- Washes a 5-lb. load super clean in just a couple of minutes.
- Has a patented pressure system that forces detergent into the fabric at high speed for a fast, efficient, economic and very easy wash
- Is ideal for campers, single persons and even for the housewife with small frequent loads like hand washables and diapers.
- Is ideal for delicates such as woolens, silks, knitted dresses and cashmere garments.
- Uses far less water than even hand washing.Uses no electricity (hand turn) and therefore economically sound, and great for environment.
Product Features |
Frequently Bought Together
Product Information
Technical Details
| Brand Name | The Laundry Alternative |
| Model Info | Wonderwash SpinDryer |
| Item Weight | 5.7 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 18 x 14 x 14 inches |
| Item model number | Wonderwash SpinDryer |
| Part Number | ww1 |
Additional Information
| ASIN | B002C8HR9A |
| Best Sellers Rank |
#6,463 in Appliances (See top 100)
|
| Shipping Weight | 7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) |
| Date First Available | November 22, 2004 |
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Product Description
This is a hand-cranked, non-electric mini washing machine that washes loads clean in only 1-2 minutes using 90% less water and detergent. No maintenance required.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
572 of 576 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not the most sturdy machine, but does what it says it will do.
September 23, 2009
By D. McGee
I bought the Wonder Wash basically because I'm lazy when it comes to doing laundry, I hate going to the laundry mat and I like gadgets. I came across this item while searching for something else. I had no intention of buying anything like this nor knew it even existed until I discovered it. I read the reviews positive and negative. Most of the reviews I read on other sites complained more about the company's customer service rather than the product itself. But after doing my research, I bit the bullet and decided to give it a try.
I live on the 4th floor of a 4 floor walk up in NYC. We have laundry facilities in the basement of the building and a few laundry mats near by, but like I said I'm lazy and hate doing laundry. I've had this unit for over a month and have done many loads. To make a long story short, this machine works for me. Here's my take:
Pros:
* Inexpensive: for what it does, its a fairly good buy at $40. As for detergents, bleach and fabric softener, I only have to use 1 - 2 tbsps. depending on the size of the load or less if the detergent is 2x concentrated. My building laundry costs about $3 a load, I average 3 loads a session, so I figure with the savings on quarters and detergent, this machine will pay for itself in no time.
* Convenient: I can wash a load in my apartment anytime day or night during the weeknight or on the weekend. My clothes don't pile up as much anymore. I find that I wash my clothes more often because of the convenience.
* Small: The unit only weights 6lbs when empty and is very portable. I live in a tiny one bedroom with little extra space. I can just put this away in my closet when not in use.
* Sanitary: I can wash my clothes without worrying about whatever kind of nastiness has been washed previously in the community washer. My building's machines are always dirty and usually need to be wiped down.
* Quick: Although you can technically "wash" a load in 2 minutes, you also need to factor in the draining and rinsing time. So I would say to wash a full load of laundry takes about 5 minutes. Which is still very quick compared to a conventional washer.
* Effective: I don't expect miracles from this machine. I still pre-treat my clothes if necessary and I still use bleach in my wash loads when need. I have to say with some hot water and 2 - 5 minutes of labor, my clothes come out very clean.
* Manually Powered: I'm a gadget person, so I love to push buttons and make cool things happen, however, a lot has to be said for going old school. I like the fact that I don't have to worry about where to plug the unit in or that a motor burning out. A little arm workout doesn't hurt either.
Cons:
* The machine is basically made of plastic. The manufacture says that it's made of the highest, most durable plastic, but at times the brackets do seem a bit wobbly. The washer itself seems sturdy. The base is questionable. Some of the small screw caps did not stay in place, but they are not essential to the unit staying together or washing properly.
* Can be messy: Washing clothes in this unit is not the tidiest of processes. I initially tried it in my kitchen, but I spilled more water than I used, so I eventually move the unit to my bathtub and found that it fits perfectly and I don't have a problem with water being everywhere.
* No assembly instructions: The unit does not come with a lot of instructions on how to put it together, but it's not that difficult to figure out. You are really only assembling the base not the tub. You really can look at the pieces laid out and see how it all fits together. It took me less than 10 minutes to unbox and assemble.
* Where the suction?: The unit does have suction cups for stability, but I have to say they stick the best when you don't need them to. When the water splashes, the suction cups tend to not stay in place. However, I've found when using the unit in the bathtub, this wasn't an issue. The unit did still slide around a bit but not enough to disrupt the washing process.
* Bait and Switch: When I received my Wonder Wash I was surprised to find they sent me a Sputnik 3 that looks exactly like a Wonder Wash, but was renamed. I hadn't seen anything on their site claiming they renamed the units, so I was a little suspicious. However, the unit seems to do what the Wonder Wash claims to do, so I kept the unit. I can, however, see how other reviewers see this as a bait and switch and question the quality of the Sputnik 3 compared to the Wonder Wash. I can only speak for my unit and say that so far I haven't had any problems. I do think the manufacturer should really clear this up or stop sending out the Sputnik 3s as Wonder Wash.
* Hard to Crank: When I first started using the unit, it was at times hard to crank. But, through trial and error, I found that the amount of water you use for the size of the load is every important. The instructions say that the smaller the load less water is needed, but I didn't necessarily find that to be the case all the time. I eventually found that over time you will be able to determine what the right clothes to water ratio is to make it crank smoothly. The right amount of water in the unit can make the cranking action effortless.
* The Tricky Lid: The lid for the machine can be a little tricky. It's almost like working with a child-proof cap to get the right fit. The trick is to unscrew the lid all the way until you almost take the screw out. Place the lid on the unit and lock the lid in the groves around the unit. Hold the lid in place around the groves and then tighten screw back all the way down. By doing this, you get the tightest fit and therefore the most pressure and fewer leaks. When you loosen the lid after a wash, you should hear a hissing sound of the air releasing, then you know you had a good tight fit.
* No Spin Cycle: Since this is not your typical washing machine with a spin cycle you will need to either ring your clothes dry by hand or do like I did and buy an Spin Dryer Centrifugal Clothes Portable Spin Dryer. As stated before I'm lazy when it comes to laundry, so wring out the clothes after washing would have been deal breaker in buying a Wonder Wash. The Spin Dryer completes the Wonder Wash.
Overall, I like the machine. Yes, I can see areas of improvement, but so far, so good. That's not to say that if given the choice I wouldn't buy a regular washer, but for my current situation it works. Especially now that the cold weather is on it's way, the thought of staying in my warm apartment and getting a couple of loads of laundry done in about 30 mins. makes the Wonder Wash a really good buy for me.
I live on the 4th floor of a 4 floor walk up in NYC. We have laundry facilities in the basement of the building and a few laundry mats near by, but like I said I'm lazy and hate doing laundry. I've had this unit for over a month and have done many loads. To make a long story short, this machine works for me. Here's my take:
Pros:
* Inexpensive: for what it does, its a fairly good buy at $40. As for detergents, bleach and fabric softener, I only have to use 1 - 2 tbsps. depending on the size of the load or less if the detergent is 2x concentrated. My building laundry costs about $3 a load, I average 3 loads a session, so I figure with the savings on quarters and detergent, this machine will pay for itself in no time.
* Convenient: I can wash a load in my apartment anytime day or night during the weeknight or on the weekend. My clothes don't pile up as much anymore. I find that I wash my clothes more often because of the convenience.
* Small: The unit only weights 6lbs when empty and is very portable. I live in a tiny one bedroom with little extra space. I can just put this away in my closet when not in use.
* Sanitary: I can wash my clothes without worrying about whatever kind of nastiness has been washed previously in the community washer. My building's machines are always dirty and usually need to be wiped down.
* Quick: Although you can technically "wash" a load in 2 minutes, you also need to factor in the draining and rinsing time. So I would say to wash a full load of laundry takes about 5 minutes. Which is still very quick compared to a conventional washer.
* Effective: I don't expect miracles from this machine. I still pre-treat my clothes if necessary and I still use bleach in my wash loads when need. I have to say with some hot water and 2 - 5 minutes of labor, my clothes come out very clean.
* Manually Powered: I'm a gadget person, so I love to push buttons and make cool things happen, however, a lot has to be said for going old school. I like the fact that I don't have to worry about where to plug the unit in or that a motor burning out. A little arm workout doesn't hurt either.
Cons:
* The machine is basically made of plastic. The manufacture says that it's made of the highest, most durable plastic, but at times the brackets do seem a bit wobbly. The washer itself seems sturdy. The base is questionable. Some of the small screw caps did not stay in place, but they are not essential to the unit staying together or washing properly.
* Can be messy: Washing clothes in this unit is not the tidiest of processes. I initially tried it in my kitchen, but I spilled more water than I used, so I eventually move the unit to my bathtub and found that it fits perfectly and I don't have a problem with water being everywhere.
* No assembly instructions: The unit does not come with a lot of instructions on how to put it together, but it's not that difficult to figure out. You are really only assembling the base not the tub. You really can look at the pieces laid out and see how it all fits together. It took me less than 10 minutes to unbox and assemble.
* Where the suction?: The unit does have suction cups for stability, but I have to say they stick the best when you don't need them to. When the water splashes, the suction cups tend to not stay in place. However, I've found when using the unit in the bathtub, this wasn't an issue. The unit did still slide around a bit but not enough to disrupt the washing process.
* Bait and Switch: When I received my Wonder Wash I was surprised to find they sent me a Sputnik 3 that looks exactly like a Wonder Wash, but was renamed. I hadn't seen anything on their site claiming they renamed the units, so I was a little suspicious. However, the unit seems to do what the Wonder Wash claims to do, so I kept the unit. I can, however, see how other reviewers see this as a bait and switch and question the quality of the Sputnik 3 compared to the Wonder Wash. I can only speak for my unit and say that so far I haven't had any problems. I do think the manufacturer should really clear this up or stop sending out the Sputnik 3s as Wonder Wash.
* Hard to Crank: When I first started using the unit, it was at times hard to crank. But, through trial and error, I found that the amount of water you use for the size of the load is every important. The instructions say that the smaller the load less water is needed, but I didn't necessarily find that to be the case all the time. I eventually found that over time you will be able to determine what the right clothes to water ratio is to make it crank smoothly. The right amount of water in the unit can make the cranking action effortless.
* The Tricky Lid: The lid for the machine can be a little tricky. It's almost like working with a child-proof cap to get the right fit. The trick is to unscrew the lid all the way until you almost take the screw out. Place the lid on the unit and lock the lid in the groves around the unit. Hold the lid in place around the groves and then tighten screw back all the way down. By doing this, you get the tightest fit and therefore the most pressure and fewer leaks. When you loosen the lid after a wash, you should hear a hissing sound of the air releasing, then you know you had a good tight fit.
* No Spin Cycle: Since this is not your typical washing machine with a spin cycle you will need to either ring your clothes dry by hand or do like I did and buy an Spin Dryer Centrifugal Clothes Portable Spin Dryer. As stated before I'm lazy when it comes to laundry, so wring out the clothes after washing would have been deal breaker in buying a Wonder Wash. The Spin Dryer completes the Wonder Wash.
Overall, I like the machine. Yes, I can see areas of improvement, but so far, so good. That's not to say that if given the choice I wouldn't buy a regular washer, but for my current situation it works. Especially now that the cold weather is on it's way, the thought of staying in my warm apartment and getting a couple of loads of laundry done in about 30 mins. makes the Wonder Wash a really good buy for me.
141 of 142 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
I decided to buy this product because I needed a way to wash clothes at a vacation camp that was a step up from using the sink and a washboard. This fills the bill.
I went to YOUTUBE, and found a video of a fellow demonstrating the item, [...] and that was enough for me--I ordered the thing.
It's Idiot-Easy to use. Throw in a few litres of warm to hot water (the warm water helps create the vacuum, and pulls the water through the clothes) with a teaspoon of detergent (you don't need much at all), give it a quick swish, then toss in the clothes--a few pounds worth. I was able to do a few tee shirts and not-terribly-heavy trousers in one go with no sweat. Then you screw on the top, making sure you have a tight seal, and start turning the handle-thing. You can either use the little handle and get it going at a fast clip, or simply bat the thing round and round using the screw-down flidget at the top and the little connector to the 'bayonet drain' at the bottom. You do this for two minutes or so. Then, making sure you've got the thing near a sink, you attach the jazzy bayonet device to the bottom and the soapy water drains out. Throw in another few litres of water, screw the top on, repeat the process, and your clothes are nicely rinsed. And they look and smell CLEAN.
For the terminally lazy, yep, you have to either SQUEEZE those clothes or let them drip dry. I recommend squeezing, otherwise you'll be waiting forever for them to dry, if you don't live in the desert. I'd also advise you to do a little pretreating if you've got some profoundly nasty dirt on your clothes--it's not a miracle worker!
For a situation where you're on holiday and need to wash clothing infrequently, but you don't want to run around in stinky clothes or spend a precious hour or two of vacation time at the laundromat, this is just the thing. The clothes come out CLEAN--not like you've moved them around in funky water and hung them out. It's not real big, you can stash it in a closet when you aren't using it, and you can set it up by the kitchen sink and get two loads of laundry done inside of ten minutes once you get a rhythm going. Then all you need to do is peg it out on the line outdoors, or hang it over the bathtub to dry.
Watch a news program review the thing, here: [...](In my opinion, the reporter uses too much detergent in her demo--less is more!)
I went to YOUTUBE, and found a video of a fellow demonstrating the item, [...] and that was enough for me--I ordered the thing.
It's Idiot-Easy to use. Throw in a few litres of warm to hot water (the warm water helps create the vacuum, and pulls the water through the clothes) with a teaspoon of detergent (you don't need much at all), give it a quick swish, then toss in the clothes--a few pounds worth. I was able to do a few tee shirts and not-terribly-heavy trousers in one go with no sweat. Then you screw on the top, making sure you have a tight seal, and start turning the handle-thing. You can either use the little handle and get it going at a fast clip, or simply bat the thing round and round using the screw-down flidget at the top and the little connector to the 'bayonet drain' at the bottom. You do this for two minutes or so. Then, making sure you've got the thing near a sink, you attach the jazzy bayonet device to the bottom and the soapy water drains out. Throw in another few litres of water, screw the top on, repeat the process, and your clothes are nicely rinsed. And they look and smell CLEAN.
For the terminally lazy, yep, you have to either SQUEEZE those clothes or let them drip dry. I recommend squeezing, otherwise you'll be waiting forever for them to dry, if you don't live in the desert. I'd also advise you to do a little pretreating if you've got some profoundly nasty dirt on your clothes--it's not a miracle worker!
For a situation where you're on holiday and need to wash clothing infrequently, but you don't want to run around in stinky clothes or spend a precious hour or two of vacation time at the laundromat, this is just the thing. The clothes come out CLEAN--not like you've moved them around in funky water and hung them out. It's not real big, you can stash it in a closet when you aren't using it, and you can set it up by the kitchen sink and get two loads of laundry done inside of ten minutes once you get a rhythm going. Then all you need to do is peg it out on the line outdoors, or hang it over the bathtub to dry.
Watch a news program review the thing, here: [...](In my opinion, the reporter uses too much detergent in her demo--less is more!)
163 of 169 people found the following review helpful
By D. Best
The notion of washing my clothes with no electricity, and less soap and water seemed attractive. So i used the Wonderwash exclusively for the last six months to test it out.
i am a single father who works in an office, but hobbies in the garden. My laundry battles are kid clothes (food, snot, paint, etc.), office clothes (sweat, ring around the collar) and outdoor clothes (mud, plant matter, etc.).
The wonderwash is not an effective substitute for a mechanical washing machine.
It fits neatly in a tub, seals effectively, cranks easily, and drains quite well. But it does not wash clothes as effectively as a mechanical machine. Here's why...
A mechanical machine alternates between agitating your clothes for several minutes and soaking your clothes in the soap. It also rinses and agitates, and spins semi-dry in a centrifuge.
The spin-dry is no big loss. You wring out your clothes gently, hang dry and their 90% dry by morning. The wash quality, however, is stickler.
Unless you literally stand over your Wonderwash for 40 minutes, you cannot replicate the agitation and soak routines of a mechanical machine. Clothes are noticeably and dramatically less clean out of the Wonderwash.
For clothes that didn't go in particularly unclean, that's not a problem. A casual evening shirt worn once, with no stains will come out looking, feeling and smelling refreshed. However an item with even the simplest of stains will come out with the simplest of stains. Your son's shirt that he dropped a few bits of dinner onto will look like you never washed it. Your work shirts will develop ring around the collar. Your garden clothes... forget about it.
All stains must be hand-washed/hand-removed prior to going into the Wonderwash. i found a plastic bristled brush to be a necessary accessory to scrub out stains with the appropriate solvent/enzyme/soap/whatever prior to Wonderwashing. Aggressive brushing, however, can damage your clothes finish and/or color--be careful.
After several months, i found my clothes to start have a noticeable smell and somewhat unpleasant smell when wringing them out before hang drying.
I countered this last night at the six month mark by taking several loads to a mechanized washer. One round on "normal" cycle and they came out smelling great. For experiment's sake, i washed a load on the machine's "hand wash" cycle... same smell problem... the agitation is everything.
The machine is most effective for barely-worn clothes such as adult knits and delicates.
Although Wonderwash hasn't done me wrong--it's saved me much on the electric bill, and/or trips to the laundromat, it is as yet an imperfect innovation.
i have taken great pains to experiment with different crank-agitation and duration methods. The best i've found is a series of slow cranks (so no inertia permits clothes to ride over the top) followed by a series of back and forth rocks (a la a washing machine). Doing this for several minutes and then resting for several minutes and repeating earned me the best results.
i have observed no effect of the pressurization of this laundry method.
i have observed no decrease in water use (multiply out the size of the load and the corresponding rinse).
i have observe no decrease in soap use (a conventional washer likewise requires no more than a few tablespoons of soap--most folks over-soap to the extreme.
If agitation could be improved (either through gearing or adding some sort of fins or something inside...
If a pseudo centrifuge could be added (not difficult engineering...
This could have revolutionary potential.
But as is, it will not change the world.
i am a single father who works in an office, but hobbies in the garden. My laundry battles are kid clothes (food, snot, paint, etc.), office clothes (sweat, ring around the collar) and outdoor clothes (mud, plant matter, etc.).
The wonderwash is not an effective substitute for a mechanical washing machine.
It fits neatly in a tub, seals effectively, cranks easily, and drains quite well. But it does not wash clothes as effectively as a mechanical machine. Here's why...
A mechanical machine alternates between agitating your clothes for several minutes and soaking your clothes in the soap. It also rinses and agitates, and spins semi-dry in a centrifuge.
The spin-dry is no big loss. You wring out your clothes gently, hang dry and their 90% dry by morning. The wash quality, however, is stickler.
Unless you literally stand over your Wonderwash for 40 minutes, you cannot replicate the agitation and soak routines of a mechanical machine. Clothes are noticeably and dramatically less clean out of the Wonderwash.
For clothes that didn't go in particularly unclean, that's not a problem. A casual evening shirt worn once, with no stains will come out looking, feeling and smelling refreshed. However an item with even the simplest of stains will come out with the simplest of stains. Your son's shirt that he dropped a few bits of dinner onto will look like you never washed it. Your work shirts will develop ring around the collar. Your garden clothes... forget about it.
All stains must be hand-washed/hand-removed prior to going into the Wonderwash. i found a plastic bristled brush to be a necessary accessory to scrub out stains with the appropriate solvent/enzyme/soap/whatever prior to Wonderwashing. Aggressive brushing, however, can damage your clothes finish and/or color--be careful.
After several months, i found my clothes to start have a noticeable smell and somewhat unpleasant smell when wringing them out before hang drying.
I countered this last night at the six month mark by taking several loads to a mechanized washer. One round on "normal" cycle and they came out smelling great. For experiment's sake, i washed a load on the machine's "hand wash" cycle... same smell problem... the agitation is everything.
The machine is most effective for barely-worn clothes such as adult knits and delicates.
Although Wonderwash hasn't done me wrong--it's saved me much on the electric bill, and/or trips to the laundromat, it is as yet an imperfect innovation.
i have taken great pains to experiment with different crank-agitation and duration methods. The best i've found is a series of slow cranks (so no inertia permits clothes to ride over the top) followed by a series of back and forth rocks (a la a washing machine). Doing this for several minutes and then resting for several minutes and repeating earned me the best results.
i have observed no effect of the pressurization of this laundry method.
i have observed no decrease in water use (multiply out the size of the load and the corresponding rinse).
i have observe no decrease in soap use (a conventional washer likewise requires no more than a few tablespoons of soap--most folks over-soap to the extreme.
If agitation could be improved (either through gearing or adding some sort of fins or something inside...
If a pseudo centrifuge could be added (not difficult engineering...
This could have revolutionary potential.
But as is, it will not change the world.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's a little powerhouse!!!!
I ordered this Friday 3/3/13 at 4pm and recieved it the next day!! (I p[ayed for standard shipping) While it doesn't hold alot, it holds more than other say it does. Read more
Published 12 days ago by anne tarantino
2.0 out of 5 stars
Better off buying a plunger and 2 five - gallon buckets
As with most products purchased, engineers do not think outside the box. The ad for this product says that you can wash up to 5 pounds of clothes, but the instruction inside the... Read more
Published 13 days ago by Samuel
5.0 out of 5 stars
AMAZING!
I am renting a house that has no washer. After reviewing many portable washers for many weeks, I settled on the WonderWash. It is inexpensive and I love it!!! Read more
Published 18 days ago by kimberley compton
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great machine
It works, is easy to set up, and overall a great product. My clothes need an extra rinse cycle to get all the soap out, but I am quite satisfied. Read more
Published 18 days ago by Sara Huggins
3.0 out of 5 stars
Rinsing kind of a hassle.
Washes pretty good. I just hate rinsing, I found that one rinse doesnt get all the detergent out. Hence Rinsing is the most time consuming part of the whole process. Read more
Published 22 days ago by Rap expert
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not exactly a "wonder" but works ok for diapers
Got the wonderwash because I live in an apartment but wanted to use cloth diapers to save money. The wonderwash works ok for the diapers, however I rinse them myself by hand. Read more
Published 24 days ago by Andelraquet
4.0 out of 5 stars
Summary of my Review
We have a cabin with no electricity in Michigan's U.P. We loved the concept of being about to do laundry right at the cabin and not having to drive 40 miles, one way to a laundry... Read more
Published 26 days ago by Douglas Coy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderwash.
The Wonderwash does exactly what it claims to do. I wash most of my clothes in it and use very little soap. Read more
Published 28 days ago by Zingara
5.0 out of 5 stars
No electricity? No problem!
This is great for camping. Works great but don't yank the arm to fast. Also do not overflow with water.
Published 28 days ago by Anonymous
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Product!
I am using this as my only means of washing laundry right now. It was well worth the money spent. It does an amazing job getting my clothes clean. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Brooke Mullins
