Origin of Washing Machine

Laundering by hand involves soaking, beating, scrubbing, and rinsing dirty textiles. Before indoor plumbing, individuals also had to carry all the water used for washing, boiling, and rinsing the laundry from a pump, well, or spring. Water for the laundry would be hand carried, heated on a fire for washing, then poured into the tub. That made the warm soapy water precious; it would be reused, first to wash the least soiled clothing, then to wash progressively dirtier laundry.

Removal of soap and water from the clothing after washing was a separate process. First, soap would be rinsed out with clear water. After rinsing, the soaking wet clothing would be formed into a roll and twisted by hand to extract water. The entire process often occupied an entire day of hard work, plus drying and ironing.

An early example of washing by machine is the practice of fulling. In a fulling mill, cloth was beaten with wooden hammers, known as fulling stocks or fulling hammers.

More advancements were made to washing machine technology in the form of the rotative drum design. Basically, these early design patents consisted of a drum washer that was hand-cranked to make the wooden drums rotate. While the technology was simple enough, it was a milestone in the history of washing machines, as it introduced the idea of “powered” washing drums. As metal drums started to replace the traditional wooden drums, it allowed for the drum to turn above an open fire or an enclosed fire chamber, raising the water temperature for more effective washes.

Bendix Home Appliances, a subsidiary of Avco, introduced the first domestic automatic washing machine in 1937 having applied for a patent in the same year Avco had licensed the name from Bendix Corporation, an otherwise unrelated company. In appearance and mechanical detail, this first machine was not unlike the front loading automatic washers produced today.

Types of Washing Machine

Agitation

During the wash cycle, the outer tub is filled with water sufficient to fully immerse and suspend the clothing freely in the basket. The movement of the agitator pushes water outward between the paddles towards the edge of the tub. The water then moves outward, up the sides of the basket, towards the center, and then down towards the agitator to repeat the process, in a circulation pattern similar to the shape of a torus. The agitator direction is periodically reversed, because continuous motion in one direction would just lead to the water spinning around the basket with the agitator rather than the water being pumped in the torus-shaped motion. Some washers supplement the water-pumping action of the agitator with a large rotating screw on the shaft above the agitator, to help move water downwards in the center of the basket

Reversible motor

In most current top-loading washers, if the motor spins in one direction, the gearbox drives the agitator; if the motor spins the other way, the gearbox locks the agitator and spins the basket and agitator together. Similarly, if the pump motor rotates one way it recirculates the sudsy water; in the other direction it pumps water from the machine during the spin cycle. Mechanically, this system is very simple.

Mode-changing transmission

In some top loaders, the motor runs only in one direction. During agitation, the transmission converts the rotation into the alternating motion driving the agitator. During the spin cycle, the timer turns on a solenoid which engages a clutch locking the motor’s rotation to the wash basket, providing a spin cycle. General Electric’s very popular line of Filter-Flo (seen to the right) used a variant of this design where the motor reversed only to pump water out of the machine.

Reversible motor with mode-changing transmission

Some top-loaders, especially compact apartment-sized washers, use a hybrid mechanism. The motor reverses direction every few seconds, often with a pause between direction changes, to perform the agitation. Spin cycle is accomplished by engaging a clutch in the transmission. A separate motorized pump is generally used to drain this style of machine.

Front-loading

The front-loading or horizontal-axis clothes washer is the dominant design in Europe. In other regions of the world, most “high-end” washing machines are of this type. In addition, most commercial and industrial clothes washers around the world are of the horizontal-axis design.

Washer dryer

There are also combo washer dryer machines that combine washing cycles and a full drying cycle in the same drum, eliminating the need to transfer wet clothes from a washer to a dryer machine. In principle, these machines are convenient for overnight cleaning (the combined cycle is considerably longer), but the effective capacity for cleaning larger batches of laundry is drastically reduced. The drying process tends to use much more energy than using two separate devices, because a combo washer dryer not only must dry the clothing, but also needs to dry out the wash chamber itself.

What Is a Portable Washing Machine?

Compact, lightweight and eco-friendly, a portable washing machine is not tethered to a traditional plumbing system, so it’s perfect for those living in cramped quarters or out of a suitcase. These ingenious little appliances come in various sizes, shapes and functions.
The appeal of a portable washing machine is obvious if space is at a premium, you’re not settled in one location, or you’re tired of dragging clothes to a laundromat every week. However, many also are turning to these mini machines to save water and conserve energy. And let’s not forget that amid a global pandemic, anything that keeps us away from crowded communal laundry rooms is a plus.

Below are some features to consider before buying a mini washing machine.

Portable Washing Machine Features

Single drum/tub: The most common type of portable washing machine features a single tub (or drum) that agitates and spins the clothes.
Dual drum/twin tub: This type of portable washing machine has two drums: one for washing/agitating and rinsing, and another for spinning water out of the clothes. Both tubs can operate at the same time, allowing users to run wash and spin cycles simultaneously.

Controls: More expensive washers have controls that allow you to set the water level, temperature, and start time. Most electric models allow you to pause a cycle, and models with a digital display can tell you the status of the cycle.

Portable Washing Machine Prices

Inexpensive: The lowest-priced portable washing machines start at around $89 and go up to about $185. Surprisingly, some very nice small electric machines are available within this price range.
Mid-range: Medium-size portable washing machines with a tub capacity of around 1.5 cubic feet range in price from $260 to $450. The wide difference in price is typically due to the difference in controls (LED vs. analog).

Expensive: Large portable washing machines hold significantly more laundry, some over 13 cubic feet, and are more likely to be festooned with additional features like LED controls and automated cycles. Their prices are naturally higher, too, starting at about $450 and topping out at just under $800 for most brands.

Costway also has washing machine that match its own style.
Here we recommend: Portable Washing Machine with Drain Pump

 
It comes with With 5 modes for you to choose from, the portable full-automatic laundry washing machine can definitely meet your daily demand. The washing machine designed with a fully automatic program, you can easily set the washing/spinning program and water levels according to your demand, which saves water and electricity.

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Portable 7.7 lbs Automatic Laundry Washing Machine with Drain Pump

Portable 7.7 lbs Automatic Laundry Washing Machine with Drain Pump

Portable 7.7 lbs Automatic Laundry Washing Machine with Drain Pump

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The washing machine has a maximum weight capacity of up to 7.7 lbs, which is a good choice for apartment or dorm doing medium or little-weight laundry. The machine features a built-in drain aluminum pump and a drainage tube which allows you to easily drain out dirty water. You can stop wasting hours keeping an eye on the washing machine for its full automatic cleaning mode. It has three water levels: L: 16 L; M: 23 L; H: 30 L; and you can choose a suitable level according to the amount of clothes you need to wash, which saves water and electricity.

With 5 modes for you to choose from, the washing machine can definitely meet your daily demand. Do not hesitate to buy one!

High quality and brand new

Mini portable washing machine, suitable for small space

Max. weight capacity reach 7.7 lbs, meeting your washing laundry need

Full automatic washing machine, you only need to select a wash program

With 3 water level: L: 16 L, M: 23 L, H: 30 L

5 programs to choose: Wash-rinse-spin, soak-wash-rinse -spin, wash, wash-rinse, rinse-spin, spin

Save water and electricity

DOE/CEC energy efficiency certification