Having a new baby in the house always brings lots of joy, but what it also brings is lots of dirty little clothes.  Because we currently live in a small space which doesn’t allow for washer and dryer hookups, constant trips to the laundromat are a part of our family routine.  It really gets tiresome lugging hampers of clothes to the laundry center or even making trips to the bank for quarters.

*The product reviewed in this post was sent to me free in exchange for my opinion on its performance. All opinions, images and sass are 100% my own.

I must have a solution to be able to wash smaller loads of clothes during the week to save on laundry trips and hopefully save some coins at the same time.

I decided to review this mini washing machine from Xtremepower US, to see if it could solve either one of my laundry problems.  Let’s see how it performed.

Xtremepower US Portable Mini Washer Features

Product Details

• Washing Machine with Spin Dry Tub **No hot air dryer**
• Dimensions: 31 x 25 x 16 inches
• Weight: 28lbs
• Electric

Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UZRV9MG

Price

Currently $165.95 + free shipping 

Observations

This product came shipped very securely, double boxed with foam inserts on the inner box to keep it from being damaged during shipping.  At 28 pounds, it wasn’t heavy at all to lift.  I decided to place my mini washer in my bathroom since it would be more convenient for me to use my bathroom sink faucet and I had room for it in there.  It also made it easier for me to be able to hang up clothes to air dry using my shower rod over my bathtub.

Compared to my old LG front load washer, this was pretty quiet.  Not silent but to me it was reasonably quiet for apartment life.  The spin cycle makes a bit more noise, but no more than a regular washing machine.

One of the things I noticed right away with this is that you do not want to overload this in any way.  The loads have to be kept light.  For instance, you can wash a pretty large load of baby clothes, bibs, baby blankets etc.  You can also get away with washing a few t-shirts, 5 pairs of underwear and maybe 1 towel and 1 light pair of pants in one load.  Anything more than that will cause the agitator to drag or stop.  Same rules apply for the spinner.  If you overload it, the machine will shake from being unbalanced or simply stop working.

My mini washer didn’t come with a fill line inside, so how much water you choose to use is up to you.   I noticed that I tend to fill mine up until the water reaches the latch on the lint filter.  That seemed to be enough to keep the agitator moving and provided enough water to clean the clothes well.

The spin cycle can be used at the end of your wash cycle or in-between when you rinse your clothes. It’s really up to you.  The spinner may seem small, but it is REALLY powerful.  I was surprised at just how much water it sucked from the wet clothes! It seriously cuts the air drying time.  Also should you choose to dry your clothes in a hot air dryer after spinning dry, it won’t take long at all for your clothes to get done.

Draining was easy but can be a little tricky if you don’t have a bucket or place that would allow you to keep the drain pipe lower than the machine.    I used my bathroom sink to drain, by hooking the handle over the side of my sink. This worked for about 4 loads, but after that I noticed the machine wouldn’t release all of the water or the pump would give up and only get about half of it out of the basin.  Once I started using a bucket, it started draining like normal.

The only major issue I have with this machine is the hose that comes with it.  Not only does the connector not fit any of my sink fixtures, it’s not very thick or sturdy and at one point it fell off the machine and made a big wet mess in my bathroom.  To me that’s a little dangerous given that this has a simple 3 prong plug and spills  with the hose can happen right at the back where the electrical cord is.   I would prefer it if this came with a much more substantial hose with much a better connector.    However, that is something that can be fixed by going to a local hardware store for a replacement part. It’s a hassle, but that’s really the only issue I have with this mini washer.

My Final Thoughts

I think this is a great appliance.  It fills a need and solves a problem that I’m sure a lot of people have.  I feel that this would be great for anyone living in a tiny space that needs access to laundry.  It also works great for parents of young kids who go through a lot of clothes or even singles with smaller loads to worry about.  It takes care of things like underwear, socks and school clothes during the week or baby clothes that can simply be air-dried.   This could also be useful in an RV or camper.

I personally like it for my daughter’s baby clothes and super small loads of items that don’t really require making a trip to the laundromat and it’s perfect for lingerie and delicates.

Grade 

I’m gonna have to give the Xtremepower US mini washing machine a B for its portability, compact design and awesome spinner.  I do have to deduct a bit for the disappointing hose. 

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