It’s easy to clean up mucky clothes while on holiday with a portable washing machine
As travel plans start to fill up calendars and the weather warms, many families are beginning to prepare for weekends away, camping trips, and summer holidays. Staying organised and clean while on the go can be a challenge with kids, pets, and all the mess that comes with outdoor adventures.
Families often feel like they’re packing their entire wardrobes into a suitcase for a week-long holiday, making sure there are enough spare outfits for the inevitable spillages, grass stains and muddy trousers. Then, back at home, getting the laundry done is a mammoth task, undoing any feeling of relaxation from the break.
Savvy travellers have increasingly been turning to portable washing solutions to help them keep on top of laundry while on holiday. No more standing over a kitchen sink in a holiday home, scrubbing mud-soaked clothes with a hand-wash solution that doesn’t seem to get rid of stains, no matter how hard you try: now, people are finding salvation in a portable washing machine like this model, for £35.99 from Amazon.
READ MORE: Four rattan furniture sets that are sure to bring your garden a new lease of life this spring
READ MORE: Two Ooni pizza ovens that ‘bring the family together’ get spring sale price slash
Foldable and packable, a portable washing machine allows travellers to clean baby clothes, underwear, swimwear, and more while on holiday, saving on suitcase space and reducing the laundry pile when returning home.
The Poppylane washing machine on Amazon has an 11-litre capacity and features three adjustable wash cycles – 3, 5, or 10 minutes – with a built-in spin dryer function to help reduce drying time for more time spent having fun on holiday. It’s perfect for use in caravans and campers, too, as it is energy-efficient and uses less water than a regular washing machine.
When not in use, its foldable design means it can be tucked away to save on storage space, ideal for cramped holiday lets or campervans. Plus, this model comes with a mesh laundry bag to prevent small items from tangling, a foldable drying net, and microfibre clothes to keep the machine clean after use.
This Amazon model is far from the only portable washing machine out there, however. For example, there’s the Leisurewize Twin Tub Washing Machine from Argos which costs £140. This one has a maximum washing capacity of 3kg and a maximum spin capacity of 2.5kg, features two wash settings – gentle or normal – and has an easy-grip carry handle for portability. It’s quick, too, with a wash time up to 15 minutes and spin time up to five minutes. There’s also the Costway Washing Machine 2 in 1 Portable Free Standing Compact Tub Washer Spin Dryer for £69.95 from Debenhams, which comes with a wash and spin timer and has a hose to help drain the water after use. It also has a large 2.5kg capacity and a 170W motor.
However, the POPPYLANE washer’s ease of use and portability has shoppers raving about its usefulness. One customer wrote: “I have a dog, and especially on rainy days, his belongings get dirty very quickly after our walks. That’s why I bought this portable washing machine to clean them easily. I tried it for the first time today and I’m really satisfied. The washing performance is quite good, and the spin function works better than I expected.
“Despite its compact size, it does the job really well. It’s practical and easy to use. I definitely recommend it to other pet owners like me. I’m also planning to take it with me when I go camping this summer and try it out for my own clothes too.”
Another said: “I got this product for my baby’s clothes. Since it’s foldable, I can easily store it in the wardrobe in my baby’s room. I also think it will be very useful during travels. The spin function isn’t as good as a regular machine, but it works fine. Also, the extra items they sent along have made the product more functional. The foldable drying net, in particular, has been very helpful.”
The third reviewer said: “Love it. It’s really good and easy to use!”
Although there were no negative reviews on the washing machine, some customers have run into issues ordering from Amazon according to Trustpilot. One said: “I’ve had a few good experiences where my orders arrived quickly and the items were exactly as described, but there have also been times when deliveries were delayed.”
The third reviewer said: “Love it. It’s really good and easy to use!”
