Mini Washer Dryer

The mini washer dryer is a clothes washing unit

LG WM3431HW 24", 2.44 Cu. Ft. Washer/Dryer Combo
(White)

that washes and dries the clothes all in the same container. There's no moving the clothes after the wash cycle is done into the dryer. Instead of requiring all the space and special hookups of the standard set, the mini washer dryer is portable, runs on a regular electrical outlet, and does not require venting to the outside. Long popular in Europe and Asia, this is just starting to make inroads in the U.S. market.

The mini washer dryer unit tends to be about 33" high x 24" wide x 26" deep. The footprint for this is not far off from that of my TV, which is 27" high x 31" wide x 22" deep. And this is just one unit, not a matched set like standard washers and dryers. Most units come which wheels or can have casters easily installed for portability. You can put this under a cabinet or in a closet or just in a corner when not in use. When you're ready to use it, you roll it to any standard water faucet, hook up the hose, and set the outlet hose to use a drain, like at the kitchen sink.

Now if you have a family of 8 this might not be for you, as the load capacity of this is correspondingly small. A "full size" washer usually holds about 22 pounds of clothes (about 3.5 cubic feet). The mini washer dryer units are more like 15 pound capacity, and you don't want to fill more than halfway, because they tend to be able to dry about half as much as they can wash. If the household is only one or two people and you understand you'll be doing multiple small loads instead of saving up for large loads, this appliance may be just what you are looking for. If you live in an apartment, boat, or RV and don't want to use public facilities, this will give you the option of doing laundry in the comfort and convenience of your home.