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Dolfi ultrasonic laundry device uses good vibrations to wash out bad stains

The only way to wash delicates and other fragile material is by doing it by hand. This means filling a sink with water and trying hard to work the soap through the fibers. However, the gentle nature of hand washing usually means that the job isn’t ever done well.

Dolfi promises to change all that. This little device shaped like a bar of soap uses ultrasonic technology to wash clothing. To use just fill a sink with water, clothing and detergent and place Dolfi inside. It vibrates providing a gentle way to clean clothing for 30 minutes. Dolfi plugs into the wall, so let’s hope the cord is properly insulated.

As the campaign states, this tool is great for travelers and for those who like to take good care of their unmentionables. Interested backers can have their own for a donation of $89 with delivery in August 2015. Dolfi is hoping to raise $100,000 with the help of Indiegogo.

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Free Standing Clothesline caters to those with dryer aversion

On those rare occasions when one might actually have some extra time on their hands, hanging clothes on a clothesline can be a nice fair weather treat for those who enjoy that sun-dried, windblown smell and feel.

Free Standing Clothesline is a clothesline that can offer users a large load capacity, perfect for drying blankets, comforters and other bedding. It’s not entirely clear what the posts for this product are made of, but the line extends up to 10 feet. Since there are wheels on the base, it is mobile and can be used either indoors or outdoors.

This is the second go-around for the Free Standing Clothesline and its annoying video. This product isn’t one of a kind nor does it really offer anything new, making its price unjustified.Interested backers may also want to check out the Clothes Tree campaign. This campaign seeks to raise $160,000. For $75, backers get one product with an expected delivery of June 2015.

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Universal Laundry Hose makes pouring soap easier, may save marriages

For those who feel that storing the laundry detergent on a shelf above the washer and dryer is too much of a hassle, here is a gadget that may solve not only that problem, but, according to the video, also settle domestic disputes – sort of. Universal Laundry Hose is touted as being compatible with every laundry detergent bottle on the market. The original cap gets replaced with the cap and hose system. The hose has a spigot so that the correct amount of detergent can still be measured for each laundry load while the bottle sits on a shelf on its side.

One has to wonder just how this works when the detergent gets low enough that it won’t freely run from the bottle and it needs to be tipped. Maybe that’s when she reverts to putting a new bottle on top of the dryer – or just refuses to do the laundry until he replaces the old bottle. It seems that purchasing a smaller bottle would solve this problem just as well. This campaign seeks to raise $50,000. For $10, backers get one Universal Laundry Hose with an expected delivery of February 2015.

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POD 2.0 electric laundry machine washes unmentionables, saves water

One of the worst things about dorm or apartment living is the common lack of a washing machine. There’s nothing worse than having to scrounge up the right kind of coins in order to wash your delicates under the close scrutiny of other laundry-doers. It’s also a huge waste of time having to wait for clothes to wash due to fear of leaving clothing unattended.

The POD 2.0 is an electric washing machine for anyone without their own laundry facilities. To operate, put one and half gallons of water and one teaspoon of detergent in the POD. The wash cycle can be adjusted between zero and 15 minutes. When it’s finished, drain the water and replace with clean water for a rinse. After that, drain the water and hit “spin” for the spin cycle.

POD 2.0 boasts water savings and energy efficiency. It’s capacity can take either 20 pairs of underwear, three business shirts, six t-shirts or two pairs of jeans. When finished, just hang the clothes to dry on a drying rack.

This product is incredibly convenient for those lacking a washing machine. It’s hard to say that it can really replace a washing machine, however. The capacity is a bit small and better for washing delicates or trying to get the stain out of something immediately. Still, for a single college student, this product definitely saves time and stress, and is reasonably priced too. One will cost backers a $99 donation for estimated delivery in May 2015. POD 2.0 is hoping to raise $100,000 on Kickstarter.

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Luggage and Bags

College students rejoice as Urban Rucksack marries laundry bag and backpack

College students and young professionals don’t always have the luxury of laundry facilities in their own homes. Oftentimes, they have to lug their dirty clothes to shoddy laundromats or home to mom and dad. Urban Rucksack was designed to be the ultimate laundry caddy, eschewing the traditional basket or hamper format. With pockets for detergent and fabric softeners, Urban Rucksack can hold up to three loads of laundry. The bag can be held on your back or horizontally like a briefcase. To get hands, or backs, on this product, backers can donate $49 for estimated delivery in January 2015. Urban Rucksack hopes to raise $3,500 with the help of Kickstarter.

The normal hamper/laundry bag design is certainly flawed. Either they come with flimsy handles or must be carried like sacks by the drawstring. Urban Rucksack takes the simple need and fills it with a well thought out solution.

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Sock Slide holds pairs together in the washing machine void

Sock SlideIt’s been said that there is a black hole in every washing machine into which one sock always falls, breaking up most every set. While Sock Slide may not reveal the location of past socks, it does solve potential future mysteries. It also comes in six different colors so that each family member can have their own color, and similar sets can be easily told apart. Seems like a great idea for adults, and $7 for five Sock Slides seems like a pretty good deal. However, getting kids to follow through with this seems like it may be a rather daunting challenge. Expected delivery on this is September 2014.

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Reason ensures that energy savings come out in the wash

The Premise. The washing machine has seen subtle changes to bring them into the 21st century, but their designs have remained largely the same. One inventor has made the washing machine simpler, more energy efficient, and more compact.

The Product. The Reason washing machine has a slide-out drum, not unlike a trash compactor, and can handle loads of a single garment all the way up to a winter comforter and duvet. The Reason weighs the load of laundry and calculates the appropriate amount of water and detergent, and custom tailors each cycle to only use what is needed to clean garments. The entire device is operated with a single button, and can handle loads up to 12 kilograms.

The Pitch. Based on the feature set and innovation of the Reason, one can’t fault inventor Andrew Reason for being excited about his project. However, with the epic movie-trailer soundtrack and the metaphors to saving enough resources to fill Olympic pools and shut down power plants, the promotional video comes off a little strong. Reason includes a whole array of demo videos however, showing off every aspect of the machine. The Reason needs to raise £40,000 to complete the prototype stage and get the initial production out the door.

The Perks. The Reason washing machine will be sent out in December of this year for those that pledge support of at least £779, complete with detergent and conditioner. A year supply of the detergent and conditioner is available for £150, and those that want to change their laundry routine earlier can get in on the first batch for £4,000, receiving their washer in October.

The Potential. The Reason washing machine is an interesting design that’s a perfect fit in smaller apartments and economy housing because of its small space requirements and the ability to cut back on utility costs. The initial investment price may be a little high for those looking to cut costs, but Reason calculates that within an eight-year time frame, the washer will have paid for itself. While that may seem like a long time to wait to break even, the machine does thankfully come with a ten-year guarantee.

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Paca Dryers furballs speed up clothes drying times

Paca DryersEnergy is expensive these days and anyway to cut down on utility bills is always welcome. Paca Dyers are one small way to save money on energy each month. These large hairballs are made of alpaca fur, which are all natural and contain no lanolin, a common irritant for many. With porous fibers, the Paca Dryers soak up moisture, allowing your clothes to leave the dryer earlier. One set of three balls goes for $25 on Kickstarter with an estimated delivery date of May 2014. Paca Dryers hopes to raise a modest $1,500 in a 45-day campaign.

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Mobile Clothesline hangs the laundry on any lawn

Nostalgic Mobile Clothesline d1cd4ae0d604a2d21ac1d65d232092b2_large[1]A long time ago in a world not so distant from this one, they used clotheslines to dry wet clothes. Why? Dryers didn’t exist yet. Nevertheless, some people like the smell and feel of sundried clothes, and for them, a Mobile Clothesline that holds an entire load of laundry might be just the thing. But for those of us who don’t have the time, we’ll stick with our dryer – low heat for delicates and minimal shrinkage. There are multiple options out there for mobile drying racks and mobile clothes racks which can be just as easily placed outside and moved around with the sunlight. It doesn’t appear that any of the tiers in this campaign offer The Mobile Clothesline product, but for at least $20 a backer gets a tee-shirt with an estimated delivery of June 2014.

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Furniture

DryAway hides away as a tall laundry drying wall insert

The Premise.  Everyone has to do laundry, but the process of washing and drying clothes is incredibly expensive and can be damaging to items of clothes. To preserve their items, many families are turning to air drying – it’s more economical and doesn’t cause shrinkage. But there isn’t really a sturdy, compact device that provides adequate clothes-drying space.

The Product. DryAway seeks to replace “traditional” laundry hanging racks with something more slender. The company has developed a permanent fixtures that can be tucked away into the space next to the machines or in a closet. Essentially, DryAway consists of tall, bamboo frames with adjustable hanging rods. The frames are mounted onto tracks, which then can be pushed backwards. No unsightly mess and the clothes go out of the way while drying. It’s a similar design to those ultra-thin “pantries” that can be built in next to the refrigerator.

The Pitch. The premise-heavy video spends a lot of time talking about all of the other options that are available and not painting them in a great light, obviously. The campaign page shows DryAway in all of its multiple configuration glory embedded into a wall or available in a standalone closet scenario. Inventor Jim Lutz reads that the product, which now has its own Web site, took four years to develop.

The Perks. To get a DrayAway of one’s own, prepare to slide over $445 for the system. Obviously a set like this is going to cost, but that seems a little excessive, especially when it seems someone with basic handyman skills could replicate the system for less than that. As might be expected of a custom-installed product, the proposition isn’t about a box showing up at your doorstep. If you live within 100 miles of Milwaukee (and why wouldn’t you?),  the project team will install DryAway at your home if you send them the measurements of the space that it will fill. Otherwise, they recommend use of a contractor.

The Potential. DryAway offers discreet high capacity although most consumers probably don’t hang dry all of their clothes and wouldn’t need something this extensive. It does make good use of dead space in laundry rooms and seems to be an environmentally superior option. But it seems anyone who might be able to invest in this probably isn’t worried about the cost of drying their clothes. There seems to be a big middle ground between the flimsy drying stands mocked in the DryAway video and hundreds of dollars for something that’s a custom installation.