Q&A for How to Use a Portable Washing Machine

Yes, anything you use in a regular washer can be used in a portable washer, you would just use less of it.

I bought one that has a separate small spin cycle, and an inlet for the water hose if you want to add water to rinse as clothes spin. You can also be washing another load of laundry in the washer side. I love the spin cycle, it gets clothes almost dry!

Yes. You can use a bucket, a jug, or (if it's nearby) a handheld shower-head.

Very little, around 2 tablespoons. Otherwise, you end up with soap residue even after rinsing.

Provided it still looks clear; this saves water and time and is easy on your water bill, making it economical.

It depends if you have the small portable washers that are fully automatic and stay connected to your sink. With those, you don't have to shut the water off until you're ready to disconnect the hookup. If you're using the small one with the wash side and a spin side, yes.

I have used bleach in mine for years. Mine is a full automatic portable, so it rinses after washing. I probably wouldn't use bleach in a machine that didn't have a rinse cycle.

I did my research on Amazon, along with any other comparisons I could find online. On Amazon, you can see which products have the most stars and read customer reviews to get an idea of how each machine works.

It depends on the unit. Mine is located on the wall of the mashing machine.

Yes. The more water you have to rinse with, the better.

Only use fabric softener in washer side, after you have emptied wash water, then refill with clean water for the rinse cycle adding fabric softener. Also, you will need to use a washing machine cleaner once a month if you use fabric softener, as it will gunk up the machine and clothes won’t smell as good, no matter how much you use.

Each unit is different, you will have to look at product manufacturer unit specifications. However, it looks and agitates the same as an average household non-portable machine.

It depends on model of your washing machine, its mode and whether it's a half- or full-wash cycle. An average automatic washing machine with about 5 kg of clothes consumes from 30 to 45 liters of water. A semi-automatic washing machine with the same weight of clothes consumes less than 1.5 times that of automatic.

You might consider detaching it if it screws on/off and taking it to a local hardware store like Ace or True Value (you pay a little more than big box stores but you get more personalized attention and they are usually more knowledgeable) to see what they recommend.