A very easy to setup and use portable washing machine. Very light (around 15 lbs) and easy to position anywhere you need it to be. I'll just list the Pros and Cons of this portable washing machine:
Pros:
+ Easy setup; Place in a spot where you can position it to use the gravity operated drain tube.
+ When used as directed (not overloading it, following instructions), it works very well.
+ Able to wash small loads effectively.
+ Not very noisy.
+ Doesn't take up too much space.
+ Power consumption is minimal. Uses substantially less power than a modern microwave oven.
+ Has an internal water pump, which is very useful to expedite the drainage of water from the inside of the tub.
+ Internal pump helps with ensuring as much water as possible is drained from the inside of the tub after usage.
Cons:
- Having to transfer soaking wet clothes to dry them can become quite messy, unless you organize your laundry work area and plan how you'll be getting the clothes dry. (see what my procedures are for using this machine below)
- Cleanup of the unit is necessary and can be time consuming. You'll have to completely drain the unit of all water and make sure the inside of the tub area is completely dry.
- Several interior components of the tub itself can be difficult to clean.
- Uses a plastic hose to drain the tub. If this hose gets damaged in any way, the machine might be substantially more difficult to use if not rendered useless outright.
- Unit can become very heavy and weigh up to 50+lbs when filled with water.
So, after all the Pros and Cons of the machine, I'll get down to what I personally do when I set it up and get ready to do some laundry with it.
I have this and a companion spin dryer (The Laundry Alternative's "Nina Soft Spin Dryer" - https://amzn.to/2MrtNCP ) that I use to spin dry the clothes, which I then place over my bathtub via clothes lines to air dry. The set of clotheslines that I use is a "Gideon Retractable Clothesline" ( https://amzn.to/2N8aYAZ ) which has 4 nylon clotheslines that can easily be deployed or retracted. Standard clothes-pins are used on this device to attach to the 4 clotheslines which have the clothes fully dry within 24 hours, even indoors.
The reason why I bought a separate spin dryer was because of the possibility of failure when it came to having a spin dryer/washer combo unit. If one feature of the combo unit fails, it becomes a unit that is only half useful but still takes up the space of an entire unit. Think of it as a television set that doesn't have the ability to play sound or a car that can only drive forward; Both items are not entirely useless but they're also not entirely useful either. I figured, if I buy separate washer and spin dryer units, if one unit eventually ceases to operate, I can simply replace it with something equivalent. Sure, it may cost more initially, but I feel that in the long run, when all types of machinery eventually break down for good, it is still easier to replace single units as opposed to combo units, whatever they may be.
For it's price, it is a very good little washing machine that does what it claims to do; wash clothes.
Here are some tips that will make using this portable washing machine much easier to use:
* ALWAYS read the instructions first. This way, you can hopefully cover all your bases in terms of how to properly operate the washing machine.
* Place the unit in an area where it will be able to effectively drain the water efficiently, without as much mess as possible, preferably in a bathtub or area (such as a kitchen counter) which has access to a drain.
* Set up your washing area ahead of time by placing the machine where you'll need it to be so you don't make the mistake of having to move the machine when its full of water, as the machine can weigh up to 50+ lbs. (It's extremely awkward to do so. I learned this the hard way)
* You don't need to use the included water inlet hose to connect to it in order for the machine to be filled with water. You can easily use a bucket or pitchers of water to fill it.
* ALWAYS make sure you DO NOT overfill the machine, with water or with clothes. There are certain 'fill lines' or 'marks' which will be quite apparent when you look at how the machine is designed, especially the interior of the tub.
* DO NOT OVERFILL (place a lot of clothes) in the washing machine tub, as the interior of the tub needs space to literally 'spin' the clothing to agitate them. If you overfill it, all you're doing is wasting water, power and time, as the clothes will never get agitated properly. (Otherwise, you've effectively placed your clothes in a bucket full of soapy water that spins but never cleans the clothes)
* USING POWDER BASED SOAP may not have the powder dissolve fully, unless you allow the powdered soap to soak and dissolve fully before starting the wash process.
* DO NOT USE A LARGE AMOUNT OF SOAP, regardless of what type, powder or liquid, otherwise, you'll have to rinse the clothes AT LEAST 4-5 times before attempting to dry them. If they aren't fully rinsed out, you'll have clothes that will have remnants of soap residue, resulting in the affected articles of clothing always having a damp feel to them while also reeking of a soapy smell.
* Remember to remove and clean the internal lint catcher devices inside of the main tub. They are the white plastic pieces that have the tiny holes in them. They will most likely have a small amount of lint in them, as well as soap residue, so cleaning them separately using a nylon brush under running water will work fine. Allow them to air dry in an opened state (literally open them so they dry quicker).
* Inside of the machine tub, where the internal lint catchers were mounted, be sure to drain all the water from the little holes that are behind the white lint catcher mounts. These holes are about an inch deep, probably with some lint at the bottom of them, so you'll want to use paper towels rolled up into a ball/stick form to reach down into them and literally twist the paper towel so it also brings up the lint that might be caught in the hole. Cotton swabs also work well to get the remaining tiny bits of moisture, after you've used the paper towels to absorb the water in the holes.
* After cleaning the washing machine and getting all of the water out of it, leave the lid open for a couple of days to ensure that the inside of the machine dries completely.
* You can also use 'rechargeable/renewable'' dehumidifiers, such as the Barska 150G Dehumidifier Pouch ( https://amzn.to/2LkgVZR ) or the EVA Dry E-333 Mini Dehumidifier ( https://amzn.to/2wjCpk6 ) to help keep the washing machine interior dry a bit quicker and when not in use. The reason you would want to keep the interior of the washing machine dry is so that it doesn't give mold or mildew a chance to grow and thrive.
* After several uses, a simple concoction of a tablespoon of bleach and a couple of liters of water can be used to help sanitize the interior of the washing machine tub as well as the pump and drain hose. Simply place the bleach & water combination in the machine tub, run it for 3 minutes and drain as you usually would if you were washing clothes. After the bleach/water combo has run through the machine, rinse out the machine again by running it for 3 minutes and then drain the rinse water. Clean the unit as usual, follow the previously mentioned tips about drying the interior of the machine and your machine will stay clean and usable for a long time.
When you take care of your equipment, your equipment will take care of you, especially when you need to use them the most.
Overall, I'm glad I bought this washing machine to do my clothes at home. Sure, there's a lot more labor involved, but at least I no longer have to go a distance away from my place to a laundromat where it can be crowded with rude people, sometimes expensive to wash & dry, be even more time consuming because of having to drive a car, use gas to drive a distance, find parking, etc. . Now I can do laundry at home or anywhere else I may bring this unit, at my own pace and at my own convenience.
I should have bought one of these years ago.
| Brand Name | Della |
|---|---|
| Model Info | CECOMINOD075750 |
| Item Weight | 16 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 14 x 17 x 24 inches |
| Item model number | CECOMINOD075750 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Part Number | 048-GM-48217 |
| Fuel type | Electric |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
