2. Laundry Room: Spin Dryer

Spin Dryer, $134.95 at Laundry Alternative

One of the most significant uses of energy in my home is my laundry room. The washer alone can use over 80 gallons of water and 0.5 kilowatts (six cents worth) of electricity for every two loads I wash (which is my average daily rate). The dryer, however, continues to be the worst, accounting for around 20% of my monthly electric bill, which is the average for most homes in the United States. In addition to being a largely inefficient appliance, typical electric clothes dryers are also hard on your wardrobe, causing premature wear, shrinkage, and breakdown of the fibers.

I had always been a fan of line-drying, but with five months of the year being too cold to entertain this greener option, I was intrigued by the concept of the Spin Dryer from Laundry Alternative. The Spin Dryer is a large stainless steel basin that uses a small amount of electricity and centrifugal force to “spin out” the remaining water from my clothes after each wash.

The key to getting the results I was expecting came in the form of loading the clothing correctly. The directions included with the Spin Dryer were simple, but it took some practice to perfect the technique.  Here’s how we did it:

1. With the unit unplugged, I loaded damp clothing directly from my washing machine into the Spin Dryer. Clothing was placed one piece at a time into the basin of the dryer. The best way to ensure even drying was to shake out each piece of clothing, fold it into a small square, and place it flatly into the bottom of the Spin Dryer.  (I was able to pack about half a large load of laundry into the dryer at a time.) Be sure to place the large-and-flat rubber lid into the machine before closing it.
2. After plugging in the Spin Dryer, it immediately began to spin. There was a second of wobbly action before the unit began to hum and whir (reminding me of a space ship.) Water immediately began flowing from the spout at the bottom of the dryer into the plastic tub I provided (tub not included).
3. After two to three minutes of use (or when the water coming from the machine slowed to less than a drip or two per five seconds), I stopped the machine by pushing the latch into the off position and began removing the clothes. The machine has a safety mechanism that prevents it from operating while your hands are in it, but I preferred to unplug it before each unloading. The clothes were now ready for a quick 10-minute tumble in a traditional dryer or for an abridged session on an outdoor drying line.

This machine is beyond impressive. The Spin Dryer extracts an additional two cups of water per half load that my washing machine left behind. In addition to being able to see how much dryer my clothes are, I also can see the amount of soap that gets left behind. Each two-cup container has a fair amount of bubbles and soap residue floating in it. This was soap that would have been allowed to bake into my clothing during the high-heat drying cycle of my dryer.

Is the Spin Dryer green? Yes, and perhaps more so than any other appliance we tested. It takes an extra few minutes of active laundry time to incorporate the Spin Dryer into your regular laundry routine, but the savings in drying time, energy, and wear on your clothing is more than noticeable. I was able to complete an additional three loads of laundry in a typical six-hour time period, thanks to the significantly shorter drying time. Those with gas dryers can delight in a lower gas bill, as well. Note that with an electric dryer that uses around four kilowatts per load, it costs approximately 42 cents per load in my area. By cutting that drying time down 75% with the Spin Dryer, I’m saving 3 kilowatts per load and a little less than 32 cents. The heating element on my dryer will have a much longer useful life, as well.

Additional comments: Laundry Alternative also offers a Wonder Wash, which we also tested. While not exactly a “tech” offering, it fits the requirements of greening homes by eliminating the need for electricity when washing clothes. When properly assembled, it can be used next to a kitchen or washroom sink to clean a small load of clothes with much less water and detergent than what a typical washer consumes. It requires that you turn the handle manually for two minutes, but offers a completely off-grid alternative to washing. The high-pressure system was impressive as a reliable method of getting the job done with little time and moderate effort. Available through Laundry Alternative for $42.95.