I’ve always liked doing laundry. Even when I was very young, I remember thinking how wonderful it was that you could put your clothes in a big machine, press some buttons, and they would come out clean. That wonderment never left…I still find joy in this simple task. So MUCH joy, that I even take photos of our clothes blowing in the wind on a beautiful day.
When we decided to go on the road, I was never really worried about where I would do laundry. I always figured that we could either go to the laundromat, or use a washer/dryer at someone’s home. So when we came across a great device to help us keep up with our laundry on the road, I was excited! It’s called Wonder Clean.
Wonder Clean is a pressure washer that is powered by hand. It’s a simple design, and by the above photo…you can see that even Bella can get in on the action! One load can consist of about 10 shirts or 2 pairs of jeans (roughly 5 lbs). We put our laundry, soap, and water (the outdoor shower on the RV works perfectly) into the compartment, seal tight, and spin! The best thing is that we only have to spin for 2 minutes, and then drain and rinse for 1-2 minutes. After that, we just wring the clothes out and hang them to dry.
I love the spinning, but I also love hanging clothes to dry on the clothesline. And a clothesline that is strung through some big pine trees is even better! 
If it’s raining out, we have the option of hanging them inside on the retractable clothesline located in the shower.
Teaching Bella how to do laundry is easy when it’s so simplified. There are no buttons, no huge/loud machines…just simplicity. She LOVES to help me wring out the clothes and hang them up. So it’s FUN, and she is learning at the same time. She is able to join me in the daily chores and it gives her ownership and understanding of how we take care of our belongings.
Spinning our laundry is something Bella and I both look forward to…there is magic in the mundane if you are willing to find it!
Sara, I just love reading your blog. This is awesome. I honestly want to get one of these and teach my kids
Thank you for sharing your trip. I would love to live in an RV but my dh won’t go for it.
I soooooo wish I could afford to have you all come here and help us with simplifying, some handyman work, and pictures.
Blessings to you all!
Comment by Tina — August 5, 2007 @ 10:57 pm
Oh, I love the Ecover brand of cleaning products – we have them here in Amsterdam as well.
Comment by Joke (yes, really my name) — August 6, 2007 @ 12:39 am
Have you had any trouble with your lid? I love my Wonder Clean, but have had trouble with the lids.
It does an amazing job on the clothes though.
Kim
Comment by KMH — August 6, 2007 @ 5:20 am
I LOVE that!! We are selling our house and moving onto a boat with our 4 little ones! How would this work for cloth diapers?? If you make it to Vancouver Island, we would love to meet you!
Kim R
Comment by Kim on the island — August 6, 2007 @ 9:12 am
Kim…it will definitely work for cloth dipes. The lady I talked to about it at the Sustainability Fair did her cloth dipes in hers. She just boiled the wash water and dumped any chunks of course
We’ll be coming to Vancouver next summer…hope to see you then!
Comment by livelightly — August 6, 2007 @ 9:26 am
Are you a salesman for the products that you use? If you aren’t you should be hired by them to do their advertising, road trips even!
Comment by Donna — August 6, 2007 @ 9:45 am
That has got to be one of the neatest gadgets I’ve seen. I love the simplicity behind the concept.
Comment by Jenny — August 6, 2007 @ 7:45 pm
SO……….I never knew you loved “laundry” so much.:)
What a wonderful picture! I can’t wait to see all of you, but especially Bella;s FACE!!
Nana
Comment by mom — August 6, 2007 @ 10:23 pm
Nobody laugh, but this post touched something within me in a very profound way. I totally connected with what you were saying and it brought me back to a place I thought I’d left long ago.
Thank you.
Comment by Gavi — August 7, 2007 @ 12:07 am
And just a note to JRF……….no wonder you can’t wait to see Bella’s FACE………she has YOUR FACE!! one fo the pictures of us on renaes deck is Bella Bella Bella……….
Sara, I love your MOM!!!!!
lizabeth
Comment by m'side lizzie — August 7, 2007 @ 6:09 am
LOVE this machine! i would love to own it someday! and now that i know it works well on cloth diapers…..oh man!
i love that: “there is magic in the mundane if you are willing to find it.” fantastic.
Comment by lindsay — August 7, 2007 @ 1:05 pm
I love those washers! When I move into my apartment I’m going to get one (our local HFS will said they would order it for me), and line dry afterwards. I love that there is a way to save on energy and water when doing laundry. You continue to inspire me!!!
Melanie
Comment by MelanieMC — August 9, 2007 @ 9:50 am
I think that’s one of the most beautiful aspects of simple living (or can be)… that our children can participate in meaningful ways and have a sense of responsibility and connectedness. I love this picture of Bella doing just that!
Comment by L.L. Barkat — August 10, 2007 @ 12:36 pm
3rd and final comment tonight: I will order one of these soon. How much water does it require for both the wash & rinse? Why did you choose the Wonder Clean instead of the Wonder Wash (http://www.laundry-alternative.com/wonder_clean_washing_machine.htm)?
Last week I tried the John Steinbeck/Rocinante “washer in a bucket” routine, but it did not really agitate enough to get my clothes clean. I’m sure Steinbeck’s 1960 truck had a much rougher ride than my 1999 van-based RV. Here’s a link to Rocinante for those who haven’t read Travels with Charley:
http://www.steinbeck.org/Rocinante2.html
Andrew
Comment by Andrew — August 11, 2007 @ 11:11 pm
This is great! We go down to Mexico often, and usually have to use the laundromats down there, meaning doing laundry is a process that takes a couple of days. I’ll definitely be purchasing one of these before our next trip!
Thanks for sharing!
Comment by lovepeaceandbabies — August 28, 2007 @ 9:10 am
Do you plan to do all of your laundry this way?
Comment by Clair — September 4, 2007 @ 2:26 pm
No…not all of it. If there is a laundry machine available, I will use it to wash. I try to line dry it if we’re not pressed for time.
Comment by livelightly — September 4, 2007 @ 3:13 pm
I’ve been checking this out. Wonder Clean is sold by Lehman’s. Wonder Wash seems better in that it has a drain at the bottom, BUT I can’t find it for sale at any place but Laundry Alternative, which has gotten absolutely horrid customer service ratings, and some unbelievably rude and insulting responses to customer questions or concerns. Both seem to have some flimsy plastic parts, or lids that need replacing, handles that break – seems iffy to get something that might just break. Any other sources for the Wonder Wash?
Comment by LN — December 3, 2007 @ 12:23 am
I also have been looking for a device like this for some time but haven’t found a Canadian source for them. To buy one from Lehman’s or on Ebay and have it shipped to Canada would cost close to $100!
I found a YouTude video the other day where 2 guys were comparing a Wonder Clean, a plunger in a bucket, and a 5 gallon bucket with a Gamma Seal lid. The guy using the bucket with Gamma Seal lid washed a pair of coveralls and a pair of jeans and just rocked the bucket back and forth over his knee so that the water sloshed from end to end. It did just as good a job as the Wonder Clean, and a brand new bucket and a Gamma Seal lid can be bought anywhere for about $15. If you don’t want to rock it over your knee, you could easily build a set of rockers that hold the bucket on it’s side.
I have been using a variation (using a 1.5 gallon bucket and potato masher with sink strainer plunger) of the plunger in a bucket method for underwear and socks, but now I’m gonna get a 5 gallon bucket and a Gamma Seal lid for the bigger stuff.
I found this site while looking for instructions as to how much water and soap to use in a Wonder Clean.
John in Nova Scotia
Comment by John Chiasson — September 30, 2008 @ 5:48 pm