2011 January | Front Load Washer & Dryer

Portable Clothes Washer

While a front load washer and dryer is an awesome choice for your home laundry solution, there may be occasions where a portable clothes washer might be needed. Surprisingly enough, there are several manufacturers offering portable washing machines ranging from compact versions to tabletop washers at affordable price points.

Using Portable Clothes Washers

So when would someone need a portable washing machine? There are a number of circumstances where this type of washer comes in handy. The most frequent is when living in an apartment that either doesn’t have onsite laundry facilities, or even if it does and you want the convenience of doing your laundry in your own home. They are also very affordable and the investment can quickly pay for itself when considering the cost at a Laundromat. The cost of a portable washer and dryer pair is typically less than a single standard sized unit.

Then there are the occasions when perhaps you have a standard sized set at home but need an on-the-go laundry solution, for example while on vacation or in a college dorm. In these cases, there are table-top versions available that can truly be taken anywhere

Haier Portable Clothes Washer

One of the best selling and most well known of the portable clothes washers is made by Haier. This model holds up to 1 cubic ft of wash. It is electric, so it needs access to an electrical plugin and needs to be attached to a kitchen faucet. The unit is 66 pounds, which is about the same size as a small child or medium sized dog.

The reviews for this clothes washing machine are overall favorable. The biggest obstacle people seem to run into is the fact that the water lines need to be attached to the kitchen sink and sometimes people run into issues attaching it properly. However, several resourceful people have recommended purchasing a quick disconnect connection to attach to your sink that once on, can be left on. Then you don’t have to worry about taking it on and off.

The overwhelming consensus on the washer is:

A definite must have if living somewhere where laundry facilities aren’t available
Make sure that the hoses are securely attached
Don’t overload the washer

Find the best price on the Haier Portable Clothes Washer

Table Top Portable Clothes Washer

So maybe you need a washer that is even more portable and takes up less space than the Haier washer. Believe it or not, there are table top clothes washers available. The Wonderwash portable washer is a manual washer (ie handcrank) that is designed to circulate the water and detergent effectively through the clothes giving a clean wash.

You don’t have to worry about hooking up hoses or plugging it in, simply add the clothes, detergent and water. This makes it a perfect laundry solution for just about any situation: camping, RV’s, dorm rooms, apartments. Some people with a regular washer use it to clean their hand wash only items.

Since it is manual, it obviously does not have a rinse cycle. You will either need to wring out the clothing after washing them or the company does also sell a portable dryer to spin out the excess water.

Find the best price on the WonderWash Portable Clothes Washer