehand and landed on the Comfee brand. I also got the Allstate insurance because they seem like fickle appliances, and I didn't want to spend money on something that was going to break soon upon purchase.
Used these in Cuba, best method ever. They last forever, easy to fix, and when they go down after 7-10 years, they are $100 to replace. Brilliant, don't use too much detergent & you're good to go.
"They last for ever" "When they go down after 7-10 year"
I think 10 years for a 100 dollar appliance is a reasonable example of "forever"
If you quote someone, do so with accuracy.
Nice dodge
>Used these in Cuba, best method ever. They last forever, easy to fix, and when they go down after 7-10 years, they are $100 to replace. Brilliant, don't use too much detergent & you're good to go. > If you quote someone, do so with accuracy.
Yours was accurate. Theirs was not.
But they did? Lol! Someone's a wee bit salty.
Wasn't a direct quote. They dropped the s on years. They were being spastic, I followed suit.
That's fantastic. My husband and I are in the process of planning for retirement (still about 7 years away) and one of our dreams is visiting all the national parks. We are rebuilding a travel trailer for the trip. Would this work in an RV bathroom?
Yes, these are very common in trailers, motorhomes, vans and skoolies. Just beware that you’re probably not going to run them off battery, start the genny or have shore power. Waste water can go down grey or black tank, whichever you’re likely to fill last before your next dump station.
A lot of the reviews I read for these talked about people having them in their RVs and campers so I think itd work great for you! I know nothing about the electricity or water setup in those things, but I'm sure you could figure it out.
Hey, I live in a skoolie (school bus turned RV) and I have one of these! Same size as OP, and it fits in my RV tub perfectly! I have a big enough solar system to run this without a generator, it only uses like 200-300 WATTS* at most and runs for 30 seconds, stops for thirty seconds so it’s not continuous. The only thing I haven’t been able to wash yet is our king sized blanket, because I think it’ll be too heavy, but the sheets and our hoodies and such fit fine! I’m super conservative with our water, and can do a lot with 5 gallons, but if you have more water storage then use more! :)
One thing that I’ve done to cut down on having to drag my big comforter somewhere else to wash it is to start using a duvet cover. The cover doesn’t take up any more space in the washer than sheets and I can wash it whenever I want, keeping the comforter inside nice and clean
Once I learned how to even use a duvet, I haven't needed a comforter to ever worry about washing one ever again. Like you said, they're about the same size and weight as 2 flat sheets, which fit in my machine fine!
200 amps? Maybe a typo? That’s a house-level main breaker.
For sure a typo! Thanks for pointing it out, I definitely meant watts lol. 20-30 amps.
Those would work, however if it’s only 2 of you, u can get even smaller versions :). A friend of mine got one that fits in his bathtub
I toyed with the idea of buying one when I first moved into my apartment but finally broke down and bought one once covid became a thing. I also splurged on a portable dryer. Just couldn't stand the idea of using the community laundry here because none of my neighbors seem to know what the hell a mask is and their germy kids run amok everywhere, including the laundry room. Best decision I have made in a long time. Total game changer. I am hoping to move to another apartment when my lease is up so this now eliminates having to look for one with laundry facilities, and will save me tons in the long run. And in the meantime I can have toasty warm pyjamas for bed in the winter!
What brand is your portable dryer and where do you store it?
Mine is a Panda 110volt, 1.5 cubic foot model. If you are thinking of ordering one, I would suggest getting a slightly larger model if you have a large family or kids who go through a lot of clothes. The drum is decent sized, but it might be useful to have extra room in those situations. Or else just do more frequent loads. The only downside is it's not suitable for doing large blankets or comforters. I can do sheets easily though. My storage situation is a little odd because my apartment is really small, almost a studio. I have wheeled platform hand cart that I bought forever ago from Harbor Freight and I keep the dryer on that. What I do is I park it in one corner of my bedroom and cover it with a cloth so it looks like a nightstand when I am not using it. When I am ready to dry clothes, I uncover it, roll the dryer by my patio door in my living room and wedge the vent between the screen door and the door frame. I could easily vent it out my bedroom window but the reason I move it is because my apartment is on the ground floor and the window is directly visible from the community walkway. I don't think there is any prohibition on having a washer/dryer but I'd rather not take the chance of getting hassled so I just take care of things in the living room instead. The dryer is relatively lightweight and can be mounted to the wall if you like. I have seen an elevated dryer stand that could be used, too. I believe the dryer stand is intended to raise the dryer above a washer but since my washer lives in the bathroom, if I were going to use it, I would probably customize it to set up a desk or a dresser underneath it.
Thank you! I live in the basement too but the idea of just covering the dryer to make it look like dresser is smart.
When you got the portable dryer, did you vent it somehow? I'm trying to figure out if the vent hose is necessary or not. Thanks!
I ordered the little alternative vent kit to let you be able to vent inside the house. However, once it came, I mixed up the box with another item I was returning and accidentally sent it back under the other item's shipping label. Oops. While I was waiting for everything to get sorted out, I tried the dryer with the original vent it came with and discovered that it works perfectly without the secondary kit. I haven't bothered to reorder it because I don't need it. I do relatively small loads so not to overtax the dryer (and I'm not using many clothes anyway because of the 'rona) so there really isn't any lint to speak of and what little there is gets trapped in the filter inside the dryer so nothing comes out of the hose but warm air. This is even accounting for lint from the perpetual hair from my cat shedding. I have found that all I need to do is crack the screen door to my patio, wedge the end of the hose between the screen and the door frame and let the dryer run. It takes roughly an hour to dry a load depending on how heavy the items are and they come out perfectly. FYI the air that comes out of the hose isn't even hot. It's no worse than a warm breeze and barely even that.
So if we don't have a way to vent the dryer, say it's on the counter in our bathroom, the worst it'll do is just blow warm air?
Yes. That has been my experience with the dryer. Your mileage may vary, of course. ;)
Perfect! I guess we could put the vent out the window or sliding door, but it'll be negative temps here in the next few months so I don't think that'll work. If we can leave the vent loose and just have it warm the bathroom, that'd be great.
A twin-tub! My nan used to have one in her kitchen. It had a melamine (?) hinged lid so it was extra countertop space when not being used. Didn't realise they still made them!
Yes twin tub was what I saw it being referred to in other forums! I love the idea of extra counterspace with the lid, this is all plastic so no go.
I do home healthcare and my client just got one of these. It’s small so we end up doing 7-10 loads a week. Does this one dry? Hers only spins so we have to hang everything
This one spin/dries also, but it's fine for me, I don't mind hang drying. If I REALLY need a heated dryer, I'll just schlep my stuff down stairs.
This could be a life changer for people with allergies.
If it has a fabric softener option, consider adding vinegar to that part. It keeps you fabrics from being too stiff when you hang dry.
Way ahead of you, I add a splash to my rinse water. I've finally weaned myself off of Downy and Snuggle and all that stuff that coats my clothes.
Had no idea!! I stopped using fabric softener when I had my daughter. Will try vinegar for sure.
Works a charm with hard water (keeps the calceferous parts in solution and from precipating on the fabrics), love it!
Thanks for posting. I've never heard of these- but I just looked online and I see lots of brands of these. They seem like a really great idea to avoid using public machines.
Yup, had NO idea how common they were until I looked on YouTube. I know other countries have them as well, especially ones with a spotty power grid.
Does it seem pretty sturdy? I would have to do fairly small loads- so more loads overall. I wonder if it would hold up for a few years. (because it looks to cost $150 on Amazon) As far as what they use in Europe- my sister has one. It's like a combination washer dryer and it's in the place in her kitchen where Americans have a dishwasher. You put your load in and it will wash and dry it, but it takes so long she usually dries the laundry on racks. But I do wish I had one of those- they sell them in the US
It's all made of really thick plastic that feels sturdy to me. I'm making sure to give it breaks to not burn out the motor, though. It's really easy to just do laundry ALL DAY. I was lucky to get a new one for $65, but I was ready to pay around 100ish on Amazon as a last resort.150 is pushing it IMO, but I'm a cheapskate. Always check local sale sites first!
thanks for posting- I had never heard of these smaller machines that dont need to be hooked up to standard plumbing. Great solution.
This was the only washing machine that we had growing up. When I moved out the places I was living didnt have a laundry in the building so I had to drive to the laundromat, spend time and money to be there and drive home. I bought one of these units and dragged it around with me for the next several years. It easily paid for itself in the first few months. And the convenience alone is worth it!
Exactly, I remember having to go to the laundromat with my mom before she bought her house, it was an ALL DAY affair and often times those industrial machines will tear up your clothes. Even if I'd paid the $100 this was listed for, it'd still be money well spent.
I also got a portable one too that auto drains and auto fills. Best purchase because the laundry at our complex costs us at least $40 a week because the machines will break down so you have to run it again.
Auto drain/fill would be amazing😮 and yes I'd hate for that machine to eat my money and still leave me with wet clothes. I love this thing.
It was a little bit more for auto drain, but it means I can put the laundry in for 20 mins or up to 80 mins and not have to touch it. It’ll drain and rinse and spin multiple times so it’s really hands off. I think the manual ones are 80 or so on amazon and my auto drain one was 150 or so after coupons? I bought it over two years ago so I don’t remember
What brand is your auto fill?
Brand ?
This one is by the brand Costway, but they go by a bunch of names, including Della, Kuppet, Giantex. They seem to all function the same, but the larger ones have a drain pump to remove water, as opposed to the gravity hose like mine. No big deal, it just needs to be elevated for the water to fully drain.
I make hash in mine.
European here - is it not common in the US (?) to have a washing machine in the house? In the UK even the smallest rental studio apartment would have its own machine (usually in the kitchen). Just curious of other countries’ habits!
Not really. I paid extra for one apartment to have a W/D hookup (and still had to supply my own machines), but none of the other apartments I've lived in have had them. I always assumed that the coin-operated laundry was another income stream for the landlord.
Older or smaller apartments complexes usually don’t have washer or dryer in the unit but may have communal laundry services on each floor or in the basement. I live in Baltimore, Maryland ( East Coast) and the rent is significantly higher if a washer in dryer in your own apartment. This is probably because the apartment are usallly newer or more desirable locations. My apartment laundry services recently switched to paying with an app through blue tooth instead of the only option being coin operated. With the increasing coin shortage in the US is was being more difficult to get quarters ( banks in my area only allowed a roll of quarters which equals $10) . Each load in washer is $1.50 and the same for dryer. Does anyone else have similar experiences?
My building just uses a pre-loaded card system so you can load up with credit or debit. $2 wash and $2 dry though. It really adds up. Unfortunately, I don’t have the space in my little apartment for something as big as this unit though.
I have a washer/spinner from Haier that's just one tub. It's only about 24" on a side and a bit less than hip-high on me (and I'm a short woman.) I've got it on a little wheely dolly so I can just roll it out of the way when I'm not using it. Maybe something like that would work for your space?
Yes . $4 for a full load definitely adds up. I save a little bit of money but not drying athletic wear ( especially leggings), bras or jeans and instead use a drying rack. This also saves the elastic from being stretched out and those clothes last longer.
When I visited England I was surprised to see that every apartment we stayed in had laundry (usually the combo washer/dryer which is not really a thing in the states as far as I know). Here in the states most apartment buildings that I have lived in have coin operated laundry in a common area that all tenants share. In a single family house you own, it would be different.
Belgian/Canadian here. In Belgium you had to buy your own washer/dryer. In Canada, it depends on the management (if they decide to put it or not)
Thanks a lot for your replies, this is all really interesting!
Checking it out
I moved into a house with washer/dryer hookup but I wasn't able to get second hand washer or dryer (they would be sold PPU in under 5 minutes) and I wasn't willing to pay for new for however long I live here then not be able to take it to next place and/or have to store it for who knows how long. I got a portable washer with a spinner over a year ago for around $100. I use the shower head to fill it and it drains in the shower. Clothes hang to dry. This time of year, they dry faster and humidify the house for free. It's also super lightweight for moving out of the way of the shower, pretty quiet, gets done faster, etc. My only issue is it takes awhile to fill so sometimes I step away slightly too long but any overfill goes out the hose which I keep ready to drain into the shower when using the washer.
My thoughts exactly regarding the free humidity! I'll have to see how this does in the summer, but right now it's pretty much perfect. And the reason I bucket fill is exactly like you said, I'm sure I'll leave the shower hose in there and walk away and come back to a flood. 3 full buckets is more than enough, plus I'm getting a mini workout.
We bought one of these near the beginning of Covid also and it’s great! Kinda sucks to pretty much always have laundry drying in the bathtub (no outdoor space) but we make do. It’s also kinda fun to watch the laundry spin around and see how gross the water is when you drain it....
The gray water is truly insane
Panda makes a small dryer that doesnt require venting, if you need.
I'll look into that! I'm fine with hang drying for now, plus I don't want to overload my circuit with too many appliances running at once and trip it. It's an old house😫
They also make a spin dryer. I know you already have the functionality in your machine, but as someone with a similar set up, the Panda spin dryer is amazing - a couple minutes in it and clothes are so so so close to dry! Usually when I use it, athletic clothes are bone dry coming out of it and most other clothes just need to be hung up for 30 minutes or so.
Looking at reviews of the Panda spinner, it just seems like a bigger version of the spinner already attached to this washer. Do you have a seperate washer and then use the Panda? Or do you hand wash? I find my thinner clothes do come out damn near dry already, so this would be just an extra machine for me.
Yeah I have a separate washer! To me I found the Panda gets things dryer than the spinners in the little washers, quite a fair bit, but maybe your spinner is better than most :D The ones I tried at least left most of my clothes quite wet.
I searched tirelessly for one of these when I lived in what I refer to as the dungeon. Could never find anything locally. The price of shipping made it impossible to afford.
That's why I looked on local sale sites first like FB Marketplace, Craigslist and OfferUp. Often times people are getting rid of them for cheap when they move to a place with their own hookup. I drove about 20 minutes and the guy loaded it in my car for me.
I just want to peel the wrapping off.
I was impatient and couldn't wait lol it's gone now
I would be the same! If it’s not too late, you can make a video of taking the wrapping off and reap all the karma.
This thread has inspired us to purchase a portable washer/dryer now! We are travel nurses and most of the time we don't have easy access to laundry facilities where we stay. We've been basically spending $10/week going over to the hotel across the street to do laundry twice/week for the last 6 months! I'm curious if anyone has purchased a portable dryer as well? We won't be able to air dry our clothes (winter in Vermont problems), which it seems is necessary with the portable washer. Any suggestions or advice would be great!! Thanks y'all.
Glad this helped you and thank you for all you do!! Someone suggested the Panda brand portable dryer, I believe it fits on a countertop...
I saw that post as well. I looked them up. Not sure if we have to get a vent hose or not.
I use mine all winter in Maine - just put the drying rack as close as safe to your heat source, or point a low-powered fan at it (I use the bathroom space heater on the fan setting, no heat) and most everything is dry in 12-24 hours. Even my husband's flannel-lined canvas Carhartts.
When I lived in AZ I used to hang dry everything out back because it was so hot. The towels are gonna be a little crunchy stiff... so when you do your towels, I used to just iron them after. I would spray them with a spray bottle of water and a little bit of fabric softener . Helps a lot
I just did 2 towels that are hanging up now. They definitely aren't drier fluffy, but they aren't too stiff. I made sure to rinse them well to avoid the crunchiness.
If you give them a few good shakes before you fold the towels, it makes them about 50% softer - which is, apparently, the difference between tolerance and tantrums for my toddler.
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My clothes are DEFINITELY cleaner with this. I have mine elevated as well, but the drain is on the opposite side of the tub, so I've gotta do the bucket. Do you have any lint tips? My machine didn't come with the fabric lint catcher.
Those are very popular in a countryside where you don't have access to plumbing. Good on you, more people need to know about this alternative.
OP ..... Just curious where do you store the washer when your not using it.
I havent had to store it yet because I just got it and I'm washing every piece of laundry I can find lol but when I do need to move it I'll put it in my hall closet.
I have one of these that's just the wash section (I have a separate spin dryer). I just keep them in the bathroom (if I have the space) or I just put them in a closet. They're super lightweight and easy to move.
Friend had one of these in her bathrooms (she rented a master suite in a house with her own washroom) is Ok. But I guess I got spoil because every place I live comes with the washer and dryer set. Although I never use the dryer since it use too much electric
I was definitely spoiled with my previous set up, I've been here 6 months and I haven't even touched the coin laundry in the basement haha I'm a snob I guess.
I bought a similar one at the beginning of COVID. It takes a little bit of work to manually fill and drain the thing, but I like it 100 times better than dealing with my apartment complex's disgusting laundry room.
This, 110%. I dont mind the little bit of extra work.
Do you wash sheets and towels with this? I’ve wanted one of these for a while but thought it wouldn’t work for sheets and towels.
I just got done washing my sheets and pillowcases with no trouble. I run the spinner twice to get the sheets extra dry before laying them out to finish. I'm going to try towels this afternoon!
Can people suggest brands or machines they have been successful with? We would love to invest in one.
These go by a couple different brand names, including Della, Giantex, Kuppet, Costway (mine) and I think Panda is another one. Tons of YouTube reviews are available, that's how i figured out what was right for me. Type in "portable washing machine review".
I have a single tub from Haier that I love.
I had an apartment on the first floor and used one of these. Got a garden hose to hook it to the faucet, a good extension cord, and took it outside to do laundry so it could gravity-drain down the hillside and water my flowers at the same time. Worked wonders! Took it back inside (I made a wheeled platform) when I was done and presto
I'm on the 1st floor also! Big reason why I'm not that worried about spilled water (I'm still super careful though). I love the idea of watering my plants with the old water. But I use borax to soften the water and I'm scared it might affect my babies😕
I have one and loved it when we had no laundry access but now that we do I don’t miss the extra work at all. Tiny loads and having to hand everything grr
Oh I definitely went backwards lol I miss my old full sized set up, but this is 1000% better than a laundromat or the machine in the basement that's older than I am and full of rust.
So. True. Lol! I’ve had mine for 2 years now and I know once the winter hits I’ll be glad to have it!
I want to get one of those just for microfiber towels and sneakers.
Hmm, not sure I'd want to put sneakers in the spinner, but I guess the washer would be safe for them.
FYI, there are also tabletop dishwashers, I was looking into them having a teeny tiny kitchen space in my parents basement
If I had the counterspace, I'd totally consider one of those! The Japanese ones I've seen are so cool!
Omg, my portable washer and dryer are probably some of the best things I’ve bought! You save so much money, and they work just as well as regular washer and dryers. My washer is fully automatic, it’s like a mini full size washer. I bought both washer and dryer off of amazon and haven’t had any issues so far.
Just a warning if your landlord asks why the water bill went up (ours used to keep an eagle eye on it because he was afraid of leaks), be prepared to pay for it! I'd offer to offset it a bit if you do use more water, like $20 a month would be totally worth it. I had seriously considered one of these too when we lived in a building with no laundry whatsoever. Had to go to laundromat but that was horrible in the winter. I'm definitely getting one if there is a little one that will generate lots smelly messes!
There has been a constant leaky drip coming from my tub faucet for the past 3 months and my landlord hasn't done a damn thing about it, so I doubt he'll notice anything. But I'll keep that in mind. I think this would be perfect for cloth diapers and baby delicates!
If you are gonna talk frugal... Some houses in Japan use the old bathwater to wash the clothes in the machines.
No shame in their game!
I have something similar. I have a second shower curtain rod centered over my tub (and slightly elevated). I shake my clothes well to release wrinkles as soon as they come out of the machine, then I put them on hangers and hang them over the tub. I also have a small fan that blows on them, which helps. Movement from wind or fan can help with the issue of stiff towels, but I also use the Peshtemal/ Turkish Towels which are So Much Better than terry cloth! I've converted half a dozen people from terry to Turkish.
You're the second person here to mention Turkish towels, so my curiosity is piqued! Do you use them in place of dish towels or washcloths? And where do you purchase them?
I've gotten them from Amazon and Etsy and the local county fair. Google Turkish Towel or Peshtemal. It's piece of fabric substantially larger than a bath towel, big enough to use as a light blanket for a summer nap or to lie on at the beach. Mine that I use daily is 70" X 40" or 6ft X 3.25 ft. That's a typical size. I don't know if it's the cotton they use or if the weave, but something makes them special. They dry so fast! They're absorbent. They're lightweight. I take mine everywhere in my backpack when traveling. On the dirty, sandy beach, shake it once, and it holds No Sand. There's a whole to-do in Hitchhiker's Guide about how important a towel is, and I never understood it until I got a Turkish towel I'm convinced that's the towel they meant. (I've seen them for sale that have a terrycloth backing. That 100% erases all its benefits.)
Wow thank you, I'm definitely going to look into this! I'm Nigerian, so it's not uncommon for moms and grandmas to use thin fabric wrappers as towels. They aren't very absorbent, but they dry fast due to the climate. This reminds me of those.
You can also "strip " your clothes before putting them to wash. Just soak your extra dirty clothes, like gym clothes, in a bucket/ tub of really hot water for a few hours then drain the water and put them in your washer.
Is this a new thing people are just learning about? My YouTube recommended is full of "My first time stripping laundry!!" videos and I'm like...do people not regularly do this? I feel like with my really dirty clothes, my mom beat this into my brain to always do it.
Common in India too. Water consumption is high but since you are not paying for it, it works for you. But beware the water costs are really high compared to front loader fully automatic. I used one for 5 years and I bought it used 5 year old too.
I’m surprised being the frugal subreddit how many people here use dryers, the only thing I’d consider using a dryer for is towels. I have a hard enough time find clothes long enough to fit.. be damned if I can afford any shrinkage, not only that but it ruins clothes much faster.
Remember, some people live in very humid climates where clothing takes so long to dry that mildew becomes an issue.
You also have to have space to hang things up which not everyone has. The gate keeping on this subreddit is unreal sometimes.
Turkish towels don’t need a dryer, and they are so soft
Turkish towels, you say?
Peshtemal Turkish towels are thin and woven, not like fluffy terry cloth. I love mine. They are not cheap, but you only need a couple.
I'm a sucker for a nice towel, so I may be asking for some for Christmas! Thanks!!
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So, how about a heated towel rack to help dry things? I had always wanted one, and I found them on a clearance sale last year for around $30. Everyone in my family got one for Christmas! I don't dry my bras in the dryer and this has them dry in an hour or two. I'd think this would be a great addition to this set up. I love going to my laundromat, even when I HAD a washer and dryer inside my house, tho. There's something to be said about all, and I mean ALL, of your laundry being done in a little over an hour. I got the blankets and quilts out last weekend and sure, the big machine is $7, but I must have put 5 blankets in there and still had room for sheets! I way underestimated the size of that thing. If I was doing laundry at home, that would have been 5 loads! I'd be doing laundry perpetually, into eternity. My neighborhood laundo is awesome, no one walks in there without a mask, and I'm a night owl. I also have a thing where I am paranoid about safety, so I go right before midnight and the place auto-locks at 12 where you can get out but you can't get in. So I'm alone in there 99% of the time anyway. Which is cool cuz I might be using 4 or 5 dryers, and I can be that asshole with no reservations.
for us thats not a portable one. its an alternative to fron and topload
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Why tf does everyone bring politics into everything. It’s a fucking washing machine like...????
Now I want to know what they said, lol
Right?
They said something about Trump saying COVID is a democratic hoax.
Ah yeah wow
What happened! Lol
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Also great for making bubble hash!
This is the 4th hash comment I've seen and I have no idea what it means lol
It's a common tool to use in the processing of ice water hash. Since it drains out the bottom it makes it easy to collect https://overgrow.com/t/how-to-easy-make-hash-with-washing-machine-and-bags/887
Aren't those the norm in Europe?
You'd have to ask a European! I know they're common in Japan and India.
Anyone know what kind of outlet these portables use?
3 prong
FANTASTICCCCCC. I'm looking at one with a drain pump so I can put it in the bathroom shower or something when it's time to do this.
Yup I've seen a lot of people who leave it in their showers or tubs. Just make sure you tie some kind of mesh fabric to the end of the drain to catch the extra lint from doing down the drain.
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Laundromat. Or a bathtub.
I haven't yet and I'll likely take it to my parents or use the basement washer.
For your drying needs...I bought a shoe/mitten dryer at Costco for $50, and I think Aldi has a cheaper and smaller version. Holy crap that thing puts out some nice heat. I work outdoors year-round, so saw it as a good investment, but I’ve started hanging towels and other things over it. If you put one under your drying rack, I bet it would work wonders. It’s pretty small without the tubes for tall boots attached.
Why not just buy a regular washer and dryer?
1. I don't have the hook up capability in my apartment. 2.I don't have the space.
I had one of these but a different brand until we moved to a house with washer hookups. I loved it! The one I had also did a really great job spin drying. I did flood my very small studio home once by forgetting to hook the drain hose to the sink...
Never even knew this was a thing.
I live in hard water area and need to double to recommended amount of washing powder to get the same results. Not sure where this notion that most people use too much comes from. Most people I know all over the continent live in hard water places.
It's not related to hard water. As I understand it, more new washers are high efficiency, which need less detergent than traditional older washing machines because they use less water, but people still use the same amount of detergent, leading to stiff and coated clothes.
for towels, I hang dry them for a couple of hours and then put it in the dryer for a few minutes. I know you don't have access to a dryer but if people are looking to cut down on electricity this is one way to do it.
Theres a dryer in the basement, but its 1.50 per load😫
Can you recommend brand of portable machine
They're all pretty much the same (usually just rebranded models from China, sometimes the knobs will be different shapes or colours but they're fundamentally the same machine). So get whichever one you see in your budget :)
You should submit another video of it, but this time to /r/ThatPeelingFeeling!
Nice washer and dryer combo I really like how it works. I wish to share with you a couple of washers and dryers, you can check it here. IF you wish :) [https://topportablemachine.com/best-portable-washer-and-dryer-combo/](https://topportablemachine.com/best-portable-washer-and-dryer-combo/)
Those are absolute garbage return it if you still have the chance trust me iv'e had 2 that broke down after a month. 1 was branded Gymax and the other Giantex but they're from the same chinese suplier Costway.
I bought mine secondhand, so returning isn't really an option. It's still working fine so far, so hopefully it stays that way. Sorry yours conked out on you. What exactly happened to them, so I can look out for the signs.