One of the local SSCA members actually did a demo of a Wonder Wash at one of our Tampa Bay breakfasts a few months ago. She was impressed with how it handled her first loads and thought others in the group might benefit by seeing one. We thought it might be suitable for some of our needs, especially in the hot/humid
weather where we often
cruise, to keep up with the t-shirts, shorts, underwear and such...so we bought one to
experiment with. ($40 as I
recall; hard to terribly disappointed at that price). The trial washes we did turned out very well and it earned a place aboard.
Now...a couple of things to consider:
-- part of what makes it effective (or not) is the use of warm/hot
water during the wash cycle as that helps to draw the soapy
water through the material as the unit is tumbled and the temp drops; we would expect less
cleaning if using cold water
-- it scoots around while being turned if on a typical
boat surface - gelcoated GRP, varnished sole and such. We think it needs a non-skid pad under it in use
-- it's all plastic so not terribly robust; ours found a home underneath the main
cabin table; all the bits have to be stowed elsewhere to avoid a large, irregular shape
We carry relatively small, light weight towels for use while cruising because they are quicker to dry (and so avoid smelling foul for longer) and because
washing them is easier with a bucket & plumber's helper. They are probably the limit of what we'd try to put in a Wonder Wash.
Sheets, jeans, bulky sweaters, normal bath towels - all those look to be a bit of a challenge to get clean in this unit's little tumbler.
Jack