This disc-shaped device is fully USB-powered, fairly small (about 12cm / 4.5in diameter), light-weight (270 grams), has a 30-minute timer, and works by churning the water in two opposite directions and emitting vibrations, each at a 1-minute interval.
Some motivating factors:
- Lower power consumption
- Ultra-minimalist nomadic lifestyle (i.e. one-bag)
- Avoiding hassle of buying a washing machine, waiting for a long time at the laundromat, etc.
Good: With a very small load, just a few pairs of underwear, and a properly sized container, washing came out clean and smelling good
Bad: With a medium or large size load, the machine won't function. Seems to consume more water than my water-efficient traditional washing machine. Takes longer to dry, even with hand-wringing (1-2 days)
My procedure was as follows:
- Stick washing machine to floor or side of container
- Add some washing detergent / powder and fill with water half-way
- Sprinkle dry dirty clothes with some washing detergent / powder
- Dump clothes in and stir so they're submerged
- Connect and turn on the washing machine and pray
Result was not good.
• Clothes barely budged while the machine worked at full-pelt.
• Machine cut out every time it got to the "vibrating" part of the cycle.
I was using an outlet adapter with a regular 5v / 1amp USB connection. Looks like the vibrating cycle requires more power.
Experiment 2: Smaller rectangular container, stuck washing machine to the side, filled with water, added 3 pairs of underwear only.
Result was good.
• Clothes moved around and were agitated correctly
Learning: Use smaller container and fewer/smaller clothing items.
• Machine didn't cut out for the full 30-minute period
Switching to a higher-amp "PD" adapter solved this.
Learning: Use higher amperage power-source.
• Clothes smelled fresh.
• Drying, after gentle hand-wringing, took about 2 days in moderate-warm weather (20 degrees)
Overall thoughts
I'm excited by the prospect that I could be able to do my laundry practically anywhere I live, all with this tiny device. Being USB-powered and low-wattage, I may even be able to run it off a portable battery pack or even my laptop!
While it was disappointing that the large load didn't work, I don't think I need to run such big loads most of the time. My bulkier clothes tend to be things that don't require much if any washing - jeans, jacket. Mid-sized tops like t-shirts and long-sleeve shirts can be replaced with Merino wool which doesn't need much washing; I could just hand-wash them occasionally. Also I don't mind washing 2 times per week with fewer items per load and/or re-using underwear once or twice.
Also the experiment got me questioning... if clothes washing (small-scale) can be as simple as agitating clothing for a 30 minutes, do I even need an electric device at all? Couldn't I just put the clothes in a bucket, fill with water and agitate with my feet while reading a book or working? Sounds like a nice chill exercise routine. If chemicals are an issue I could use a skin-friendly product like Dr Bronner's soap or put hand gloves over my feet.
Keen to hear any thoughts or questions. Thanks for reading!