Human-Powered Clothes Washing Machines
Laundry. We all have it. We all hate doing it. It’s a constant in all our lives, yet other than TV commercials pitching the latest and greatest in laundry detergent technology, laundry very rarely gets discussed in the open. But it is there. Wherever we go, laundry follows. So what do we do when we’re somewhere with limited access to modern comforts like electricity or running water? What do we do if we’ re looking to downsize our lifestyle by living in a smaller, or tiny, home? There are several small, hand (or foot)-powered washing machines available that nicely fill such a niche. Let’s take a look at a couple of the options. Both are small, easy to use, non-electric, and much much better than hand-washing or a trip to the laundromat.
Yirego Drumi Foot-Powered Clothes Washer
Perfect for those with little space or looking to save energy and water, or simply for those who live alone with less laundry to wash, the Yirego Drumi is a nice little alternative to larger electric washing machines.
The Yirego Drumi is powered simply by a foot pedal; its operation is simple. The 22 inch tall machine spins a small load of clothes, water, and laundry detergent inside a ball drum as the pedal is pumped.
The Drumi can wash about six or seven pieces of clothing, roughly 5 pounds, in a load. Yirego claims the Drumi uses 80% less water and detergent than a normal machine. Washing a small load in the Drumi consumes 10 liters of water, five for the wash and five more for the rinse. The time it takes to wash and rinse a load is only six minutes.
The Yirego Drumi is perfect for one or two people; it obviously isn’t going to take the place of a full-size washing machine cleaning the clothes of a larger family. For tiny home occupants, campers, those dealing with a power outage, off-gridders..or simply anybody looking to use less water and energy from time to time.
The Laundry POD
Another nicely-designed non-electric clothes washer is the Laundry POD. Using only 6 liters of water and 1.5 teaspoons of laundry detergent, the POD is small and portable enough to take just about anywhere. Like the Drumi, the POD is ideal for apartment living, camping, boating, RVs, tiny homes..anywhere!
The Laundry POD uses very little water and zero electricity to use. By replicating the washing cycle of a conventional washing machine, the Laundry POD gets clothes clean much more efficiently, and much more gently. Its easy-to-use spinning, washing and draining system cleans a small load of clothes in under ten minutes.
Again, like the Drumi, Laundry POD is incredibly simple. Users simply place up to ten pieces of clothing into the basket, add 4-6 liters of water and a tablespoon of any laundry detergent. Let the garments soak; then, rotate the basket a few times with the handle. The agitation cleans and scrubs the clothes. All that’s left is to open the drain and rotate the handle to harness the power of centrifugal force to extract the dirty water. Add a bit of clean water, spin it again a few times, then drain again. Boom. Done.
Cost of the Drumi and Laundry POD
The Yirego Drumi retails for about $239. For more info or to order, click HERE. The Laundry POD is less expensive, around $100, and can be ordered from Amazon HERE.
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