- Portable washers have come a long way. The portable units of the past were more movable than actually portable, and they were not designed as space saving units. The portable washing units of today are designed to save space, water and, in some cases, energy. Portable washers now come with many features found on standard machines, such as water level settings, washing action levels and timers.
- The typical capacity of a portable washer ranges from 6 to 10 lbs. Therefore, these units are much better suited for those who have very few clothes to wash. The most effective units have two basins, one for washing, the other for spinning and extracting water from the clothes. A standard double-basin unit measures around 36 inches high by 28 inches wide. Most portable units also come with roll casters for easy movement.
- In order to wash clothes in the portable washer, you simply hook the hose up to your faucet (usually in a kitchen) to fill the basin with the required amount of water. Liquid detergent works best with portable machines, since they are not designed to provide enough agitation to break up powdered detergents. Once the wash cycle has completed, you drain out the used water, and then fill the basin with cold water to rinse the clothes. After the rinse is complete, you drain the rinse water and transfer clothes to the spin extractor in the second basin. Once the spin cycle has completed, clothes are ready for line or machine drying.
