Washing Machine

N

njamesphoto

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We are getting quite self sufficient, water, electricity, wifi but around Italy and Sardinia we struggle to find a washing machine to use. We have two small children aboard who generate a fair amount of washing. At most ports we check out the big electrical shops with no luck. Several other cruisers have shown us their table top washers bought from home. Has anyone seen one for sale in italy/Sardinia? We might have to buy one in the UK and try and get it out. We have space for a proper marine 3kg one but at 700euros??? any advice please.
 
We have used a Wonderwash for many years. Excellent product, with which Jill reckons we get cleaner washing than with our all-singing and dancing machine at home.

P1000650.jpg
 
we thought we could do our washing by hand - now we have one of these

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Ideas-...TYS0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1286800609&sr=8-1

bought it on line from amazon and they delivered it to greece - postage about £8.50.

the amazing thing about it is that it works! in use it sits on the galley, but may be in the cockpit in the winter, max load is a double quilt cover, with a bit of planning you can use the detergent water for lots of loads reducing the water and detergent requirement - down side is it needs 230V - but only 190W with both the washer and spinner working so it would work on a smallish inverter.

Stowage could be a problem but we fill it with detergent and dirty washing when not in use
 
That twin tub is neat. We have a small machine, essentially an agitator, which we bought in Spain, but I'm not on board and can't remember the name! it was small enough to put on the rack of a folding bicycle and take home. Big enough to take a double quilt cover (just), doesn't dry (that's what the sun's for) and we only use it when plugged in in a marina.

Otherwise, we either handwash or find a marina. Italy is much better than Spain, where we found many laundrettes were 'service only' and correspondingly expensive. Siracuse in particular has a fantastic and good value laundrette very close to where you park your dinghy, but we could do a whole web-guide on western Med laundrettes!
 
When I was into travelling between the UK and the Gulf overland in the 70s, there were no portable 12v or 240v devices like that at all. We used to have a polybarrel (the sort of thing that people use to brew beer in) and stick clothes, hot water, and some detergent in. The barrel was then tied to the bumpiest par of the vehicle, and at the end of the day, the rocking and rolling had swooshed everything clean.

So it was just rinse and dry thereafter. If you could get (illegally) near an oil pipeline, you could dry clothes on it overnight as the oil is kept hot to maintain its fluidity.

I've never worked out why someone doesn't market a suitable polybarrel for laundry at sea.


EDIT. I've just looked up the Wonderwash test page:-
http://www.testfreaks.com/blog/review/wonderwash/

Looks astonishingly simple, and effective.
 
Last edited:
Marsupial said:
we thought we could do our washing by hand - now we have one of these

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Ideas-...TYS0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1286800609&sr=8-1

bought it on line from amazon and they delivered it to greece - postage about £8.50.

the amazing thing about it is that it works! in use it sits on the galley, but may be in the cockpit in the winter, max load is a double quilt cover, with a bit of planning you can use the detergent water for lots of loads reducing the water and detergent requirement - down side is it needs 230V - but only 190W with both the washer and spinner working so it would work on a smallish inverter.

Stowage could be a problem but we fill it with detergent and dirty washing when not in use
Click to expand...

We had one of those, or something very like it, blew up the first time we tried to use it, and took out the power on our potoon.

As we were in france and it was a boat jumble buy it ended up in the tip.
 
I have a candy, washing machine with 1300 spoin speed, cant remember the model, but the "compact" same as a house one but smaller, great bit of kit. 350 quid in UK.
 
We've got the little twin tub mentioned by Marsupial. Bought it a year ago and used throughout the summer and here in Gouvia. Labour intensive comapred to an automatic but light and the spin dryer is excellent. Don't overload it and don't overdo the detergent. However, the thing does use loads of water - in excess of 45 litres per wash.
 
Marsupial said:
we thought we could do our washing by hand - now we have one of these

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Ideas-...TYS0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1286800609&sr=8-1

bought it on line from amazon and they delivered it to greece - postage about £8.50.

the amazing thing about it is that it works! in use it sits on the galley, but may be in the cockpit in the winter, max load is a double quilt cover, with a bit of planning you can use the detergent water for lots of loads reducing the water and detergent requirement - down side is it needs 230V - but only 190W with both the washer and spinner working so it would work on a smallish inverter.

Stowage could be a problem but we fill it with detergent and dirty washing when not in use
Click to expand...

We have had one for a year now and apart from the inverter we bought five years ago and upon which it runs, it has been voted "the best bit of kit we ever bought".

We have a wooden drying rack over the engine too which finishes the drying on wet and sunless days.

Chas
 
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