Wonderwash
by The Laundry Alternative
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Our Price: $59.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Major Appliances See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Wonderwash
Customer Review: Just trying to help others.
Summary: 5 Stars
When I was looking for a small portable washer for my apartment i had a lot of trouble finding reliable product reviews on items. This product had some good reviews so I purchased it. My apartment has a laundry room but it costs quite a bit to wash clothes for a family of 4. We were spending about 75 a week in quarters for laundry. I found this and it was cheap and i took a chance. This thing really does get small items clean and it really doesn't take that much effort. My kids wear school uniforms to school and those things are very pricey so we only have a few sets of each for them. My wife spends 10 minutes a day to wash a couple uniforms and put them on the drying rack. Its clean, quick and easy. Not to mention cheap since it can handle 2 uniforms with only a teaspoon of detergent.
A point I must stress is to use too little detergent rather than too much. Most people use 5-10 times the required amount. Try washing your clothes in just water a few times you'll see how much is stuck in the fabric. This machine can only handle about 5 pounds(wet) of clothes so like 2 towels and a couple rags or 2 pair of jeans max. Large items such as bedding etc can't be used in this thing. But for day to day cleaning it works wonders.
Customer Review: Low cost laundry alternative
Summary: 4 Stars
I've had my Wonder Wash for a couple of years now. It has performed reliably. I have allergies, and I can't use laundromats because others use laundry soap that gives me rashes. This thing is a real help for me. It gets my clothes very clean.
Pros:
This machine cleans very efficiently using little water.
It's smaller than a normal washing machine and is quicker to use than any washing machine I've seen.
Initial cost is very low. You'll use very little soap in it.
It is still functional even when you have no power.
This machine can get clothes much cleaner than a regular washing machine, allowing even heavily soiled items to come clean. My dad's favorite hat usually took hours of scrubbing but the wonder wash got it clean in one wash cycle. My parents are very skeptical about alternate machines like this, but they were amazed how clean the hat got with so little work. Took out coffee stains no problem too.
Cons:
Water must be heated. Otherwise it doesn't work at all. This means you must have hot water in order to operate it. Also that you can't wash certain garments in it that must be washed in cold water.
It leaks, between a tablespoon and a quarter cup of washwater average per cycle. Since the water that comes out is hot and pressurized, you want to be careful where you are operating it. In the tub, shower, or outside on a waterproof surface work well.
The laundry is really wet when it comes out. The popular solution is some sort of clothes spinner. My grandma used a clothes wringer.
Heavily soiled items must be washed individually to prevent them from transfering the soilage to other clothes.
Customer Review: Meets its claims
Summary: 5 Stars
My wife bought the Wonder Wash and took it camping in the Colorado mountains. It lived up to its claim. Our family consists of a husband, wife, and two sons. Each evening we did laundry duty. It took 30 - 45 minutes to wash 3 - 4 loads and line dry them. Not bad considering the local laundromat costs us $5 per load!
The only draw-back is that the stand is less sturdy than I'd like. (The youtube video mentions this too.) Luckily I'm a handy person. It wouldn't be too difficult to build a new stand if (or when) this one breaks.
The actual cylinder works quite well. Very good alternative if you find yourself without power and in need of a set of clean clothes.
Customer Review: Money Saver for Apartment dwellers
Summary: 5 Stars
If you are single and live in an apartment without space for your own washer and dryer, this is the way to go. It works great to get your clothes clean, and with a little extra labor it is well worth it. I did a little math, it cost me about $10 to $15 a week at the laundromat, that is $50 to $60 a month. My total water bill is $12.00 a month. Do a load with this every other day or so and save at least $40 a month. That adds up to $480.00 a year. That's not including the gas you burn driving there.
Things I've been able to wash with Wonderwash: a bunch of various whites, socks, underwear, a couple of T-shirts; a pair of jeans with a sweatshirt, 2 unlined curtain panels, and even a winged back chair cover.
Customer Review: More Durable Than I Thought
Summary: 5 Stars
Edited to add: My first Wonder Wash fell to its untimely death after being precariously placed by some nameless lunkhead (oh wait, I did that). I ordered a new one....this one seems to be slightly sturdier than the old one and had the bonus of an extra handle (something that never gave me a problem). This one shakes less when loaded, and doesn't creak when turned. The suction cups are also nicer with lift tabs.
Otherwise, the review below still applies.
I bought the Wonder Wash two years ago from The Laundry Alternative, along with their larger spin dryer.
As other reviewers have said, instructions are poor and advise using too much detergent. Apart from that it works well, especially for such an inexpensive device. I initially felt a little dubious when cranking that first load. I thought "This isn't going to get the clothes clean at all, and it's going to last a couple of months." I was wrong on both counts.
I have put many small loads through it in the past two years, and the worst thing that's happened is a small crack in the stand (fixed by super glue, and a slight drip when draining (I put a biscuit pan underneath the drain now and it's fine).
I have washed queen size knitted sheet sets, dog blankets, bath towels, jeans (one pair at a time of course), underwear, work shirts, delicate items, kitchen towels...pretty much everything except big stuff that wouldn't fit in the small drum. Everything comes out clean, smelling good, and ready to wring (or spin) out and hang to dry. I have even washed silk flowers in it before (I had an arrangement I loved but was greasy and nasty), and they came out clean and fresh, and drip dried beautifully.
I find it especially nice for business casual clothes. Drop in an outfit after wearing, crank for a couple of minutes, rinse, spin, and hang to dry. Easy peasy, and next to no lint on stuff (unlike the full sized washer). I also like it lots for kitchen towels for the same reasons. It's very easy to just crank your stuff through really quick and none of it piles up.
Granted, it's not my only washing machine--I do have a full size automatic for larger loads, but it's a great supplement to the major appliance. If you're single and do smaller loads, it may work well as your only machine. It certainly beats carting stuff to the laundromat. I used it exclusively while I was waiting to get my new automatic, and it was a real lifesaver.