Manual Washing Machines

[iona]

We have heard of a non electric washing machine that can be turned by hand in a drum, but never seen such a thing. Has any one seen such a thing and know where we might get one, particularly in Spain/Portugal or failing that the UK? Marina laundrettes seem very expensive and it might keep our kids out of trouble! Thanks for any help.

 

[alb40]

I had one that i got from www.tenormarketing.com.

It works ok but i ended up buying a small portable electric one from a caravan shop. I should imagine a good caravan shop would stock the manual ones also

 

[Anonymous]

Agree - marina launderettes are far too expensive for live-aboard (at least they are for us). This is what you are asking for, from Force 4 at £39.95. See Force 4 washing machine We use the £69.95 electric also from Force 4 chandlery and it stows easily (shock cord holds it in place in a shower, move it out when showering if we have guests). It takes very little power, 135W at 230V mains and does not have a water heater. It's great - but no spinner.

 

[rivalranger]

I've found that washing clothes onboard isn't too much of a problem (buckets & a washing dolly from lakeland), however drying clothes is a pain especially with the UK weather. Has anyone got any tips on the drying front ?

 

[moodycruiser]

We have one of the 39.95 ones, but we haven't used it for a while. in all honesty, with the amount of time and effort that SWMBO was spending on doing the washing, together with all the clothes hung up all over the place, we gave it up and now use a local launderette once a week (outside marina) who do a service wash - I find that if you go often enough they give you a discount anyway, it gets dropped off in the a.m. and picked up in the afternoon - all done.
/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[jerryat]

Hi iona!

We used a Wonderwash manual washing machine for almost 8 years in the Med/Caribbean and found it terrific. It uses very little water but works under pressure (caused by the hot water and the sealed top) that really does clean remarkably quickly. The only thing to watch is that you don't put clothes into 'soak' in the hot water with the lid sealed down. If you do, as the water cools it creates one hell of a vacuum that, in our case, was enough to crumple the plastic drum and made getting the lid off damned difficult. We had to buy a replacement!
Ok, we initially thought we'd get fed up with sitting in the cockpit turning the handle for about 5 minutes a wash, but when the sun's hot, the sky's blue, you've a cold beer by your elbow and your friends are passing in the dinghy and stopping for a chat, who the devil cares!!
Just a tip for those in/going to the Med. and told us by one of our Spanish friends. Spanish washing powders are apparently 'designed' to be used in cold, or luke warm water, not at the temperatures we are used to using in the UK. We were very doubtful about this claim, but it is correct and the clothes do get cleaner not using hot water.

Cheers Jerry

 

[Alastairdent]

I've just bought a wonderwasher, 20 quid. It is fiarly fast the main prob is drying, as it doesn't help with the spinning problem. Mostly use a laundrette for large things,

 

[Anonymous]

[ QUOTE ]
...however drying clothes is a pain especially with the UK weather. Has anyone got any tips on the drying front ?

[/ QUOTE ]We've been doing ours in Chichester since September and don't have any probs. First, we only wash 1kg or max 2kg on a winter's day. Most of the time it dries almost completely outside on a couple of lines. When it doesn't we bring it in and let it hang in a shower compartment or the forward cabin, leaving a fan heater pointing in that direction. We run two dehumidifiers 24/24 and seldom have any condensation that actually drips. Once or twice we have used the launderette in an emergency - usually just the spin dryer which is only 20 pence and very rarely a short spell in the tumble, which costs ££££

 

[Alastairdent]

Well, um things like fan heaters usually require shorepower, I run from a single PV panel.

I do have a solid-fuel stove, and dry things over that.

Volume is the problem - 2 adults full time and between 2 and 4 kids.

 

[Anonymous]

You have my sincere admiration /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Ventilation is always the key to damp; aside from natural ventilation, the concensus of this forum recently was that the most energy efficient and lowest cost fans are computer fans (typically 0.5A at 12V). Could you designate a cabin for drying, during a particular time, and arrange a computer fan to assist the moist air out? Moist air sinks so maybe you could put a computer fan on the end of a bit of plastic pipe, with the fan near floor level, and discharge the pipe to the outside, like a flue? If you can arrange it so that warm air from the heated accommodation replaces the air you are extracting (a simple vent grille on a door) then you might even find that the rest of the boat is a little dryer.

In another existence I was involved in the Heating and Ventilating industry and we found that in cases of damp, low power ventilation over a long time was better than trying to use a larger fan for a short time.

 

[Alastairdent]

Not much spare space atm, tho' when my gf gets her 70ft sailing barge that will be different. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I do intend to use an old inverter fan to draw air from the ceiling in the main cabin and send it into the bathroom/heads. This is currently unheated and a bit chilly in winter.

If this technique works, I'll be dividing the sleeping space up into separate berths and using computer fans for ventilation.

I am blessed with large opening window - ex-ships' windows, very large and classed as watertight. Doesn't help much when the outside air is damp too.

 

[Swagman]

Not sure if one can source these over this side, but in Oz one could buy a round plastic wheel device a tad larger than a football, which comes apart. Once half filled with water , suds and garments, then gets lobbed off the back of a moving yacht with a line secured through a central hole.
Serrated ridges made it tumble according to boat speed and inside 10 minutes or so - one could pull it back on board and recover perfectly clean (but unrinsed) garments.

Obviously it was not too effective in a marina or anchorage...........

 

[steve_cronin]

We have a wooden airing rack over the engine and most things are bone dry after a couple of hours.

Steve cronin

 

[pragmatist]

Oddly enough I find drying clothes easier on the boat than at home - the rigging and guard rails are much better set up than a whirly-line in a shady garden ! However we're not yet been 12 month liveaboards so expect you have a bigger problem. We have a full cockpit cover (on our Rival !) which is wonderful and does work well as a drying room if you open the leeward side to allow circulation of air.

On the general subject I agree that marina launderettes are not only expensive but also tend to use small and inefficient equipment. Why does no-one in cruising guides tell people about town launderettes ? I use the one in Dartmouth regularly - can do 2 weeks washing, tumble drying most of it too, including bed linen for about £7 and it only takes about an hour - just time to nip round to the nearby internet cafe ! They use huge commercial machines & driers and can even take duvets. Do others know of similar launderettes elsewhere ?

If anyone wants to know how to find this one PM me - but then I expect you're mostly off in sunny places not snowy Dartmouth !

 

[charles_reed]

Sounds

far too pragmatic for the Brits.

I've found it easy to do the washing - it's the rinsing and wringing is the problem.

Mind you it all plays havoc with hand-softness.

 

[giraffehappy]

Re: Sounds

have you thought of using a hand operated wringer like you get on old fashioned twin-tubs?. I have been considering buying one of these if I can find it.

 

[trouville]

Re: Sounds

For drying i tried to find an old wringer,and couldent anywhere! but just wait for a mistral it will dry anything in a short time!

I installed a 3kg Kenwood machine small but washes really well, At anchor i use a generator 1kw and add walm water from the gas water heater, in port i plug in and wash with heat, small robust and has survived so far for 7 years without a problem
Before that i used a plastic one with a attachable paddle,

Befor that when i had a smaller sailboat at anchor i put my wash in a plastic container 2foot wide and 2foot deep i punhed 1cm holes all over, then added the washing some wash powder a dozen smooth stones about 4 by 2 inch, then dropped over the side where i left it for 4 to 8 hours, then squeeze it out and rinse in fresh water, i would let it soak in the first fresh water forhalf hour then rinse in another bucket of fresh water, I washed wonderfully! but ive become lazy!!!

Now ive bought a Folkboat,i have the impresion there wont be room for a wash machine!I will be useing that systen again if its allowed in the Baltic? it sends up lots of foam and bubbles!!!

I had almost forgoten, i was given a hand wash machine!! i did work very well but was hard work! it was an aluminim globe in a frame it was quite big about 2foot dia it used very little water and washed very well but i had to turn the handle one way for three turns wait 3 mins then turn the other way----you can find them in Switzerland, thats where they were made.

It must have been good (i prefered the Kenwood and generator) as it was stolen from the cockpit in Menton, happly id taken the washing out!

 

[BrendanChandler]

We had a large size bucket with a screw on lid. When sailing we put the clothes in the bucket which lived tied to the pushpit added sea water and detergant and left it there for a day or so. Then we emptied the water, replaced it with fresh water and left it for another day to rinse.
Worked a treat and we will use it again this year when we go blue water.

Brendan

 

[trouville]

Thats a good idea!The only problem could be with the colours.

When i left my wash to soak and forgot about it? the next day everything was pink-blue!

But thats a good idea,!i was wondering what people might say if my boats surrounded in soapsuds, Washing seems to be one of those awful jobs that females like doing?Perhaps ill find a volenteer?

Taking your super idea a step further,On wash day an anchorage in a bay with MOBOs and jet skis raceing aimlessly around, and day site seeing would do the job!

 

[BrendanChandler]

When you have beenliveaboard for a little longer, all you clothes will be the same faded colour!