The 6.5 pound Laundry Pod washes approximately 10 garments per load, using only three gallons of water. Photo: StoreBound
What if you could wash your clothes without ever using a dime’s worth of electricity?
The Laundry Pod by StoreBound is all about manpower. The human-powered laundry device saves energy, water and time when compared to a typical home washer.
The average washer accounts for anywhere between 15 and 40 percent of home water usage, according to the Alliance for Water Efficiency. The Laundry Pod uses only 3 gallons of water between the wash and rinse cycles, besting the average 14 gallon Energy Star washer by 11 gallons. And unlike conventional washers, the Laundry Pod only takes a tablespoon of detergent to wash a load.
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Of course, the Laundry Pod’s load size is limited. The 6.5 pound machine holds around 10 garments, depending on size and thickness of fabric, and takes just a few minutes from start to finish. Users start by adding water and detergent and letting garments soak. Then, a few rotations of the Pod’s handle spins the inner cylinder, which churns clothing clean, similar to a salad spinner. Then 1.5 gallons of clean, sud-free water follows to rinse, then drain. Excess water is removed by spinning the clothes in the pod sans water, then hanging clothes up to dry.
Though the Pod might not be practical in all laundry situations, it might be especially useful for dorm dwellers, apartment living, outdoor enthusiasts and other environments where laundromats are the norm or electricity is limited, the company’s website suggests.
The machine retails for around $100 and is available on Amazon.com, Sears, Macy’s and more.
