Aimed at off-grid tiny home dwellers, campers and city folk looking to reduce their environmental impact, and their utility bills, the Drumi originally went up for pre-order back in 2015. Now, after some design tweaks, the foot-powered mini washing machine is rolling off the production line ahead of shipping in the coming months.
Yirego says its Drumi clothes washing device has been over 10,000 hours in development, and has undergone a number of key design changes since we covered it almost 3 years ago. The drum now sports a handle so that it can be removed for cleaning, for example, and the curved handle on the device itself not only allows for one-handed transport, but also serves as a lock to keep the lid secure during a wash. The production Drumi is also slightly shorter than the earlier prototype, at 16.4 inches (416 mm) tall.
The basic operation principles are the same as before though. A user loads up the drum with up to 2.25 kg (5 lb) of lightly soiled clothing, then adds tap water (the lid can serve as a bowl for pouring water into the device) and detergent. The lid is locked in place and the pedal gently pumped for around 5 minutes.
After opening the drain to release the soapy water, the user can add fresh water to rinse for 3 more minutes and drain again. Finally, the Drumi is held in place while pumping the pedal more aggressively to spin dry the clothing before emptying the drum. All without electricity.
The Drumi has started rolling off the production line and should begin making their way to customers in Q2/Q3 for US$299. The video below shows the device in action.
Source: Yirego
