Washing Machine Recommendation?

If I was looking for reliability I would be trying to find a suitable Miele but maybe no portable models ? If travelling away maybe a consideration is availability of spares ?
 
Andy Todd said:
Can anyone recommend a washing machine to fit on the 40ft boat? We have no place of a permanent fixture. We're looking for something portable that we can stow. So far we're favoring this one... Giantex Portable Compact Full-Automatic Laundry 8 lbs Load Capacity Washing Machine Washer/Spinner W/Drain Pump: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home
Click to expand...

I bought a mini washing machine off eBay quite some time ago. When I eventually go sailing the machine will be stowed in a cupboard but will be worked in the shower recess and filled with the shower rose.

My machine is similar to this
Link
 
Only thing I’d say is that these little machines use quite a lot of water, especially when rinsing the washing. We had one, a twin tub, which was ok in terms of getting clothes clean but used too much water. We therefore never used it except when we were in a marina, where there’s nearly always a laundrette..... We sold it after a couple of years as we never used it enough to justify the space to stow it.
Friends with a large catamaran had a 6kg domestic machine fitted which was a much better idea. Think it was an Indesit: quite large in comparison to the one we had but it was an automatic machine and used a fraction of the water our twin tub used. But we simply don’t have the space to fit one in our monohull.
 
duncan99210 said:
Only thing I’d say is that these little machines use quite a lot of water, especially when rinsing the washing. We had one, a twin tub, which was ok in terms of getting clothes clean but used too much water. We therefore never used it except when we were in a marina, where there’s nearly always a laundrette..... We sold it after a couple of years as we never used it enough to justify the space to stow it.
Friends with a large catamaran had a 6kg domestic machine fitted which was a much better idea. Think it was an Indesit: quite large in comparison to the one we had but it was an automatic machine and used a fraction of the water our twin tub used. But we simply don’t have the space to fit one in our monohull.
Click to expand...


We find the cheapo - under 90 quid from Amazon - Chinese twin tub is perfect. Takes a double sheet or duvet cover, fills with the hot water from the shower, drains into the shower tray and pumps out the washing and rinse water, ditto the spin out water.

We usually only wash in a marina or alongside with water and shore power. We have a big genset, but also lots of storage so we keep plenty of clothes on board. Washing often coincides with a big shop when visiting a marina.

We dont like humping heavy washing around looking for a launderette and marina facilities are often busy.

At 8 to ten quid a throw in a marina or launderette, it paid for itself in 10 washes.

And, as you found, it does wash very clean.

Confession - we do, in bad weather, use marina dryers.

We have a monohull, it came with a domestic size washing machine cupboard, which we use for food storage, and a proper Generator Garage.

But it IS American, its what their market expects.
 
I've got the same as Rotrax I think - this one - on my Colvic Watson 34 that I live full time on. Fill with shower head & drain through floor to one of those wee boxes with a float switch & a pump inside. It is handy, the launderette here is 10 quid, but it is small capacity. The spin dryer is surprisingly effective but I don't put "delicates" in cos it pulls them out of shape, i.e. it's a bit harsh on whatever you're washing in it...
 
Had been wondering about this, what with the potential issues with marina facilities and lugging washing round an icy pontoon in February. Current boat has a half sized candy automatic in it which works well, but there's no way I'm fitting similar in a ~35' yacht. The 'cave boating' cruiser end of inland people seem to mostly use twin tubs or possibly WD-40.
 
OP here. Thanks. Here's my conclusion.

The optimum for us is a single tub that we can run in the shower and can stow. There are 2 types. The cheaper require you to manually put in a spin dryer basket. The spin load is therefore a lot smaller than the wash load. This seems a pointless. The better alternative is a fully automatic machine where the wash and spin tub are one in the same. Like this

The cheap twin tubs are OK if money is a real issue, but again the wash and spin tubs are different sizes and they are more bulky than the single tub machine.

ashtead: we've had Miele at home and I won't be buying them again. The spares and official service agents are a rip off and I couldn't get an independant service engineer to touch them.

The Daewoo DWD-03MCWR looks sexy.... expensive and doesn't dry. Shame!! It would fit as a permanent fixture on the wall in the shower.
 
I'd have a look at the suppliers focussed at mobile homes, and caravans.

The big issue for us with washing machines is the amount of water they use - the assumption is (and this maybe true for caravans/mobile homes) that you have a limitless supply of fresh water. We do, as suggested, harvest cold water from the shower (before the hot water gets through the system), we also collect the brackish water from the desal unit before all the salt is removed. We run ours in the cockpit, its easy to carry, and collect the waste water to clean the deck etc.

Because the idea is you desire them to fit in a small space - they then take a small load - and to complete all the laundry you need to have multiple washes, using more water. Additionally the things you actual priorities are sheets and towels and a small unit really is not very effective - as you can wash small items quite easily by hand.

We had a small unit (from a camping supplier) it had a shorty lifespan and we recently bought a replacement from Aldi (focussed at the outdoor market) about which I cannot yet comment.

We tend to save the towels and sheets until we reach 'civilisation' - so carry a big stock - and use the small machine only for clothing.

We are fortunate that the climate is conducive to rapidly drying the cleaned product from the machine.

'Normal' domestic units are too heavy, you cannot really move them around, and they would detract from sailing performance.

Its all about compromises and water management.

Jonathan
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top