Due to my chemical sensitivities, I have always had a difficult time with laundry unless I’m living in a place where I have my own washing machine and dryer. I don’t do well with heavily perfumed equipment in laundromats. During my nomadic years I used a 2.5 gallon salad spinner on a campsite and then hung the clothes on lines.
Several years ago, when I lived in one particular apartment, I purchased a portable washer/dryer called TwinTub Washing Machine. I was living on the third floor with wood floors and the unit was a little loud, so I’d wait until my neighbors went out to use it. It was too heavy to lift but I somehow managed. I was thrilled with how well the unit spun the clothes so dry that I could practically wear them right away.
Recently I tried to buy the same product but it was unavailable. Instead, I purchased an inexpensive portable washer from Belro that actually flattens for travel. However, I was not happy that it didn’t spin the clothes dry. Unfortunately, this company tried several times to scam my credit card, and kept changing the company name. I eventually got my money returned.
Then I ordered a portable washer from Costway called Portable Mini Washing Machine Semi-Automatic Washer and Spinner. This one was a little more expensive and not as cheaply made, but again, it did not spin my clothes dry enough. I was able to get most of my money back upon returning the item.
Finally, I decided to buy just a spinner, not a portable washer. I still wash my clothes in my salad spinner in the kitchen sink, then bring them in a bin to my bathroom where I set up my new fabulous spinner. It has suction cups on the bottom and I have placed it on a sturdy metal chair next to the tub, which the water hose drains into. The spinner is called Revo Countertop Spin Dryer from a company named The Laundry Alternative. It is not too heavy to lift as long as I’m ergonomically mindful. It is not too noisy and thankfully spins my clothes dry enough in about thirty seconds. I then hang them on a clothes rack and they are fully dry in a few hours. No more drippy messes on the floor and my hands are having a rest from wringing out clothes because the salad spinner can only do so much.
When I spoke with the owner* of the company in Texas about a minor leaking problem, he was very nice and told me not to worry, that down the road if my sealing the leak didn’t work, he would replace the spinner. So far so good. It is actually a pleasure to wash my clothes now.
*Corey, the company owner to told me that many people use these spinners in Mexico and South America. It is too damp in many places to simply hang clothes outside; they get moldy unless spun dry.