Customer Reviews

Wonderwash

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

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 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!)

Wonderwash is perfect for small places and for doing small laundry loads between laundromat visits. Can do almost all your laundry if single and just don't want to use community washers. See You Tube Video. Cost is reasonable at $50 including shipping.

Bought Wonderwash a while ago and this plastic barrel machine works well. It holds up to 2-3 outfits depending on garment materials & size. Ex: 1 dress, 2 pants, 2 shirts + a few undergarments all at once. Or 1 winter heavy knit sweater + 2 jeans or so. Maybe 1 full/Qn bed linen piece + 1 towel at a time, etc --while mindful not to mix whites with colors & to pre-treat heavily soiled pieces. I recommend filling up machine with laundry below 1/2 it's mark to then add enough hot (or warm water) + a couple spoons of detergent to the allow all to swoosh around. Gently spin handle for 4 mins, drain dirty water with tube attachment according to instructions. Pour clean hot or warm water to rinse. Close pressure lid. Spin handle. Repeat drainage + water pouring with softener, etc as desired. Voila. Pretty clean clothes & a workout to shape & tone arm muscles too. Use wrist weights for greater arm workout results!

I bought Ecover brand scented detergent & softener plus Maggie's Soap Nuts (to make a water softening rinse) prior to getting the Wonderwash. These are safer & gentler on sensitive hands & skin as I was doing simple small laundry loads by hand. But as soon as that Ecover set is done and if I get the Laundry Alternative's Spin Dryer, I'll be wonderwashing with a spoonful of Tide or Cheers & rinsing off with another spoonful of good ol' Downy or Snuggle! Surely these laundry products work better in getting clothes clean-er with lasting scent in less Wonderwashing spin sessions!

I purchased the Wonder Wash but was sent a different model altogether - the Sputnik 3. It broke within a week of use - one of the pivots simply cracked. The lid never closed tightly, and to secure the handle you have to use a metal screw directly into the plastic - so the handle is never properly in place. I've been in touch with the company about these issues, but they stuck to their line that it's a strongly built product. They offered to replace it with the same, fragile model. I decided to return it instead and get a refund.

The biggest problem is that the picture you see on amazon - or the laundry alternative website - or for that matter, the machine they use in demonstration videos etc. -- looks very different than what the company sends you. That is misleading advertising - a reason to stay away from this product in and of itself.

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 use my wonderwash about four times a week, mostly for small items like cloth diapers (pre-rinsed by hand first), baby clothes, socks and underwear.

For me, it does what I wanted it to do, which is save the vast amounts of money we were previously spending using the $4 washers and dryers in our apartment building. I'm glad I got it and would buy it again.

The pros:
* Clothes really do come out clean. Even diapers. No problems.
* It doesn't take too long. Not as super-speedy as you might expect given that washing takes only two minutes of handle-turning and rinsing takes one minute, but still, it's about 10 minutes a load even with the poor water pressure in our taps. (The time-consuming part, for me, is filling up the washer with 6 quarts of water, once for washing and once for drying, and also waiting for the water to drain out again after each part of the cycle.) I used it in the bathtub once, where we have much better water pressure. The filling took only a few seconds, but the turning was much more awkward. So now I do it on the kitchen countertop and drain into the kitchen sink.)

The cons:
* It's not horrible to turn, but it's not just a quick twiddling of your fingers either. There is a moderate amount of actual effort involved.
* DON'T FORGET THAT THINGS WILL COME OUT SOPPING WET. The machine doesn't spin at all, so you have to get the water out yourself by wringing things manually. This takes a while, especially if your load consists of a billion small items, and all the wringing is more effort than turning the machine. If you did this to a no-iron shirt, you'd get horrible wrinkles that would be tough to get out even with an iron. And also, no matter how well I wring the clothes, they still end up considerably wetter than they would be if they'd been through a regular washing machine with a spin cycle. Since I hang clothes to dry in our apartment, that means I wait about 12 hours for them to be completely dry, rather than about four. This means that our apartment is almost never free from "decorations" of socks draped over the chairs. I think it is probably worth getting one of those mini-spinners too, to take care of this problem.

Tips:
* As I saw in someone else's review before I bought it, it really is easier to turn the handle if you have the full six quarts of water in it, even if you're not washing a "full" load of clothes.
* Don't use much detergent, or you'll have to do more than one rinse to get rid of it all. The clothes really do come out clean even with only a teaspoon or so. Less if it's the HE stuff.

This washer is ingenious and simple, and by itself, manages to wash ALL of my, and my husband's clothes, every single week. Our clothes have NEVER been so clean. I attribute that to it's simple, yet highly effective pressure system. I know it takes a bit of fumbling around at first to get this thing to working as ideally as it is intended, and I've read where other reviewers have maybe gotten fed up or didn't have the patience. I wasn't perfect at it at first. But I've perfected my method, and I now can wash five to seven loads of our clothes in under two hours (including pauses for rinsing, spin drying in our centrifugal spin dryer, and hanging). It's astounding (to my husband - I had a hunch all along, haha) just how many clothes you can wash in the thing! I don't recommend overfilling, but you truly can get away with several shirts (I'd say 3-4), a pair of jeans (my husband's over 6 foot, and wears some pretty substantial jeans), and a week's worth of boxer shorts and underthings, in ONE load.

Nowdays, I've got my method so fine-tuned that I just pile all our clothes beside our (clean) bathtub, the Sputnik 3/Wonderwash in the center, my buckets (I use two standard size buckets to alternately fill with water) on the side with the water faucet. I fill S3 with water and the little soap it requires to do its job, agitate the water briefly with my hand, toss in one load, watch the clock for a couple (and I really mean TWO here) minutes while I get a nice little arm workout cranking (if you fill the load right, it's actually not that good of an arm workout - you'll learn the right balance of clothes/water after a few trials). Release the pressure lid, being sure to unscrew almost completely, so that the next time you put it on, you'll get a nice snug fit. I remove the clothes and place them in my prepared buckets with clean water and give them a good squeezing out. I've gotten to where I really don't use the draining spout. I find it's quicker just to turn S3 over and empty the water that way, into the bathtub. But if you're not in the bathtub, obviously, you'll want to drain more neatly. Usually I replace my clean load into the S3 for a rinsing round, filling up another bucket with water as I go. I flop the wet clothes to the other side of the bathtub, and move to the next load. I continue til I'm done. It truly takes fractions of the time standard washer units take to wash clothes. Our clothes are ten times cleaner I feel, and not nearly as distressed at the end of washing. Our delicates are in heaven, and the rest of our clothes are lasting way longer, looking far newer, than they would otherwise.

I've been amazed at how clean our sheets are - and how easy it is to clean sheets with S3. We've got high threadcount sheets, and they apparently LOVE being treated with such care. They are literally shiney when they've finished drying.

[...] has the corner on this alternative to standard clothes washing and drying and bravo for them! Their customer service has treated me with impressive speed and have been very personable and professional.

My only critique of the Wonderwash is that the base is not as finely crafted as the unit itself. Mine is working fine, and it's imperative that you install all its parts correctly. However, I feel that it could be sturdier. It's not losing a single star over that though. It's an ingenious piece of equipment. I THOROUGHLY recommend it.

I bought a Wonder Washer from Laundry Alternatives, actually I have purchased two. One for a friend who also loves hers.
Regarding the SPUTNIK 3 label - there may be some grounds for confusion over the labeling, but the machine is the exact same, I had them side by side and there is no difference. When the manufacturer changes labels it does cause some confusion.
Now: You put this little machine together, and the idea is for it to spin with the crank handle using warm to hot water and a pressure-sealed top that creates pressure inside, forcing the small about of detergent into the fabric of the clothing. To me, the handle was a bit "iffy," mine came with a screw to be driven into a plastic plug instead of a metal cotter pin. Judging the weight of water plus clothing and the flexibility of the stand, I just took it right back off. If you wash very small loads with no more than one-and-a-half quarts of water, you'll be just fine with the handle. But, I still didn't mark it down for that. I fill the machine about half-full of water, temperature depending on the clothing items, state of soil, etcetera. Then, I have my uppare workout. After the machine is properly loaded and sealed, I put on my 1-pound wrist weights and turn the machine by hand for a count of about 120 - 150 complete rotations, take off the weights, insert the drain and let it drain. Once the water has mainly run out, I remove the top and turn the tub to empty the contents. Quick double rinse in cold water and the wash part it done.
**Here's where the difference comes in. This machine does EXACTLY what it says it will do, clean your clothing and fabric items quickly and simply. They never said it would wring (please - get the spelling right, we don't "ring" clothes) the items for you. I use a SPIN DRYER - makes all the difference!
The soaking, dripping items are plopped right into my "Charming Spinner," spun for a couple of minutes until the water has stopped coming from the spout and then they are ready to be hung up to dry. That's it.
CAPACITY: In my Wonder Washer, I can get one flannel queen-sized bed sheet and one pillow case at a time, meaning my bed clothing takes two cycles to get done.
OR - I can get one pair of flannel lined jeans, two underwear, and a pair of socks.
OR - Regular jeans, one pair plus 3 or 4 men shirts.
OR - One large bath towel plus two T-shirts

Any way, all this to say, I have used the Wonder Washer SOLELY for the last five months to process laundry for two people, only once using the pay washer-dryer for a comforter which is too large to wash by hand and also to large to go into the spin dryer. It has worked for me, and by my nearest calculations my initial out for the Wonder Washer washer and the spin dryer were recouped in 10 weeks.

Now I am shopping for a portable washing machine, electric-style since my new job requires me to commute and I won't have the time to do laundry by hand.

Bottom Line: To me, clothing is personal and processing laundry by hand is very satisfying. The Wonder Washer will be put away for use on weekends when I don't have a daily commute that takes time away from home where I do enjoy housework style working at home. I highly recommend it, treat it gingerly as it is a small hand powered laundry machine, and you'll get good use of it.

Did not get my clothes clean with just one cycle and the handle broke off after less than a month.

I love this little washer. It does the job, saves me over $300.00 a year in quarters, is less stressful and safer. I no longer use the laundry room in my apartment building. I no longer have to drag laundry outside and go down dangerous brick steps. Nor do I have to get up super early to beat the other tenants to the laundry room. I still work full time as a florist and my clothes do get dirty. But now I love being able to wash a few pieces at a time, so it doesn't "pile up".
Granted, it does take a little longer, but I still feel it is worth every penny.
I set it up on my kitchen counter, next to the sink. The suction cups hold perfectly well, and the drain works like a charm. The lid did take a few tries, to get used to, but now I have the hang of it. I use very little detergent, a little washing soda, and during the rinse a little fabric softener. Sometimes I do rinse twice, always using cold water (never use hot water to rinse with, the cold water disperses the oxygen in the soap bubbles, eliminating soap more quickly). My only problem is my arthritis. So I take it easy on turning the handle...I turn for about a minute, stop for a few minutes, letting things soak, then go back and turn for another minute. I did buy the spin dryer by Laundry Alternatives, to eliminate the water in my clothes, because I do not have the strength in my hands anymore to "wring"..it works perfectly in conjunction with the Wonder Washer. I hang the damp clothes up on racks and they are dry within a few hours. I do not find any fault with the washer, you simply have to devote a little more time to get your end results. For me, it is totally worth the extra time....I no longer have to use the apartment laundry room ( 3 washers and 3 dryers for over 25 apartments in each building) no more using disgusting, dirty, expensive, ill-kept, machines. If it were to break, I would immediately buy another one. It is perfect for me.