Are you planning to go off-grid? If so, you may wonder how you do your laundry without relying on the power grid. After all, washing clothes with your hands can be a tall order, especially if you have laundry for the entire family.
Off-grid living means you do not depend on national utilities such as electricity from the power grid, making it challenging to run power-dependent machinery. The dread of facing laundry tasks without a powered washing machine may scare you from going off-grid.
Nevertheless, you have some best off-grid washing machine models that can save your hands from blisters and your back from endless bending. With these off-grid washing machines, you can enjoy washing clothes, thus keeping your family clean and healthy.
You do not need to wear one cloth for a week and smell like a farm goat just because you live off-grid.
This article will highlight the 5 best off-grid washing machines and how to operate them. These machines use less water and power and are ideal for those who want to reduce their cost of living.
You might also enjoy reading: Top 10 Off-Grid Dryers; which one is best for you?
Best Washing Machines For Off-Grid Living
Technological advancement has facilitated the invention of the energy-efficient electronic washing machine as well as powerful manual washing machines. These varieties can overwhelm you and affect your decision-making when deciding on the best off-grid washing machine for your off-grid life.
We have seen your struggle and scoured the internet to present you with a list of the best off-grid manual washing machines and factors to remember when deciding.
This article gives you seven models to choose from, enabling you to go for one that perfectly fits your off-grid homestead or tiny home.
1- Magic Chef Washing Machine For Off-Grid Living
The Magic Chef washing machine for off-grid living is an ideal washing machine for off-grid living since it is energy-efficient. It can be powered by solar energy, which is a common off-grid energy source.
The Magic Chef washing machine for an off-grid living consumes only 23kwh annually, which is way below what one modern solar panel can produce in a year.
You can change your life with this washing machine.
Instead of spending lots of hours scrubbing the clothes clean, you can invest in the Magic Chef washing machine for off-grid living and spend those hours relaxing or doing other productive stuff.
How To Operate Magic Chef Washing Machine For Off-Grid Living
- Hook up the washing machine to your sink, put your clothes in it and fill it with water
- Select one of its washing modes- from the five and allow it to cycle.
- Once you wash the clothes, drain the water through the sink or a standpipe.
Besides being energy-efficient, the Magic Chef needs little space; it can comfortably fit in an RV, an apartment, or a tiny house. It is also portable and can hold a good amount of clothing.
However, it cannot wash your large king-size comforter due to its size.
2- Yirego Drumi Washing Machine
If you want a high-tech manual washing machine, the Yirego drumi washing machine is your answer. It does not require electricity, which is perfect for off-grid living.
You only need to use your foot power to pump the machine’s pedal to wash your clothes. Pedaling with your foot contributes 600 RPMs, giving your clothes a clean wash within minutes.
What is more, the pumping is some gym to get in shape. However, because the Yirego drumi washing machine is not large on the inside, you may have to wash your clothes in bits. Many people living off-grid love this washing machine due to its cost-effectiveness.
3- Lavario Portable Clothes Washer
This off-grid washing machine works similarly to a washing wand but is more high-tech. The Lavario portable clothes washer has an outer container holding ten gallons of water and detergents. It also comes with a basket for holding your clothes.
Furthermore, you can use hot water of up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
How to use Lavario Portable Clothes Washer
- You fill the outer container with water and detergent
- Place the dirty dry laundry into the water
- You will move the basket up and down, thus activating its power flow technology.
- You will benefit from gravity to pull the basket down, and your clothes’ natural buoyancy will help the basket to rise again.
4- Laundry POD™ Non-Electric Washing Device
Recently Laundry POD non-electric washing machines trended worldwide, sweeping the awards for their innovative green design. The machine was invented by a mother to cut down laundry time and save water.
If you have seen how a salad spinner works, then you know how this washing machine works. It is like a big salad spinner with your clothes replacing the salad. However, it is smaller than most off-grid washing machines.
You can use it to do small washes between larger washes. Small washes take less water- 3 gallons for every wash instead of 40 gallons on a traditional machine. With the Laundry POD, you can significantly reduce your contribution to climate change.
How to operate Laundry POD™ Non-Electric Washing Device
At the top, it has a crank and a drain at the bottom.
- You fill it with water and detergent
- Add clothes and crank it a few times
- Drain the water and pour clean water to rinse the clothes
- Crank it a few more times to rinse the clothes and a few final spins to squeeze the water off.
- Drain the water and remove your clothes for drying.
5- Giantex Portable Washing Machine
The Giantex washing machine washes and dries your clothes. Can you imagine having this beauty while living off-grid?
The Giantex portable washing machine comes with two compartments: one for washing and the other for drying your clothes. You do not have to wait on the sun or wind to dry up your clothes since you can wash dry and wear them in 15 minutes.
This off-grid washing machine saves time and space. Since it is small and light, you can store it out of the way when it is not in use.
Don’t worry about power consumption; its size means it is energy-efficient.
How to operate the Giantex Portable Washing Machine
- Once your dirty clothes are ready, you can move the machine near the water and power source.
- Fill the washing tub with water and detergent.
- Place the clothes on the mixture, close the top, and set the spin time depending on how dirty your clothes are.
- If your clothes are very dirty, you can choose the 15-minutes increments
- Once the machine has cleaned the clothes, you take them to the spin tub for drying.
- Allow the spin to run for 5 minutes, but the duration you allow it to spin depends on how dry you intend your clothes to be.
If you want the best off-grid washing machine and drier for your little luxury off-grid homestead, the Giantex is your best bet.
Factors To Consider When Choosing The Best Off-Grid Washing Machine.
Like any other machine, you need to consider several factors when deciding on the best off-grid clothes washer. Here are some factors worth remembering.
1- Power Requirements
Whether you get your off-grid power via wind or solar system, power usage is a major concern for many people living off-grid.
A washing machine can cause a huge power outflow from the battery bank. Therefore, choose an energy-efficient washing machine during the day when the solar generates more power to prevent outage.
2- Water Requirements
Water conservation is one reason for adopting an off-grind washing machine—most manual washing use less water than traditional ones per load.
For instance, traditional machines use between 25 and 40 gallons of water; however, off-grid washing machines use 3 gallons per wash.
Although the capacity of off-grid washing machines is small, the difference between 3 and 40 is huge.
3- Size And Capacity
Off-grid cloth washers are often compact to match the available space and power source in remote areas. They may not accommodate a lot of clothes, but you can still select an off-grid washing machine with a larger volume.
4- Installation
Most off-grid washing machines are simple and may not require complex installation procedures.
Nevertheless, some may require assembling out of the box. The instructions from the manual are often straightforward to understand.
Wrapping Up
Doing dirty laundry should not threaten your off-grid living dreams. You can still save your hand from blisters and back from the pain of bending with off-grid washing machines.
These machines are small to fit into a tiny house, a cabin, or an RV. They are also energy-efficient, meaning you have nothing to worry about if you have one or two solar panels.