This washing machine can be very useful, but there are certain things you should know in terms of how to use it, how to set it up, and what to use it for.
Nutshell version: Set up and placement logistics are key to the success of this machine in terms of drainage and electrical access. Can successfully be used for small items, and would be a good machine for those who just want to wash a few small articles of clothing (especially clothing for small kids and babies) at a time instead of doing a full load with a big washer/dryer, or as an alternative to hand washing. Is not a good option to do all of your laundry.
Detailed review: First off, this is not a heavy duty piece of equipment. It’s mostly made of plastic, so treat it accordingly.
Secondly, while the description specs indicate that it can wash up to 8 pounds of clothing, don’t even try it. This washer is ideal for small articles like socks/underwear, dish towels, perhaps a single standard size bath towel (NOT a bath sheet), or perhaps a couple of t-shirts or a few other small items at a time. It would be IDEAL for the clothing of small children and babies, because it’s very convenient to throw a few items in there rather than having to use a full-sized washing machine. Do not overload, or put large items that will hold lots of water in there. It will not go well. Also, add just a very small amount of detergent. You don’t need much.
The “spin” side is even smaller than the washing side, and can become unbalanced easily. To be most effective, wring out the washed items of most of the water before putting them in the spinner (it’s worth the effort). Also, I would not walk away from the machine when spinning items. It can shake the whole machine if the load isn’t balanced, in which case you should turn it off immediately, and move redistribute the items in order to balance it better. (You’ll be able to tell immediately upon turning it on if it’s not balanced, trust me.) This will particularly be true of larger items like adult size t-shirts. The great part is that once the spin cycle has run (it has a 5-minute limit, but for small items, it should only need a couple of minutes) your items should just be slightly damp and can then air dry relatively quickly.
The set up of the machine, meaning where it is placed and how is critical. There is no pump function to extract the water when you drain the washing tub, so gravity is the only way to do so. This means that you will want to place the outlet hose near a drain of some kind, say into a shower drain. I put mine in the bathroom next to the bathtub with the hose draining into the bath, but in order to get that to work properly, had to raise the machine up to the same level as the edge of the tub. I used a sturdy storage tote with a flat and stable top, and set the machine on that, so it drains perfectly. As far as filling, the hose provided really wasn’t working for me, and it’s actually quicker and more efficient to just use a bucket to fill the washer instead. For power, you also need to have an electrical outlet available that has a three-prong plug, which means if you use an extension cord, it needs to be a three-prong type.
If all of this is too much work for you, I totally get that. However, I’m actually quite happy with the purchase for now, and am finding it useful, and so long as you understand its limitations, it should be worthwhile.