When I lived in downtown Seattle my entire apartment building shared a total of 2 washers, 2 dryers, and zero elevators.

This, combined with living on the third floor of a 100-year-old building with very high ceilings made laundry day a dreaded task. When one of the building’s washers tore my favorite shirt to shreds, it was the final straw. I set out to find a portable washing machine for doing laundry in my apartment.

With my original washer shopping motivated only by getting one at the lowest price, I ended up with an absolute garbage can of a washer. After replacing it with a Black and Decker model– with a bit higher price tag – I decided to write this article for other apartment, tiny home, or RV tenants researching portable washers.

First, Understanding how portable washing machines work:

Full-size washers are connected to existing plumbing and have a water inlet, where water enters, and a drain. Portable washing machines perform the same function but with temporary plumbing. These portable units have inlet valves with nozzles that fit onto a garden hose or shower head. They have a drain hose that can be placed into a sink, washtub, bathtub, or- if used outdoors- the ground!

Things to look for when purchasing a portable washing machine:

After trying a few portable washing machines in my third-floor walk-up Seattle apartment, here’s my advice on what to look for in a mini clothes washer and why:

One drum or two?

Cheaper portable washing machines have side-by-side drums – one for washing and one for spinning the clothing dry. The user must manually lift heavy, dripping, water-saturated clothing from the washing drum into the spin drum. This is a very wet job as well as an extra task you’ll need to attend to manually. Higher-end portable washers- such as Black & Decker’s Portable Washing Machine combine this function into one drum, mimicking a typical wash cycle of a full-sized unit.

Before buying and trying a two drum washer, I didn’t realize that two-drum washing machines do not clean clothes as well because clothing enters the “rinse cycle” while still fully saturated with dirty water. To get clothing really clean, the user must move clothes to the spin drum, then back to the wash drum for a second wash. Using a double-cycle like this to get my clothes clean quickly burned out the motor on the Pyle portable washer I first purchased.

Inlet valve or manual fill?

Some portable washing machines require a manual filled for each wash or rinse phase of a wash cycle. These machines are only slightly easier than manual handwashing, as they require attention throughout the cycle and, most likely, a willingness to get a little wet. Good machines will have an inlet valve to which you can screw on a hose so the machine will automatically fill with the right amount of water at each phase of the cycle.

Gravity drain or pump drain?

Having used several portable washing machines, the most important feature to me is a pump drain. Pump drains work quickly to empty water from a hose at any angle, allowing a wash cycle to be completed sooner. Gravity drains empty very slowly and only work when the hose can be placed on a downward incline.

Hacks for installing a portable washer:

Follow your manufacturer’s instructions for installation as a primary guide, but these two modifications may help improve the function and ease-of-use for your machine:

1. Upgrade your shower to a handheld showerhead, then use the same hose for filling your washing machine.

Guys, this is a game-changer, an absolute essential, and the first modification I make to the shower in any apartment I move into:  Swapping from a wall mount shower head to a handheld is so cheap and literally just takes three minutes and no tools.

The #1 handheld shower head at Amazon (which is the one pictured in this post) works great. Once you’ve upgraded to a handheld showerhead, the included hose makes it easy to connect to your washing machine whenever you need to wash a load of clothes.

You’ll probably need to purchase an adapter to join the showerhead hose and the washer inlet. To connect a standard handheld shower hose to the vast majority of portable washers (they tend to be threaded for garden hose connections), you’ll need a 3/4″ MGH x 1/2″ MPT Adaptor (“MGH” means “male garden hose”, mpt = “male pipe thread”).

Buy a brass one at amazon via this link, or you might be able to find a plastic version at your local hardware store. (Amazon doesn’t seem to stock the plastic version, and big box home improvement stores almost definitely won’t carry this unusual pipe adaptor in any material).

2. Experiment with drain hose placement

Your mileage may vary depending on your washer model, but my Black & Decker washing machine functions much better when the drain hose is placed up high. 

While gravity-draining models require the hose to be placed lower than the unit for best results, some pump-drain style washers need to be placed up high in order to prevent too much pressure on the valve.

If the hose is positioned low and the valve is weak, a high water level during a wash cycle could cause leaks.

 3. Invest in Water Alarms

Water + Homes = always tricky. Protect your investment or your rental deposit by using devices designed to alert you when water begins to pool where it shouldn’t (such as a misdirect drain hose emptying water onto a floor rather than a tub!).

Although there are wifi-based leak sensors that can send an alert to your phone when sensors detect water, if you’ll only have your washer connected when you are at home then an inexpensive water sensor that emits an alarm when wet should work.

For Drying Clothes:

TIP: Avoid purchasing a portable washing machine that claims to be a portable washer and dryer. Although full-size, standard-installation washer/dryer combination machines exist and work pretty well, machines advertised as “portable washer dryer combos” are usually very bad at both functions. Believe me, I tested a few and read hundreds of reviews. Portable “washer/dryers” lack a tumble feature or a heating element, and the only “drying” mechanism is an extended spin cycle- which any good portable washer will offer.

If I get a portable washer do I also need a portable dryer?

Definitely not! It’s uniquely North American to view a washer and dryer as an essential pairing. There are so many easy and energy-efficient ways to dry clothes without using a dryer (even in the winter) and it’s SO much better for your clothes!

Here are the dryer methods that I’ve used and liked. The perfect one for you will depend on your living situation and what you have access to:

Retractable clothesline

A retractable clothesline is the simplest and also the most aesthetically appealing option for drying clothes without a washer. I love this one so much that I’ve uninstalled, moved with it, and reinstalled it 3 times in the last 10 years! With a section mounted on each side of a room, the retractable clothesline allows you to pull the necessary length out and attach it to its counterpart across the room, creating a clothesline when you need it and free space when you don’t. Retractable clotheslines work best to dry clothes when installed in a bathroom with an exhaust fan.

Travel clothesline

You guys have heard me talk about about Lewis N Clark products on my travel posts, but I love their travel clothesline. Tiny gaps in the stretchy braided cord allow it to be used without clothespins. Just tuck a tiny corner of the fabric into a gap and the tension will hold it secure. Surprisingly strong suction cups keep this mounted on a variety of surfaces. This model was my go-to when I spent three months in South America last year!

Pants Hanger

Pants hangers were very popular in decades past. Honestly all three of the pants hangers I own I purchased from vintage shops (you can get vintage ones like mine via these listings on Etsy)! They are ideal for small locations and for maximizing drying space. I also like that they aren’t single-use. They’re technically designed for hanging skirts but I love them for organizing scarves and accessories!

Another bonus of this style of drying rack is that the hanger is ideal for situations where you might need to dry clothing in an open window. The clips keep garments secured even in a strong breeze.

Dryer rack

Somewhat common and perhaps something you already own for drying sweaters, dryer racks take up a lot of floorspace when in use but have only a tiny footprint when folded up. They’re great for drying an entire load quickly. Because they’re portable, they can be used inside or outside.

How to avoid humidity when air drying clothes indoors.

The trick to drying clothes fresh from your portable washing machine without creating a swamp-like microclimate is ventilation. Consider how air is entering and exiting the room where you are drying clothing.

Keep humidity down by 1. exchanging wet air for dry by using a fan + open window or an exhaust fan, or 2. actively dehumidify the air by using a heater or a dehumidifier. Both strategies work well to keep your living space comfortable while drying clothes indoors.  Here are a few tips:

1. Manually adjust your wash cycle to force the machine to spin the load as long as the settings will allow.
2. If using in a bathroom, turn on the exhaust fan
3. If air outside is a tolerable temperature, open windows.
4. Set up a fan blowing on the wet clothes
5. Run a space heater in the area (heaters dehumidify air), a safe distance from flammable materials.

If you have a small bathroom, the combination of a space heater and a strong fan can dry clothes in just a bit more time than a conventional clothes dryer takes.

Need a reminder for later in your project? Pin the image below:

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