No, I don't want a free set of steak knives.

November 1, 2008 3:12 PM

Remember those egg-shaped handle-powered washing machines that were advertised on infomercials in the '90s? Has anyone actually used one? Did it actually work? And in these electricity-conscious, water-saving times, has the concept of a human-powered hand-washing machine evolved into something a bit, well, less daggy?

I'm conditioned to believe that anything advertised on infomercials must be absolute nonsense. But now I find myself in my little bachelorette apartment with no room for a washing machine.

The laundromat is fine for most things, but I have a slowly-expanding wardrobe of professional attire which really does need to be handwashed. Slaving over a soapy sink every night is getting old; I want a tech fix.

Can you recommend a decent technomagical alternative to washing clothes by hand? I am not averse to winding or pedalling or dancing around in circles, as long as it actually works. Bonus points: can I buy something like this in Australia without staying up late and watching crap TV?

posted by [ixia] to home & garden (11 comments total)

Do you mean ones like this?
posted by Houstonian at 3:25 PM on November 1, 2008

If you're referring to those pressure washer things that had a crank and flipped up and down, I used one for several months for everything but sheets. It got my shirts cleaner than the laundromat did. If I remember right, it was important to use hot water, which I guess helped create the pressure.

The washing was simple and quick. The main hassle for me was the wringing and rinsing. It's tiring to wring by hand, so I got a wringer (two rollers with a crank). But I didn't have anywhere to mount the wringer, and my temporary setup involving C clamps on the kitchen sink was annoying. Eventually I went back to the laundromat, and now I have a washing machine.

If I had a real washtub stand to which I could attach the wringer, I would have lasted longer with hand washing. It actually would have been nice to do the rinsing and wringing out in the garden, by the laundry tree.

Washing by hand, even with the wringing, took less time than driving to the laundromat.
posted by PatoPata at 3:27 PM on November 1, 2008 [1 favorite]

The one that Houstonian linked to is the one I had.
posted by PatoPata at 3:29 PM on November 1, 2008

I hear good things about this one, though I don't have firsthand experience with it.
posted by susanvance at 3:29 PM on November 1, 2008

I had one, it was called a 'Wash Wizz'. The 'pressure washing' was a bunch of marketing fluff, since for pressure to actually get dirt out it has to be actually causing the water to move, say, with a pressure nozzle, not just sitting there at a couple PSI over atmosphere.

It was basically a glorified machine for getting your clothes wet and I wouldn't want to be caught dead with one in my house.
posted by dunkadunc at 3:40 PM on November 1, 2008

If you check this thread today, there's a Wonderwash for sale on Aus ebay. Otherwise... I remember seeing a doco on grey nomads where people were using them. So maybe camping stores?
posted by t0astie at 3:43 PM on November 1, 2008

Kevin Kelly recently featured the "Breathing" Mobile Washer on his CoolTools blog...
posted by fairmettle at 3:49 PM on November 1, 2008

I have a wonderwash that I use on occasion to wash laundry with. I would second PotaPata about the wringing out the wash actually being the most tedious part. The washing itself was fine.

For the most part everything came out clean and dandy. If I noticed some was extra dirty I would just throw it back in again.

I would recommend the wonderwash, if, like you said, you are already doing a bunch of wash by hand. You are probably already familiar with all the downfalls such as wringing the wash and hanging it up. I think its a neat, little gadget and really works well for as simple as it is.
posted by aetg at 4:27 PM on November 1, 2008

I had one, when I lived in a neighborhood that wasn't zoned for washing machines (why, I don't know). It worked pretty well as long as you had small loads, but was useless for sheets or blankets.
posted by acrasis at 4:28 PM on November 1, 2008

Where do you live? Do you have a yard? How adventurous are you?

People, in some parts of the world, do an amazing job with machines like this. You also would not believe how clean you can get clothes with rocks. If you live near a river.

I have an Asko, but am thinking of picking up an old wringer washer for saddle pads and dog beds the next time I go to Mexico.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 5:41 PM on November 1, 2008

I have a wonderwash and it works well. I also have a spin dryer so I can skip the wringing step. The clothes still need to be put in the dryer or line dried but the spin dryer gets like 90% of the water out. I purchased both at The Laundry Alternative about two years ago and I've been happy with them.
posted by tinamonster at 6:00 PM on November 1, 2008