James Washer for laundry?

I have a James washer and it is not my favorite. It is kind of a pain to use and I don't feel it gets the clothes clean. I like the arm workout, though. I use a manual wringer with it.

I used to have a wringer washer that ran off a Honda engine. I loved it. It was so easy to use!

Before we had the wringer washer we used a plunger (the blue one someone posted a picture of earlier). I had four washtubs and laundry was a great workout. I have used the plunger in five gallon buckets and it works well, but it is not easy to wash a large blanket or towel in the small bucket.

If you don't already have a James washer, I would not recommend buying one.

I totally agree. I live off grid and have been washing my own clothing for three years. My son is disabled and incontinent and I have to wash soiled bedding everyday and I am so fast at it now that I can beat a machine. I have two square tubs with a laundry stand I built with a wringer in between. I add cold water with soap or just baking soda to one tub and throw my clothes in. I agitate with my agitator and then let sit while I go do other things. I come back and agitate occasionally. The soaking really helps loosen the dirt. Then I agitate (this gives you beautiful triceps) all around about 90 times. It is kinda fun actually if you let it be. Then I use the wash board to scrub any dirt I see and then put it through the wringer. Then I put it back in the tub and add rinse water and maybe a few drops of essential oil if I want a certain smell then fill it with water and let soak a little longer. Then I agitate a little more and run the clothes through the wringer one more time and hang them dry. In the winter I hang them under cover outside for a day then bring them in and hang them on a line by the wood stove because I live in a wet climate. They drip out this way outside. Oh and I use either a plant based soap like Tru Earth strips of just baking soda or sometimes vinegar. It depends on what I’m washing. Really with lots of soaking and agitating I have found I don’t need soap and if I have fat then I add hot water. My clothes are clean and I don’t smell and I find it a nice and rewarding workout.

Has anybody had any experience with a Drumi?

https://yirego.com/



Not cheap but well-designed and built to last.
I thought about investing in one but the economics of a plunger on a stick through a hole in a lid on a bucket convinced me otherwise.
A spare complete lid allows washing to occur while campervan travelling.

Carmen Rose wrote:

Jonathan 'yukkuri' Kame wrote:These little things get good reviews from the users:

link

I had a friend who had something similar and he liked it plenty. 

Maybe I wasn't doing it right but I had one of these and it was WORTHLESS!

I've got one of these as well and can only give it a moderate recommendation.  The suction feet never really worked to hold it in place and the plastic holding them broke quickly.  The crank handle broke on me and I made a replacement.  The top no longer seals well so a bit of water gets tossed out with each rotation, meaning I need to do this in a location where it's ok for water to spray about some.  (probably a good idea for any sort of hand washing machine though.)

I've used mine on and off through the years depending on how motivated I was to do the labor by hand or head off to the laundry mat instead.  I would guess if the time I've spent using it was compressed together it's probably given me a year or two of doing laundry, but that includes the repairs I've made to it.  I would say they aren't really designed for regular use, or one should plan to need to be replacing/repairing it annually.

I may have to try the "plunger" type sometime.

I like the 5 gallon bucket and plunger idea.  If I were to do that, I'd compliment it with a mop bucket wringer to press the water out of the clothes.

You could fix a tub or bucket with  a lid in the middle of a teeter totter  and let the kids out to play. The tipping will slosh the clothes back and forth and wash them

Jonathan 'yukkuri' Kame wrote:These little things get good reviews from the users:

link

I had a friend who had something similar and he liked it plenty. 

I have owned two of these.  I must agree with the opinion posted above that the WonderWash had earned a solid "okay" rating in their experience.  If you are off grid and looking for an effective way to wash clothes, this will work for you.  But there may be simpler ways to go about it.  Unlike what some reviewers have posted, mine did hold pressure.  And the pressurized hot water tumbling wash does indeed clean most soil from your clothes, though don't expect it to remove stains without some serious bleach.

The problem is that the whole device, at least as I first bought it, is rather flimsy.  All plastic, and not even particularly hearty plastic.  I built a wooden frame to reinforce and stabilize it.

I got a second one after complaining to the manufacturer, and it turned out to be an upgraded model.  The structure was thicker, to the point that the machine was fairly rigid while tumbling without me having to jerry-rig some wooden superstructure.  They had also added a drainage tap at the base of the tub, which was a huge improvement.  In its second incarnation, it was fairly usable.  I'm still not sure it was worth the trouble, as it was laborious to use and washed a small volume of clothes at a time.  Filling a bath tub full of hot water and soap would be easier and quicker.  But it would also use a lot more water, so if water is in short supply there is that to consider.

All of this was years many ago for me.  I have no idea what the WonderWash purchasing options are like today.

I often do this too, but I let things soak in the bucket overnight, or while I'm at work. Cuts down on the plunging.

My parents had an old metal version of the "Wonderwash" called a "Presawash". It was made in Britain where we live. I have now inherited it and use it when we have no washing machine. I have always found it works fine although large sheets/duvet covers are too big for it. My husband felt sorry for me (although I was quite happy!) and bought a new washing machine so it is there for emergencies now.

Ara, nice to hear a metal version does, or did exist.  I've often thought while cranking my plastic one that it sure would be nice to have a solidly built metal one, and one that is a bit larger.  Perhaps I should try making one sometime...  Hmm...

Hi,

A friend of mine has the wonder washer and she raved about it initially. I live a couple of hours away from her, so I don't know what happened, but she goes to the laundry now.

This is my washing machine: and I love it! We sit in a chair in front of the pedals, so we are in a relaxed position, and it is super easy to pedal.

current place to get a wringer and rapid washer plunger
https://www.lehmans.com/category/washers_and_wash_day_accessories

Interesting thread.
I'm a nearly 60 yr old working class woman.

My mother, and her friends who were so poor they had no shoes when the war broke out, were partly emancipated by washing machines, électricité, public and private transport and working plumbing.

I've had my fair share of limited resources, built my eco cabin lifestyle by having to exile to France because of the utter devastation that's called "the UK housing market".

It's backbreaking time consuming stuff, handwashing everything. My hubby thrived on it, for years but he's a smelly greasy biker who hardly ever washes anything and we have seperate bedrooms, so that's ok. He uses the machine fine.

There's no way I'm advocating handwashing everything... or ringing everything out, unless you need to lose weight, are able bodied, are jobless or so rich you don't have to work.
Even rudimentary hand operated washers and ringers are ultra time and labour consuming.

Anyway
I've solved it by buying a secondhand top loading machine €50 incl delivery) which luckily accepts a single low pressure hose...a 12volt pressure pump (€29..runs the shower too) and a homemade solar water collector. (€175...with in line 12v pump) we have solar PV for the pumps.

It's great.

We're in France.

Washes better than a laundromat launderette.
Uses 210/240volt from an investor. I run it on "cold" as the water is usually pre heated anyway.

We also run fridge, freezer and small appliances. Our PV is 1200w

Winter will be sparse when it's cloudy. So we have a 250w windmill...hand made from a car alternator built in the USA ❤️

Carmen Rose wrote:

Jonathan 'yukkuri' Kame wrote:These little things get good reviews from the users:

link

I had a friend who had something similar and he liked it plenty. 

Maybe I wasn't doing it right but I had one of these and it was WORTHLESS!

I agree. I had it too. The laundry plunger and bucket or bin are far more effective. I don't understand the appeal of this thing.

Tiffaney Dex wrote:Hi,

A friend of mine has the wonder washer and she raved about it initially. I live a couple of hours away from her, so I don't know what happened, but she goes to the laundry now.

This is my washing machine: and I love it! We sit in a chair in front of the pedals, so we are in a relaxed position, and it is super easy to pedal.

I love it!

I bought a Nina Soft spin dryer for drying and do the rest by hand. The wringing is the hardest part (especially for big loads) but with the Nina Soft it's quick and easy. I'd highly recommend especially for anyone doing large quantities of laundry. Clothes get so dry that they barely take any time to dry on the line... and I can still use it when I soon go solar as it won't be too big a draw. I can even fit blankets in there.

I'd rather not rely on an appliance (and now I'm not too keen on plastic stuff), but I own this and it works so well for now. I'd like to experiment with ways to make laundry overall easier. Perhaps getting in a habit of doing a little bit at a time. That would make hand wringing (and all the laundry for that matter) not so big a chore. And then I could get rid of one more appliance that takes up space in my tiny house.