If you’re anything like me, your washing machine is probably your favorite appliance in the entire house. I use my washer and dryer practically every day, but that’s not exactly something I’m proud of.
After all, the average washing machine uses several dozen gallons of water per cycle and more soap and detergent than I’d care to admit. That’s not only expensive, but it’s not that great for the environment. However, doing laundry by hand is a ton of work, too.
What a dilemma! If you want to cut costs, but you don’t want to put in too much effort, there is another solution available.
Why You Need a Non-Electric Washing Machine
I’ll be honest – when I first started to consider them, I wasn’t totally sold on the idea of a non-electric washing machine. I like having a washer and dryer and really don’t like the inconvenience of handwashing all my own clothes.
Drying my clothes on the line – sure, I can handle that. But handwashing? That’s a whole new ball game.
However, a non-electric washing machine really lets you have the best of both worlds.
You don’t have to schlep your clothes to the laundromat to get the job done, nor do you have to spend a ton of money (or energy) for the chore, either.
You also don’t have to scrub every single piece of clothing you have by hand!
With a non-electric washing machine, you’ll be able to get your clothes just as clean and also save energy.
With minimal physical effort, you can reduce the chores on laundry day and save some money, too! Consider the non-electric picks below, or find your own to start saving both today.
You can find well-priced hand washing machines on online stores like Amazon, and in local giants like Walmart. Say goodbye to getting your hands wet, and save hours of backbreaking work.
Here are a few of my favorites…
1. WOAIM
WOAIM is a fantastic hand-cranked mini portable washing machine that is great for doing laundry off the grid. In less than five minutes you can wash 4.4 pounds of laundry.
It is powered by a hand crank, so you will get a little bit of exercise while you are doing laundry. It even has a ‘spin’ cycle to remove excess water leaving your clothes 95% dry.
It is as easy as add detergent, add water, add clothing, spin, then add water to rinse and spin again.
This is just one of many hand-cranked washers available.
Pros:
- ☑ Washes clothes quickly (less than 5 minutes per load)
- ☑ Clothes come out 95% dry
- ☑ Compact and portable
Cons:
- ❌ Can’t be used with larger items like bed sheets
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You can get WOAIM here.
2. EasyGoProducts Washing Wand
Another popular choice that is super affordable is the EasyGoProducts Washing Wand.
This washer is powered by creating a spinning effect by plunging and then pulling up in a bucket with your laundry, water, and detergent.
Simply partially fill a 5-gallon bucket with water and detergent, and add your clothing. Then place the plunger into the bucket, push down, and pull up.
There is a spinner inside the plunger that agitates the water, ensuring that your clothes are thoroughly cleaned. This is a truly portable, easy-to-use handwashing tool that will make washing easier and is very affordable.
Pros:
- ☑ Unique design that is affordable and portable
- ☑ Corrosion-proof
- ☑ Washes clothes gently
Cons:
- ❌ Some users report that the handle is not the most durable
Get the Washing Wand here.
3. Stacked Mini Washing Machine
I have one hand-washing machine that I am excited to tell you about because you can wash your clothes and get a great workout at the same time.
Inside the bucket of the Portable Stacked Dryer Mini Manual Washing Machine is a spinner that is attached to two lines outside the bucket. Essentially, it is a washer we all pay to use in gyms when we could be doing our laundry while we work out.
For an upper-body workout, stand on the pedals and pull up on the lines. You can adjust your posture to work your stomach, arms, shoulders, back, and neck.
For a lower body workout, stand on one pedal, hold one line in your hand and loop the handle
on the other side around your foot and pull using your leg muscles. You can adjust your posture to do powerful squats and really work all your lower body muscles.
Pros:
- ☑ Can be stacked
- ☑ Washes and dries in mere minutes
- ☑ Clothes come out 95% dry even before drying
Cons:
- ❌ Requires hand cranking
Get the Stacked Mini Washing Machine here.
4. EasyGo Manual Clothes Washer
This is yet another neat little washing machine that requires very little of you.
To use this washer you add your water and detergent to the drum, then add your clothes, and use the hand crank to crank the drum for 1 – 2 minutes.
The water is easy to drain out through a detachable drain spout.
Once the dirty water is drained, add clean, cold water, and crank for about 30 seconds to rinse.
Then drain and dry.
It can handle anything from delicate to durable types of denim.
Pros:
- ☑ Available in multiple colors
- ☑ Easy to use
- ☑ Comes with detachable drain
Cons:
- ❌ Slides around even when filled with clothes
Get the EasyGo Manual Clothes Washer here.
5. Lavario Portable Clothes Washer
The Lavario Portable Clothes Washer is a great electricity-free tool for doing laundry on camping trips, in dorms, or in apartments.
It is very easy to use. It has a bucket and an inner plunger. By pumping up and down over your clothes in the tub, bucket, or basin your laundry will not take much time to wash thoroughly. It’s a strong machine that will speed up the process, and leave you with clean laundry.
Pros:
- ☑ Can be used in any setting
- ☑ Works well on fine fabrics
- ☑ Made in the USA
Cons:
- ❌ Doesn’t wring out as well as some of the other washing machines
Get the Lavario Portable Clothes Washer here.
6. Ultrasonic Mini Washing Machine
This one is for the YUPPIES. A washing machine powered by USB. This is a handy gadget that requires very little storage space. It can easily fit in a drawer or closet.
The Mini washing machine 2in1 with USB Cable is perfect for use in apartments, on business trips, for travelers, and homebodies.
It uses high-frequency vibration cavitation of ultrasonic waves to generate a bubble-bursting process to vibrate, emulsify, and peel dirt off of your clothing.
The gentle process will not harm your clothes because the clothes will not tangle during the process.
This washer can be put into your washbasin, bathtub, or bucket to clean your clothes.
The downside is it takes about 40 minutes to do a load. But, by doing a load, I mean put in detergent, fill with water, add clothes, press start, and go back to reading your book.
This little washing machine has a bunch of non-laundry-related uses too, like washing fruit and jewelry, and even washing your dirty dishes, amongst others.
Pros:
- ☑ Can be used on things besides clothing
- ☑ Saves a third of the water of a home washing machine
- ☑ Convenient to use
Cons:
- ❌ Pricier than some of the other alternatives
Get the Ultrasonic Mini Washing Machine here.
7. Allurette Wash Bag
This thing is really nothing like you’ve ever seen before. The Allurette is less of a machine and more of a device that you use to wash clothing – any kind of clothing, but it works particularly well for delicates. It’s basically a baggie with a washboard that you can use on your delicates.
All you have to do is load up your clothes, add some soap and water, then squash the bag around. Your clothes will rub together inside the textured interior of the bag.
You don’t have to get your hands dirty, and it takes minimal time to wash your clothes. Sure, there is some work involved – but a lot less than you’d have to do if you were handwashing all of your delicates in the sink.
Pros:
- ☑ Has flat ridges that are perfect for delicates
- ☑ Designed for home and travel
- ☑ Twice as effective as hand washing
Cons:
- ❌ Does require some manual labor
Get the Allurette Wash Bag here.
8. Avalon Bay Ecowash Washing Machine
The Avalon Bay Ecowash is another great choice if you are looking for a portable washer. It is a good option for more environmentally-friendly cleaning as well as if you are on the go or on the road. It lets you do a decent amount of laundry without damaging your clothes, as it agitates more gently.
All you have to do to wash your clothes is load them up and crank the lever. It can save a ton of money along with water and detergent. Lightweight and easy to use, it fits well into small spaces like RVs and tiny houses.
If you really want to upgrade your laundry game, AvalonBay also makes a helpful hand-crank mini spin dryer that can be used alongside the EcoWash. In fact, it can dry up to five pounds of clothes at once.
Pros:
- ☑ Great for camping
- ☑ No protruding agitators or internal elements to damage your clothes
- ☑ Convenient and highly portable
Cons:
- ❌ Sometimes requires twice the rinsing
Get the Avalon Bay Ecowash here.
9. Drumi Washing Machine
This non-electric washing machine is foot-powered so it requires no electricity. It uses very little water and can clean a large load of clothes every five minutes.
It can be a bit pricey, but in my opinion, the bonus features make it worth every last cent. It has a durable foot pedal and uses much less space than similar models.
The Yirego Drumi is a relatively new non-electric washer. It’s super fun since it looks just like R2D2. It only takes ten minutes to wash a five-pound load of laundry and is made out of reinforced aluminum. You’ll operate it with a foot pedal and love all the bonus features it has to offer, too.
Not only does it have a second drain (and a detachable hose!) that makes it easy for you to drain water, but it also comes with markers on the washer that will tell you exactly how much detergent you need to add, too.
Pros:
- ☑ Good for camping, apartments, and dorm rooms
- ☑ Has a carrying handle for added portability
- ☑ Great for delicate clothes
Cons:
- ❌ Not the greatest customer service
Get the Yirego Drumi here.
10. Laundry Pod
For a lot of people, the biggest hassle in using non-electric clothes washers has nothing to do with actually washing your clothes but with figuring out what the heck to do when you don’t have a spin cycle that gets rid of all that extra water for you.
You have to have a massive towel or super strong hands in order to wring your clothes out effectively, otherwise you’ll wind up with puddles of water all over the floor.
That’s not the case with the Laundry Pod, which is often hailed as a “salad spinner for clothes.” This handy washing machine gives you the spin cycle you need and pulls out the excess water.
Plus, it uses only a gallon of water and one tablespoon of soap per wash cycle, making it super eco-friendly.
Pros:
- ☑ Easy to use with spin and washing cycle
- ☑ Lets you do a load of laundry in ten minutes
- ☑ Takes just over a teaspoon of detergent
Cons:
- ❌ Clothes do not get the dryest
Get the Laundry POD here.
11. Arogya Washing Machine
This portable washing machine by Aosgya is miniature and compact. It operates by using a hand crank consuming far less detergent and water when you are trying to live off the grid.
It can be broken down into two separate parts for storage – it has a base as well as a washing basket that rotates and holds the crank.
All you have to do is put your clothes inside the drum basket, put the basket on the base, add some water and detergent, and then rotate the crank.
You can use this non-electric washing machine on the go, or you can fill it up with sand or gravel to hold it in place. It doesn’t hold a ton of clothes, but it also has no agitators or other bulky components to worry about, so you don’t have to worry about your clothes getting damaged.
Pros:
- ☑ Does not have agitators or elements that can damage your clothes
- ☑ Can be filled with sand for stability
- ☑ Lightweight and easy to use
Cons:
- ❌ Only washes very small loads of laundry
Get the Arogya Washing Machine here.
13. Xedragony Stacked Washer and Dryer
Again, if I’m going to go through the effort of washing my clothes in a nonelectric washing machine, ideally, I’d like a dryer to get them dry, too! It just makes life so much easier.
This portable unit is stackable and equipped with both a washer and a dryer. It comes with two handles that can be rotated out – one is for washing and one is for drying. You just have to switch the pulsator between the two settings.
Another compact, portable non-electric washer, it measures just over a foot in height and diameter. Take it with you anywhere you want to go!
Pros:
- ☑ Comes with both washer and dryer
- ☑ Two handle design makes it easier to wash heavy clothes
- ☑ Compact design at just over a foot tall and wide
Cons:
- ❌ Wobbles quite a bit while in use
Get the Xedragony Stacked Washer and Dryer here.
14. Myportawash Non-Electric Washing Machine
Here’s another awesome non-electric washing machine for you to consider, this one made by Myportawash. It is another foot-powered device.
You just press your foot down onto a pedal to make an impact in the bucket, and you can then load up your water, detergent, and clothes. There is a small separate agitator compoartnetm for loading your clothes.
This machine is ideal for small apartments and other cramped living conditions. It is compact and durable.
Pros:
- ☑ Portable and compact
- ☑ Takes just a few minutes to operate
- ☑ Has a foot powered design to save on physical labor
Cons:
- ❌ Can only fit one or two articles of clothing per load
Get the MyPortaWash Non-Electric Washing Machine here.
15. Ete Etmate Mini-Portable Washing Machine
This 2-in-1 washer from Ete Etmate is another one of the best non-electric washing machines for you to consider if you want a combination washer and dryer. It allows you to wash all of your clothes on the go, and comes with a helpful speed function.
With the speed function, you can spin your clothes dry in an instant, all thanks to the spinning insert. It saves energy since it requires no electricity to run and comes with non-slip suction cups to prevent it from sliding around while you are using it. Genius!
Pros:
- ☑ Foldable design makes it more portable
- ☑ Can be used with a USB
- ☑ Great for small items of clothing
Cons:
- ❌ Does require some powering up
Get the ETE ETMATE Mini Washing Machin here.
Di-Anne Devenish Seebregts was raised in an environment where daily life consisted of hiking, environmental conservation, growing fruit and vegetables, and raising poultry for meat and eggs.
She combined her passion for the writing word with her love of the pride that comes with not relying on others. She raised three children (who are now adults) to value the environment, and understand the value of being self-sufficient.
Find out more about Di-Anne on our About Us page.