'Tis the season when unsuspecting, bright-eyed youths move into cheap apartments only to quickly feel the pain of not having a laundry machine in the unit. I should know, I was once one of them. If you're also tired of schleping your laundry or fighting with neighbors over washing machine access, let me introduce you to a small lifesaver — a portable washing machine that hooks up to your sink.
Like me, you may have questions, such as "Will it break the plumbing and flood my apartment?" or "Do I need to leave the water on for the whole time?" Below, I'll outline everything you need to know about owning and using a portable washer.
Who should buy a portable washing machine?
If you don't have laundry in your apartment building or home, a portable washer is a lifesaver and, in my opinion, an absolute must. It gives you full and exclusive access to laundry right in your kitchen or bathroom.
Even if you do have communal laundry, a portable washer can offer a much more personal and reliable option: You don't have to wait for the machines to be free, acquire a giant bag of quarters, or worry about someone taking your wet laundry out and dropping it onto a dirty counter. Portable washers are also popular in RV and boating communities and can be a good option for tiny houses, apartments, and some dorm rooms.
Which portable washing machine should you buy?
There are many different styles of portable washers, but a good product should be compact, easy to use, and energy-efficient.
After much research, I purchased the Magic Chef 0.9 cu ft Compact Washer, which has a footprint of about 21 square inches. It was among the most compact washing machines I saw on the market. In the seven or eight months I used it, this machine always operated smoothly, was simple to set up each time, and left my clothes feeling and smelling fresh. It also didn't run up my electricity bill at all.
How to use a portable washing machine
Step 1: Gather your laundry
Portable washers typically hold only a very small load of laundry. In a typical wash, I can probably fit three to four days' worth of clothes for one person. Between my husband and me, that usually works out to a load every other day or so to keep up with net-zero laundry.
Step 2: Presoak anything that needs special treatment
Portable washers don't have all the bells and whistles of a full-size unit. If anything is stained or needs special treatment, do it first. You can presoak your clothes in a bucket, tub, sink, or even in the body of the washer itself. My washer has a soak mode, but you can also just fill up the washer and let it soak on its own.
Step 3: Connect your washer to the tap
Every portable washer is a little different, but all operate on the same premise: an inlet hose that connects to your sink tap to fill the machine with water and an outflow hose to drain. When you set up your washing machine, you'll follow the manufacturer's instructions to connect the hoses to the body of your machine. You'll need a wrench to make sure the hoses are connected tightly to the unit.
Connecting to the tap takes some trial and error at first. The tap connector has two parts: a quick-release and a screw-on nozzle. Using your fingers, depress the quick-release valve and remove the screw-on nozzle. Lining the threads of the nozzle up with the threads on your sink tap, screw the nozzle onto your sink. You may need to remove the aerator from your sink tap, if it has one.
If the nozzle included with your machine doesn't fit your sink tap, you can purchase a pack of adapters from Amazon and see what works. A good fit means minimal leaking from the area around the nozzle (minor leaks can be okay). Once the nozzle is installed, push the hose with the quick-release onto the nozzle and turn the water on at the tap.
Step 4: Place the drainage tube into the sink
After reading horror stories of drain hoses slipping out of sinks and flooding floors, I use a piece of string to secure the outflow tube to the sink. If you're using your bathroom sink to fill the washer, you may choose to place the outflow in your bathtub instead.
Step 5: Leave the water on
The first load of laundry I did with my portable washer, I sat next to the machine and turned the water tap on and off every time it switched from filling to agitating. This is not the right thing to do. Leave the tap running the entire cycle. Depending on what you're washing, you can either set the tap to cold or hot water. I prefer cold water because it's easier and makes colors less likely to run, but you may wish to use hot water for undergarments, sheets, and towels.
Step 6: Turn your machine on
You may need an extension cable to reach your nearest three-prong outlet. Plug your machine in and press the "on" button. Select your load size and laundry mode, then press start. The washer should immediately begin filling with water.
Step 7: Add detergent
Most portable washers don't have detergent dispensers, so you need to add the detergent right into the tumbler. It's best to do this while the water is running to avoid the detergent clumping in one area. I've found that liquid detergent works best with portable washers because it mixes easily with the water.
Laundry pods like Tide Pods 3-in-1 also work great, but be sure to place them on top of your laundry near the water flow. If a pod is wrapped up inside a bulky item, it may not dissolve all the way. One laundry pod or half a cup of detergent should be enough for one load of laundry. Whatever soap you use, make sure it's specifically for laundry.
Step 8: Disconnect the hose at the end of the cycle
When the cycle ends, turn the tap off and wait a few seconds before disconnecting the quick-release valve to let any built-up water pressure peter out. Disconnect the water hose from the tap and give it a few minutes to drip dry in the sink.
Drying your clothes
The spin cycle should have removed most of the water from your clothes, but they still need to be hung to dry. In the summer months, we hang laundry on a clothesline on our back porch.
In the winter, your best bet is a laundry drying rack. In our guide to the best clothes-drying racks, we named the Home Solution Foldable Garment & Clothes Drying Rack the best for small spaces.
Storage and care
To minimize any excess spilling, I store the ends of the hoses inside my washer when not in use. Even though the portable washer has a small footprint, it is deceptively heavy. This appliance dolly by Spacecare makes moving your portable washer around much, much easier. Plus, it only adds a few inches to the machine's footprint, so you can still store the washer in a small closet or corner of a room.
Like any appliance, it's important to periodically clean your washer. Run the washer empty once every six months or so with bleach or appliance cleaner. Our top pick is Lemi Shine Washing Machine Cleaner, which easily removes dirt, bacteria, and soap buildup.
The bottom line
A portable washing machine is absolutely a worthwhile investment if you live somewhere without easy access to laundry. We love them for apartments, RVs, boats, and other small spaces. The process is a bit different than using traditional machines, but you'll eventually save time and money with a portable machine.
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