Foot Powered Washing Machine

[tj]

This is pretty cool...


https://www.facebook.com/DavidAvocadoWolfe/videos/10153646273841512/

[vhalros]

My first impression is that I could use it to wash maybe three shirts at a time, and there is no way to actually gets sufficient energy to do a good job as easily as shown in that video. If you could hook it up to some kind of bicycle-pedal-style drive though...

[coynemoney]

My first impression is that I could use it to wash maybe three shirts at a time, and there is no way to actually gets sufficient energy to do a good job as easily as shown in that video. If you could hook it up to some kind of bicycle-pedal-style drive though...

No doubt. Triple the size and rig it up to a stationary bike and you might be on to something.

[zombiehunter]

My first impression is that I could use it to wash maybe three shirts at a time, and there is no way to actually gets sufficient energy to do a good job as easily as shown in that video. If you could hook it up to some kind of bicycle-pedal-style drive though...

No doubt. Triple the size and rig it up to a stationary bike and you might be on to something.

This was my thought as well.  This washer is supposedly about half the size of a regular washer, but the guidelines are that it can wash 1 pair of jeans OR 6 t-shirts OR 8 boxers at one time.  That seems a bit smaller than half a regular washer.

Still, it's a cool concept.  I could imagine keeping this in the shower if you have a large walk-in shower, throwing underwear and socks in there, and running it once every other day or so.  Could really cut down use of a washing machine to every-couple-weeks type work of larger items like jeans, sweaters and towels.  I could also see this being really convenient if you live in a small apartment without a washer and dryer and have to rely on the laundromat (like I did living in Manhattan).  There the savings would add up substantially sooner, as you're eliminated lots of $3-$5 loads. 

Here's their official site:  http://www.yirego.com/
And Indigogo:  https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/drumi-the-foot-powered-washing-machine-design-green#/

But a bike powered equivalent that could hold the volume of a regular washer and clean your clothes after 10-15 minutes of exercise? That would be awesome.  I tried searching the web and could only find a few homemade contraptions like something a crazy prepper might have. 

[Inaya]

I would back this in a heartbeat for half the price. Tiny apartment. $5 per wash/dry load in the building laundromat. I have enough clothing to make full loads worth it, but I do my laundry once a month. Hubs, however, has 4 work-appropriate shirts and 3 work-appropriate pants and he works in a restaurant so no re-wearing the shirts (who was the sadist who said restaurant employees had to wear white shirts???). Being able to do one tiny load of laundry a week for him would be so much more work and cash efficient. But not at $300.

[zombiehunter]

This is basically the same product, but it's hand powered and costs $75 instead of $300:

https://www.amazon.com/The-Laundry-POD-LP001WHT-White/dp/B005FD7Z82

$300 does seem excessive.  The POD thing doesn't look as efficient as you have a hand crank instead of a foot pedal that looks to be using some gears to your benefit.  It's tough to compare the capacity, as the POD says 0.2 cubic fee while Drumi says "5 pounds".  The Drumi supposedly holds 5-10L of water while the POD is 6L, so they are probably in the same ballpark but the Drumi looks slightly bigger.