Note: Please bear with me while I learn Blogger's new, derpy layout. Photos are at the bottom of the page for now.
I'm giving my typewriter a break today and just writing this post on my phone. I'm really enjoying this product testing thing I'm doing, and will be doing another write up for just bath/body products soon, but today, I want to focus on something a little different.
I just bought a washer.
Maybe it'll speak to my station in life that I've only owned a couple of clothes washers, neither of them new, or maybe it's more ubiquitous than I'm imagining. But after tiring of keeping the ancient washer in the basement on life support, and struggling to do laundry through quarantine, I just bought a brand new clothes washer, and I love it! I'm sure you're picturing some space age looking automated thing in candy apple red (if you weren't, you are now!) but that's far from the washer I bought. No, this thing has no buttons, no bells and whistles, and more closely resembles...
... A cement mixer.
Or maybe a propane tank.
It's also a fun, retro mint green that fits in with our old appliances, and small enough to fit on the kitchen counter!
So let's get down to brass tacks, shall we?
I did some research before settling on the WonderWash from The Laundry Alternative. I'm always interested in lowering my carbon footprint and saving space, so on the surface, it was already appealing to me. I'd been looking at fully automatic and half and half apartment washers, but the next step up in price (at over two hundred dollars) was more than I wanted to spend. At $59.99 with free shipping, the WonderWash also appeals to my cheapskate side.
The WonderWash shipped quickly and was packed pretty well. Some assembly was required, but it went together easier than IKEA furniture, in about five minutes. The construction is mostly plastic, which helps keep the weight down, but it's long term durability remains to be seen.
Yesterday was my first time using it. It is completely manual, but very simple to use. Popped it on the counter, put in a small load and a little soap, filled it (about halfway) from the tap, secured the lid and got to work. It has a handle for manual agitation, and you can just spin it if you want to, but a side to side agitation works well. It also has a detachable drain spout. I did one wash and two rinses, agitating it except when it was actively draining. It's a bit of a forearm workout, but since I had to cut cardiac rehab short (that whole ordeal will be in another post, maybe), I've been looking for ways to incorporate workouts here and there throughout my day. It's also... Weirdly fun! Sounds like a train chugging along and I find it entertaining and amusing. I'm merely estimating, but I think the whole process took 30-45 minutes to complete. Then I dried my clothes as usual which took a little longer, since there's no real spin cycle, so more water was present than I'm used to.
My initial impressions are overwhelmingly positive. I like the size, ease of use, and Eco friendliness of the RetroWash. I also don't mind the hands on factor; it beats actually hand washing clothes, and gives me a little workout. Plus, it's fun! It's safe on delicates, too, because there is no agitator. It's too small to wash stuff like blankets and sheets, and I'd be hesitant to try to run some of my heavy winter clothes in it. I don't think it's something everyone would want to use all of the time, but would be great for camping or traveling, or for those like me who want to lessen their carbon footprint and get a little workout in.
The WonderWash is available from The Laundry Alternative. https://laundry-alternative.com
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