Twin Tubs

mink35

My MIL had twin tub until last year. She's 86 (hubby's granny really but he was brought up by her) and we finally persuaded her to have an automatic. She loves it and can't believe she wouldn't have one before.

She's just (last week) been persuaded to have a video recorder so FIL can watch westerns and suchlike whenever he wants (he's 90 and been poorly)!

MATH

Austin_Allegro wrote:

I also remember the noise of the spinner as being incredibly loud - you could hear it about three doors away!

Since I live in a tiny flat with no room for a washing machine I have a little Hinari counter top washing machine (£75 from Amazon) and a spin dryer (£89 from Curry's). They both work really well, cost little and are definitely a good alternative to a launderette. I hang everything on an airer in the bathroom or put it in the garden on nice days. You can keep yer automatics and tumble dryers!

I've seen these on ebay. Do they heat the water or do you pump it in already hot and do they do a good wash? Been thinking of getting one for the caravan cos it's going to be a faddle going to the laudrette when we're there for 3-4 weeks in the summer hols.

I'm off the the caravan tomorrow so my dulcet tones will be ominously absent from there here boards for a couple of weeks. (did I hear cheering?:beer: :j ) If you happen to be around the East Coast and see a lone male parent barely in control of three hooligans, reeking of vinegar and sipping from a battered thermos and eating potten meat sarnies say Hi - it'll be me!

mink35

Have a good holiday MATH

Austin_Allegro

Math
If you go to Amazon and search for Hinari Washing Machine you will bring up the model I have, and also a review by me which is pretty comprehensive.

They don't heat the water or have a spin or tumble dry (although I think there is a similar model available with a tumble dryer).

I don't know what sort of caravan you have, but you will need hot and cold running water, electricity and the drain must be lower than the machine, as it is gravity drain only.

You'll also have to buy a seperate spin dryer unless you have a mangle or want to wring everything by hand!

It only does a 3kg load though, so for one person for a week that's about 3 loads, each of which take about half an hour to do, so you do need to commit a bit of time to it.

I find it works perfectly well and it's made me sceptical about all the various programmes on fancy automatic machines. The longest wash is 10 minutes, but if that doesn't get things clean as you'd like, you just do another 10 minutes either in the same water or with a clean lot.

MATH

Thanks Austin, Good review and an interesting read. The caravan is a big three bedroom jobbie and the kitchen is better equipped than my one at home so space and hot water are not a prob. I'm thinking of washing smalls 'n' swimming stuff when we are away for a few weeks at a time but don't want to go the expense or have to store a seperate spinner. I've found another model when trawling through ebay which looks like a bucket with an agitator in the middle, this then fits onto a motor which drives the paddles (a bit like an enormous food processor) I must admit this is the wash action I am more used to - havn't used a tumbling type machine for yonks but that machine doesn't spin either. Will give it some more thought while I'm away

Curry_Queen

Assuming the weather is gonna be kind ... (is it ever in this country!!!) ... wouldn't it just as easy to wring out stuff by hand and drip dry if you're only washing small things

MATH

The thought had occured Curry Queen but then if I'm gonna do that I may as well wash by hand too! Which is what I shall do this fortnight while away. Good job I enjoy aquainting laundry soap with the odd grimey gussett:eek:

Austin_Allegro

Math I would definitely recommend a spin dryer. They don't take up much room and are incredibly efficient - they almost completely dry polycotton in about 2 minutes, and even heavy cotton towels etc come out only a bit damp.