A Chinese student has developed folding compact washing machine for small spaces, traveling, etc. The base itself- which contains the motor- is fixed, but the washing compartment can be folded down for storage or transportation.
To save space, it uses an impeller rather than an agitator.
The folding washer was invented and patented by 21-year-old Pu Qingliang, a student at Chongqing Electromechanical Vocational Institute.
We feel it’s a very interesting concept. The main drawback is the base is quite large, and actually somewhat wider than currently existing compact washing machines. It doesn’t appear to have a spin cycle, but as no mini washing machines have them (except for a couple of micro-washing models that are too small to wash more than a pair of socks) that’s not a major issue. Manufacturing costs would be fairly inexpensive.
