washing machine on board

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SailSouth

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Central Solent
www.solentboatbutler.co.uk
There are a few older threads about the options but nothing specifically about this sort of twin-tub washer.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/lal/Good-Ideas-Compact-Washing-Machine-caravans-anywhere/B00U9G236E

or

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Costway-Wa...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TMAB2EK0CYV0KYE7G5GQ

Or

https://www.amazon.co.uk/MP-Essenti...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=PT373QTY1PD8MVQ7F4AP

Any thoughts or experience of them?

Unfortunately my marina does not currently have a washing machine or dryer so I was thinking of getting one and have space for it.
 
I had a Chinese one with vertical spindle. Didn't last long as the seals leaked and the motor got wet. Worth having if you can afford a good one. Although I'm now in tropical waters - mostly wearing scants - a washing machine is important as the bedsheets need regular changing (unless of course you have aircon and don't sweat at night, amongst other things...). I make do with a big flexi tub (bucket).
 
As liveaboards for about 8months of the year, we find a spinner more useful than a washer. We have a White Knight spinner. It spins twice as fast as a domestic washing machine so very effectively removes moisture. For washing we have a pair of builders buckets one for soapy water and one to rinse
 
We had one of those twin tub lightweight things which we bought in our first year living aboard. We used it once or twice, put it away and never used it again. It did the washing fine, the spin drier was effective and it didn't take up much space. But it used shed loads of water. Loads of water. So no use unless we were somewhere with easy access to fresh water it wasn't much use. And we found that if we had fresh water available, then there was just about always a laundrette, bar with a machine or a laundry. Much less hassle than doing a repeated cycles at a couple of kilos a time. So we kept it for one season then sold it.
 
We have the third on the list...the MP Essential.....we have had it for 18mths and are full time liveaboards....the wife loves it and it has paid for itself twice over in saved Laundry costs....my wife tells me to write that it copes with everything except for a double quilt cover...it does single quilt covers and single Bath sheet towels easily...she also tells me she has adapted her routine by filling with hot water from the boat but she rinses separately in very large bucket type thing we carry aboard as she finds it easier..it is easily moved around the boat as it isn't too heavy and its proved quite resilient to knocks...we purchased ours off E-bay for around £100 including delivery to Portugal...highly recommended..
 
SailSouth said:
thanks for the tips, the White knight spinner looks good with favourable reviews so maybe that with a basic portable washing machine will do the job nicely.
Click to expand...
Thumbs up for the White Knight spinner but the basic washing machine is simply a big bucket, hot water and the occational agitation with a stick. Builders buckets stack nicely and can be left in a locker full of mooring ropes until its wash day. The cheap plastic washing machine needs cabin space or it soon fails to work due to corrosion
 
I've had one of these (link below) for a few months and it's great, only potential issues are filling and draining but no problem if you have a shower head that you can fill it with and a drain to bilge or overboard through the floor as it drains at the bottom. It washes and spins well and is very quiet in operation. I got mine when the marina put cost of wash n dry up to £8.50 and it's paid for itself already...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/PORTABLE-W...=1502914719&sr=1-1&keywords=portable+twin+tub
 
V1701 said:
I've had one of these (link below) for a few months and it's great, only potential issues are filling and draining but no problem if you have a shower head that you can fill it with and a drain to bilge or overboard through the floor as it drains at the bottom. It washes and spins well and is very quiet in operation. I got mine when the marina put cost of wash n dry up to £8.50 and it's paid for itself already...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/PORTABLE-W...=1502914719&sr=1-1&keywords=portable+twin+tub
Click to expand...

I can see that would work well for you in the UK. For us in the Caribbean we live outside. Filling builders buckets with hot water from a hose pipe from the calorifier and filling with clothes and leaving them on deck for a couple of hours is no hassle. The White Knight spinner is super efficient (2800rpm) such that drying times for our clothes are very short. We actually stripped out our washing machine in favour of buckets and spinner
 
I have a portable 3 kilo twin tub just pop in some hot water and some bubbles and Away you go.
rinsing is the key otherwise the clothes smell.
Runs off inverter 150 Watts only and the main thing is the spin yes I know you can ring the clothes out but to be honest the spin part is awesome Popham on the line dry within one hour
 
Get one it's so much better than hand washing or even just a spinner. Currently in the Ionion washing costs between 6-8€ so it will son pay for itself. Don't make do with the minimum we have had ours for 2 years with no problems use it once a week for approx to 2 hours (4 washes and rinsing)kingside sheets and bath towels included.
 
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