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New clothes washer ?


gypsydan

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We had another version . It was called a Wonder Wash . A bit smaller , but not much . We used it a couple of times and it sat in storage for a while before it disappeared .

You could do just as well with a bucket ... You'd have cleaner hands and a fatter pocketbook , not to mention enough storage room for something that really makes a difference .

Goes around , comes around .

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My favorite no laundry story is the guy who emptied his pockets then got in the shower fully clothed. He soaked himself and his clothes then stripped leaving the clothes under foot. As he washed himself the suds went down into the clothes. As he moved around his feet squashed the suds through the clothes. Then he rinsed himself and the clothes, dried himself, and hung the wet clothes in the shower. Done. :D

 

Linda Sand

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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Here is an 8:45 minute video of another alternative being used in an RV - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf9YV9B1XZI. He is using a Breathing Mobile Washer, about $25 from Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Breathing-Mobile-Washer-non-electric-Included/dp/B002QUAPSO.

2004 40' Newmar Dutch Star DP towing an AWD 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid, Fulltimer July 2003 to October 2018, Parttimer now.
Travels through much of 2013 - http://www.sacnoth.com - Bill, Diane and Evita (the cat)
 

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I have a Wonder Wash and Nina Soft Spin Dryer and love and use them both. http://www.laundry-alternative.com

 

We camp a lot in Corps of Engineer parks which means no sewer hook-up, so we couldn't use our on-board washer for weeks at a time. Last year I used the combo above to do my laundry at least 5 or 6 months of the year. The Wonder Wash will do a 5 lb. load of laundry, which looks like a queen-sized sheet and pillow case, or 2 pairs of my husband's jeans, or 8 of his heavy cotton XL t-shirts, or a super large bath towel and the hand towels. It will do a week's worth of whites, or all my hand wash. Saves me a ton of money. I used the spin dryer after every load of wash, whether it was done in my Wonder Wash or regular washer. Saved a ton of drying time, even if I put things in the dryer afterward instead of hanging them.

 

We are between rigs right now, but the Wonder Wash and Nina Soft Spin Dryer found their place in our truck so I can do laundry in hotels as we search for our next rolling home.

 

For what it's worth, the recommended longest time to crank the heaviest load in a Wonder Wash is 2 minutes, (rinsing takes a minute no matter what size load). I saw in your video that they recommend pumping the yirego with your foot for 5 or 10 minutes. Sounds like a great workout, but I wouldn't want to do 6 or 7 loads at a time.

 

I've also made my own laundry powder and stain remover for cents on the dollar and only use about a teaspoon at a time in the Wonder Wash. Results are great. This washer a perfect size for the way I like to separate my laundry loads, and it doesn't use much water at all. I don't know why Pete and Pat didn't like their Wonder Wash, but I have room to store it and use it all the time. A sterilite storage box protects its awkward shape and makes it easily stackable.

 

Just a note on the spin dryer - the owner of The Laundry Alternative told me that it needs to be stored upright, so be sure of your dimensions before you order one.

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I have a Wonder Wash and it's one of the most disappointing purchases I've ever made. I bought it to use while boondocking.

 

The main problem I have is the clothes have to be hand-wrung. You can wring forever but they're still going to be soaking wet. rocksbride deals with that by having a spin dryer, but that's a separate appliance that requires electricity. I already have a 14-year-old Splendide washer/dryer combo unit, and I don't think it takes up a whole lot more space than a Wonder Wash (which is surprisingly bulky) and a separate spin dryer would. And of course it's a real washing machine with a wicked spin cycle and it's a dryer.

 

Also, the Wonder Wash needs warm or hot water--cold isn't an option. And it uses a surprising amount of water. I can do a set of queen sheets and 4 pillowcases in the Splendide with 8 gallons of water, which isn't any more than the Wonder Wash would take to do the two loads those sheets would take, and maybe less. And I've looked at things like white socks after going through the Wonder Wash and I'm sure they're clean (although perhaps not all that well rinsed) but they don't necessarily look it.

 

I still have the Wonder Wash because I have room for it in a basement storage container, plus I guess I just can't believe it doesn't work like I'd hoped. But if I'm going to have to hand-wring anyway, I don't think it's any better than hand-washing in the sink.

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I appreciate all the input, especially the differences in experience of these washers. All the differences make it confusing as to what I should do. Maybe go for it, as the cost is not that big.

2009 Four Winds Chateau - 25' class C          2002 Chevy Tracker

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When I was a kid, in the summer we would build a fire outside so it wouldn't heat up the kitchen, drag a washtub over and put it on the fire, supported by some rocks, heat the water, add some home made soap and stomp the clothes with a rubber toilet plunger. (The outhouse didn't need a plunger, so it was only used for laundry.) For especially dirty and stained clothes, there was a washboard to stand in the tub and scrub the clothes on. Wring them out by hand and hang them on the line. In the winter we did the washing in the kitchen, but hanging the clothes out on the line when the temperature was below freezing was miserable work. I thought we had become rich and famous when we finally got a wringer with a couple rollers and a crank that clamped onto the washtub. It had an adjustment on the top to set how seriously it squeezed the water out of the clothes. I think about that and can't imagine how people can talk about the good-old-days.

F-250 SCREW 4X4 Gas, 5th NuWa Premier 35FKTG, Full Time, Engineer Ret.

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In the winter we did the washing in the kitchen, but hanging the clothes out on the line when the temperature was below freezing was miserable work. I thought we had become rich and famous when we finally got a wringer with a couple rollers and a crank that clamped onto the washtub. It had an adjustment on the top to set how seriously it squeezed the water out of the clothes. I think about that and can't imagine how people can talk about the good-old-days.

 

When you hang clothes outside in the winter you have to wait until they soften to take them down. Being hard is caused by still having ice in them. It was important to not set the wringer so tightly that it broke the buttons on the shirts. I recently saw a photo of a rig that had a wringer mounted on the back bumper.

 

Linda Sand

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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We generally use the laundromat excursion to also use the free wifi that most of them offer. An hour or 2 a week is not a bad use of time.

 

We do use the built in combo unit in the MH if at a hookup for light duty. Wife says it takes forever to dry things.

<p>....JIM and LINDA......2001 American Eagle 40 '.towing a GMC Sierra 1500 4X4 with RZR in the rear. 1999 JEEP Cherokee that we tow as well.

IT IS A CONTENTED MAN WHO CAN APPRECIATE THE SCENERY ALONG A DETOUR.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I prefer Sandsys' approach. Here is one that could actually do a pair of jeans. . . .

I had one of these decades ago with the handle and the drum. I found it like making homemade ice cream that you have to churn - I did it once and that was enough.

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  • 4 weeks later...

We've used the Wonder Washer for so long that we actually wore the first one out! LOL It is a HECK of a lot cheaper than Yirego Drumi! For several years now we have used a spin dryer too! the spin dryer works so well that some of our clothes are almost dry by time we hang them up! Both of them we got thru Laundry Alternative. the spine dryer does require electricity, but a small inverter (~300 watt msw) will more than handle it (3 loads draw a total of 11 AH at 12 volts).

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I'll throw in another vote for the Laundry Alternatives spin dryer. Even if you are using a standard electric dryer it can significantly cut down on drying times. As mentioned.. many lighter weight items come out practically dry as is.

 

For a washer.. I'm a little more lazy. I'm not a big fan of the wonder wash. A bucket and specialty plunger does just about as good, but my current setup does a really excellent job. I use a Mr. Heater Basecamp washer. It's electric, but it really doesn't drink much. It holds more, has adjustable time settings and agitates in both directions which seems to give a much better clean.

 

As I understand it.. they have a newer model that is both a washer & spin dryer. I've never tried it, but I think it would be hard pressed to beat out LA's Nina Soft. As Avion Lover mentioned.. it also doesn't drink much juice.

 

A wash, rinse cycle and spin dry runs me right around 5ah's per 5lb load. Plenty economical enough for me to give up the bucket. B)

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We also use the 5 gal bucket with a specialty plunger. Works great for under ware, maybe not so good for the heavy stuff, but as long as I have clean under ware, I'm happy. I can then use the bucket for other things. Dick T

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