WonderWash Portable Washing Machine for Apartment & Tiny Spaces - Manual Hand Clothes Washer with Retro Design - Clean Laundry Anywhere with Our Countertop, Non-Electric, Small Washer - Mint Green

The title says it all: It is a freakin' Wonder Machine.But why did I buy it?Because I like to crank?Because I am a save-the-water nutcase?Because I need a lower arm grip bulge?Because I have a great story about washing machines?In order: Sort of; not nutcase but I saw the film about Sahara travelers who left their village when the well dried up and had to give their oldest son and half their cows to the warlord for safe passage and water; wouldn't hurt; now how did you guess?Obviously my washing machine is finished.Because the required "I can fix it, sir" parts are NLA.No longer available, for those of you who are like I was a week ago.My mom's first washer dryer set lasted 50 years.My refurb aqua blue Whirlpool matched set were 40 years old when I bought them for $175 installed in 1979 and I know for a fact still going strong today.With two minor repair visits - one a mouse hose chewthrough - and enough diapers through them to handle six months of China's annual newborn population for a year.Okay. I have a stacked washer and gas dryer, condominium alcove 24" deep size front loader - BIG BIG fan - about 20 years old.Very nicely treated to a light load - min cold water, low suds, gentle cycle - every two weeks,(Work at home, no filthy, sweaty, commute-cursing soil.).White-Westinghouse for those who were wondering.And a functioning gas dryer that makes the Wonder Machine WonderFUL.Can I get just the washer because the dryer is gas, as noted, and I think they die when the owner dies in the explosion caused by 80 year old gas tubing, but not before?I'm not an engineer - once software - but any fool can see the constraints on washer replacement growing out of control lickety split.Otherwise why would I be reduced to trying out a WONDER MACHINE?Another constraint: the alcove depth for the stack is 34" but only 27" from back wall to the support posts.So my White-Westinghouse, at 24.5" deep was perfect.You see where this is going, right?Keep your eyes peeled because it's a forked road.I start looking for replacements.First, sticker stun.Not sticker shock.Sticker stun.Second, will it fit?Third, will the Home Depot installers put it under my still hot-as-heck-when-needed but cool-as-heaven-when-not?Obviously: "No, I am very sorry but we are unable to do that for you, sir" said the genuinely nice and incredibly knowledgeable online help chat lady.Can I find a refurb front loader?Maybe.From a reputable source that will guarantee it won't leak on my neighbor downstairs.Who moved in 2 years before I did 23 years ago.And sold me the washer/dryer combo I now have 15 years ago for $150?And had her installers put mine in for free?Well, Tony, the AAA aPliance repairman who charged $50 to explain to me what NLA means said "No problem sir. I will call you tomorrow on my mother's and let you know."Sorry, Tony's mother. It's a week and no Tony ringee dingee so I guess he must have been your first son.So, "Can I find a refurb front loader?"No way.So I think I am headed for the $899 LG which I will put in myself with the help of some of the guys who work at the condo for $100, pizza, and beer.It'll stick out because it's 1/2 inch deeper than the alcove and the machine needs 2" or so behind for connections and "breathing room" according to the licensed, certified professional (Tony) who told me I was toast for $50.And looked on the Westinghouse website with me and explained the NLA next to every part we needed.So, I swallow, forget about all the money I don't have from my "I will definitely pay you for this work" from my friends and "Gotcha" - or "Gotit" from my not-so-friends and put the $899 + shipping + install in my emotional acceptance range.Then I looked at the warranty.One year.No profanity on Amazon reviews and no pointers to profanity but think capital w followed by two letters last one f and you have my verbalization - also called something else, for example in court - but a prohibited Amazon review word, I'm pretty sure.One year?Are you freakin' kidding me?Now we digress, but not really.Are you freakin' kidding me?A 700 HP Corvette ZR1 has a 36 month bumper-to-bumper.I imagine they have engine and transmission action recorders like BMW and Mercedes so they can tell if you crank it to 6500 rpm and drop the clutch more than a few times - it's manual only because they want to make sure you have that 20% sure-death power you lose in an automatic.So let me get this straight:A $900 $1000 delivered installed piece of Korean best of breed engineering with every technical, mechanical, and materials improvement they could put into it beyond what was in the Japanese best in the world machine they copied has a 12 month warranty?And the ZR1 Blue Devil Corvette, which goes 200+ mph and is made to withstand actual endurance racing stress with a couple hundred dollar addons and ceramic brakes if you didn't get the "comfort package" has 36 months?Unless you buy the 5 year bumper-to-bumper for a couple of thousand more?Now, some comparison facts.The LG weighs a couple of hundred pounds and moves only three times:1. Korea to US portside.2. Portside to Distribution Warehouse.3. Warehouse to You.Final stop.Not "we're delivering your $140,000 ZR1 to your office today" final stop.Final unless-you-move-and-take-it-with-you final stop."No 0-120s.No sub-10 quarter miles all day long and maybe a wheelie for your chick/guy/whatever when you want to show off.No "Watch that dumb Viper run out of breath at 185 and eat my dust to 206?"None of that.Just dump clothes in, pour in some soap, close the lid, turn it on, let it drink, churn, spin, spin some more, rinse, drink, churn, spin, and stop.That's it.Maybe, maximum, 730 times.Before its warranty runs out.That's twice a day for a year, give or take depending on whether it's leap year, which is probably a warranty exclusion anyway.Or me, maybe 30 times in the 12 month warranty period.It's not that I stink. As noted, I work at home - long "friends" story - and dress very down, especially when the temperature is over 50 degrees.So, 12 months with your space ship LG (or Samsung or whatever space age washing machine you buy) and you're on your own.Let's contrast that to a ZR1. Or a Viper. Or a Yugo. Or a Camry, whatever.Here're some numbers.Keep in mind these things all have at least 36 months of warranty on drivetrain parts, which is 1095 days, or 1096 days if you get lucky.Suppose you drive the thing 12,000 miles a year, maybe 35 miles a day at let's say 30 mph.Which is not going to happen in a ZR1 but let's suppose.And let's suppose you're always at 2000 RPM, which you're sure as heck not going to be in a ZR1.But let's suppose.So, when your ZR1 36 month warranty runs out, your double supercharged 700 HP planet-moving torque motor that toasts the Viper when it runs out of air at around 180, it looks like this according to my Microsoft calculator accessory:35 miles per day30 miles per hour70 minutes driving2000 rpm140,000 revolutions/day1096 days * 140,000 revolutions153,440,000 turns of the 700 horsepower double supercharged motor which, if you bring it in for repair and you remembered to take all the stock class 1/4 mile trophies out of the back, they'll fix to new specs no questions asked.Of course smiling and winking at you because they were there too, cheering the bowtie.And the thing is not supposed to break.It is built for that.And those pistons? Up and down 2X revolutions.Basically we are in the 150 Million to 1/2 billion range warranted against failure here.Now, what's the deal with a washing machine?No trophies.No dropping the clutch.No 1.3 g side load on Goodyear 20" wide low profiles gum drops.Just some nice warm water, some low sudsing sweet smelling soap, everyone's disgusting dirty clothes of course, some churning, a little spinning, a rinse, a repeat or two, and that's it.What's not to like?No abuse, no wheelies, no driveshaft-bending, skyscraper-collapsing, Redwood-tumbling torque.No ECU re-programming between required scheduled visits to the Chevy dealer for an extra 80 horsepower and 90 foot pounds of frame twisting, gear shattering, driveshaft snapping, axle twisting torque.None of that.Just wash the clothes and go back to sleep.So I thought long and hard about all this.For a minute.And thank you very much, I'll do my sweaty running clothes and a couple of towels once a week by hand or stomp them in the tub while I shower and wait until my nice neighbor lady downstairs gets her next new washer/dryer from her kids and buy the ones she has for, maybe, $200 installed.But I tried the WONDER MACHINE so I wouldn't have to bend over so often in the shower to move my running clothes around as I stomp them when I shower.And it works great, as my friends would say.The WONDER MACHINE's clean clothes go into my old old old hot-as-heck gas dryer and that's it.First time out, I was cranking the handle and working up the nerve to do the OMG NOT THAT PLEASE running-socks sniff test.Then I looked at the water coming out of the WONDER MACHINE drain pipe OMG NOT THAT PLEASE.Filth.Lenny Bruce never came close.I sniffed, I smiled, and I am smiling still as everything is toastily drying in the gas dryer.The WONDER MACHINE now occupies its place of honor in the back of my bathtub waiting for its next 3 minute, make-your-clothes-as-good-as-new workout.I gotta say, this whole washing machine industry has us all by the dirty shorts.I see a business opportunity here.Suppose I licensed the 80 year old Whirlpool designs, or got them for free because they are probably in the public domain now.And I built washers - top, side, front, back - whatever loaders just like Mom used to have.No fancy computer junk.Three cycles, three water temperatures, that's it.And gave a 20/25 year no questions asked no fine print warranty.And sold them on Amazon for $499 + $80 delivery + $50 install.I know no one is reading this sentence, or will read the next, next-to-last-but-two sentence but here's the punchline.Who wouldn't buy one?Maybe not me if this WONDER MACHINE keeps working like it is now and I don't need to wash my 41 year old Holubar Summer Light Royal Blue mint condition sleeping bag again.Ever.

Four years later and I've bought two more of these to give to travel nurse friends as gifts! It's small, lightweight, an the drum holds detergent, softener, and Lysol laundry sanitizer when I transport it.I'm still cranking my washing when I rent a place with no washer and dryer, and still delighted.I hand wring everything still, and have upgraded from rope in a closet to a collapsible clothes tree I spotted at a big box store. See the latest picture. That way, I can dry outside if the weather is compatible, but easy enough o do inside as well.I figure the Wonder Wash has saved me about 80 trips to a laundromat. Fantastic!-------------------------------------Holy wonderful washing unit! I really cannot tell you how impressed I am, but I am sure going to try.I've had the Wonderwash for about a week now and I've done laundry every other day. It's so quick and easy that I start it while waiting for my coffee to brew, let it drain while I make breakfast, do a rinse run while my eggs finish cooking, plate up my food while it drains, rinse one more time, and eat my meal while it drains the final time. It doesn't even need that final rinse, I'm just picky.It is absolutely perfect for my scrubs. I can wash and hang a couple of uniforms every couple of days and never run out again. No more waiting for the laundry room in my apartment to have a free machine.I've converted a closet into a make shift drying area with dollarstore plastic drop cloth, clothesline, and clothespins.This machine has successfully washed scrubs, delicate, jeans, workout clothes, towels, sheets, and tonight I ran my tennis shoes through it! The absolute success of it, across the board, has me writing this review while it drains.The machine is almost entirely plastic so it is super light weight. It snaps together easily for use. It uses very little water and detergent. Best of all, it really cleans.When not in use, I wipe the drum dry and stash it in the same closet I use to hang clothes. This is a must have for travel nurses. No more hunting for open laundromats at 2am, or checking the facilities machines every hour hoping to get some laundry done.I see this being great for camping too. I can't wait to take it on a trip. For now, it certainly sees enough use. Love love love this.TIPS AND TRICKS (Because I can find a dozen reviews and very little advice)°Add water and soap before clothes.Keep a hand towel nearby for inevitable dribbles.°If using hot water, pressure builds up (that's a feature, not a bug!) and sometimes the lid will start to leak. After a few turns, release the lid, lock it back down, and keep going. You may have to do this a couple times based upon how hot the water is.°This is where that hand towel comes in. Give the drum a quick wipe to reduce splatter.°Use a permanent marker to indicate the grooves on the drainage tube (see picture). This saves you the messy fumble of trying to line it up while water leaks everywhere.°Use less water to rinse than you did to wash. The clothes are already wet, and too much water causes the unit to wobble and thud loudly when it is turned. I have found that my rinse cycles take about half the water of my wash cycle.°Wash with hot and rinse with cold to save the "lid dribbles" when you don't need them!I rinse twice. After my wash, I add a spoonful of fabric softener to the first rinse, and plain water to my second. My clothes smell fantastic.°If you are line or coat-hanger-drying indoors, set up a fan to decrease your drying time exponentially. Also, it makes the whole room smell like clean laundry which is awesome!°Worried you're not rinsing out all the soap? With dry hands, rub your washed clothes between your fingers and then rub your fingers together. If they feel slippery rather than just wet, rinse again. And stop using so much soap, jeez.Hope that helps.

Perfect for small loads at home that are not heavily soiled. I've managed to wash a set of sheets in it, but you'd still have to go to the laundromat for something like a comforter or multiple sweatshirts. You might be able to wash a sweatshirt in this, but I haven't tried that and it seems iffy. Also, the instructions suggest using 6 tbsp of soap to 6 quarts of water, if I recall correctly, and that ratio requires a lot of rinsing to get the soap out of the clothes. I'd suggest using more water and less soap than they recommend, just don't overload the apparatus.Construction-wise, it's not as robust as I think it could be. If it were sturdier, I'd have given it five stars. If doing laundry at the laundromat costs, say, $10 a week, this thing pays for itself in less than two months. Even if the cost is less than that, you can amortize it in less than half a year—and I think avoiding public machines is pretty priceless.