Skip to main content

This little machine can clean your clothes with 10 liters of water and no power

Update: The Drumi is finally in production as of late September, but without an exact ship date. Yirego, the company behind the electricity-free device, told us in late October that engineers are working to resolve final issues.

“No manufacturer has had any prior experience making a product like Drumi because it is so new and different,” Petal Wang of Yirego told Digital Trends in an email. The project is a great example of why crowdfunded projects take longer than expected to arrive — and sometimes don’t arrive at all.

Here’s our original article on the Indiegogo project, which we last revisited in July 2016:

For a lot of people we know, their unmentionables are sort of the limiting reagent in the laundry equation. They’ll hold off washing their clothes for weeks, until they absolutely have to in order to avoid being shunned from society. It’s either that or go out and buy more underwear.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just do a superfast load of laundry, with a few select items, so you could lengthen the time between loads? Pretty soon, you’ll be able to with a foot-powered machine that takes just a little water and no electricity. The 15-pound, 22-inch-tall Drumi takes five minutes, 10 liters of water, and a little bit of soap to clean five pounds of clothes, or about six to seven items. And now, the final design of the Drumi has been released and slated for delivery by early 2017.

To use it, you lift the plastic lid, add clothes to the drum, along with five liters of water, then close the lid and add the detergent to it. Pump the pedal for two minutes, then push the button to empty the soapy water. Add another five liters of water, pump the pedal for another two minutes, release the water, then pump for an additional minute to act as a “spin cycle.” The pumping motion turns the rounded drum, tumbling the clothes inside.

The updated design of the Drumi promises to improve the stability and overall efficiency, as well as the aesthetics of the device. We tested it out in late December of 2015, and found a few kinks yet to be ironed out. While the capacity of the little machine hasn’t changed, the Toronto-based product design company says it’s created “a better laundry experience.” Included in the new features are a new flat-topped lid and built-in measuring markers. Further, rather than a set of side handles, you can now pick up the Drumi by way of its aluminum top handle. Finally, the interior drum has now been made removable, which allows you to clean the Drumi between washes.

While the Drumi isn’t meant to be a replacement for a full-sized machine, it can conserve water and electricity. A standard washer uses 27 gallons (about 102 liters) of water per load, while an Energy Star model uses 14 gallons (about 53 liters). Using the Drumi as a secondary washer can reduce your carbon footprint by roughly 10 pounds a week, according to Yirego, the company that makes the Drumi. Obviously, it works best if you can pair it with a no-energy drying method, too, like, say, the sun.

Yirego expects the Drumi to appeal to apartment dwellers, new parents who frequently wash baby clothes, and even campers.

Between the Drumi, LG’s Twin Washer, and the Dolfi, pretty soon there will be no excuse for you to leave your stinky gym clothes unwashed in your bag.

Updated on 07-21-2016: Final design of the Drumi released.

Editors' Recommendations

Jenny McGrath
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jenny McGrath is a senior writer at Digital Trends covering the intersection of tech and the arts and the environment. Before…
Get this Roomba robot vacuum for $160 instead of the usual $275
iRobot Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum cleaning a foyer.

Crutchfield is currently selling an iRobot Roomba 694 robot vacuum for a fantastic discount. Usually costing $275, it’s down to just $160 for a very limited time only. One of the best robot vacuum deals around, the sale is only on until March 16 so you haven’t got long to snap one up. If you’re keen to streamline the cleaning process at home, check it out now before the sale ends.

Why you should buy the iRobot Roomba 694 robot vacuum
The Roomba range provides some of the best robot vacuums around meaning it’s the perfect brand to consider. With the iRobot Roomba 694, you get a 3-stage cleaning system with an edge-sweeping brush, dual roller brushes, and powerful suction. Alongside that, there are Dirt Detect sensors that inform it when it needs to give more attention to dirtier parts of your home.

Read more
The Blink Mini 2 features an updated design, support for outdoor use
The Blink Mini 2 placed on two books.

The original Blink Mini was one of the best indoor cameras thanks to its affordable price, 1080p resolution, and support for Alexa. Now, Amazon is making the gadget even more enticing with the new Blink Mini 2, which boasts a sleek new design and is capable of working both indoors and outside in the elements.

While it's still small and compact, the Blink Mini 2 looks slightly different from the old Blink Mini. Its corners are much softer, its entire chassis is white (instead of a white chassis and black faceplate), and its camera takes up a bit more space on the front of the device. The differences are apparent when the two gadgets are placed side by side -- and the minor changes add up to make the Blink Mini 2 look a bit more premium than its older sibling.

Read more
This 4-camera Lorex wireless video surveillence system is $200 off
A Lorex 2K Wireless camera mounted on an outside wall.

One of the best security camera deals today is over at Crutchfield with $200 off the Lorex 2K Wireless NVR System. Usually priced at $550, it’s down to a fantastic $350 until March 17. That means you don’t have very long to enjoy the significant discount. If you need to know more, we’re here to help with some insight about the security system below. Remember to buy it before March 17 if it sounds like the right setup for you.

Why you should buy the Lorex 2K Wireless NVR System
Sure to be one of the best home security camera systems for many people, the Lorex 2K Wireless NVR System is packed with features. It comes with an easy-to-use network video recorder along with four weather-resistant 2K cameras which are battery-powered and wireless. Any time the cameras notice motion, you’ll get a notification to your smartphone. You can then opt to view the live feed as well as talk to anyone on the other side. Its motion-based detection system does a great job of highlighting things only when there are people rather than objects, cutting down on false alarms.

Read more