If you ever have used a salad spinner to dry out your lettuce then you know the principle behind the GiraDora, loosely meaning “spinning washing machine” in Spanish. GiraDora both washes and spin dries clothes placed in it, and it does it without electricity, just pedal power.
GiraDora, seen in the schematic below, looks like a plastic rain barrel with a cushioned seat on top. An inner injection molded nylon basket sits within the barrel. A central drive shaft connects to a mechanism that agitates, cleans, rinses and spin-dries clothes. The operator sits on the padded seat cushion on top and operates the single pedal to turn the inner drum. Watch the Vimeo video to learn more about this low-tech revolutionary innovation.
With access to electricity and clean water a premium in many Developing World countries, GiraDora represents a technology that can save hours of back-breaking work that often leads to chronic injuries for those responsible for domestic cleaning, mainly women. GiraDora replaces hand washing in rivers and drainage ditches. It replaces hand-wringing of clothes for drying. It means fewer chronic illnesses caused by this labour-intensive work. Conditions include:
- chronic lower back pain,
- tenosynovitis, a hand-pain condition caused by washing and wringing out clothes using cold water,
- incidents of asthma which often occurs with hand washing and manual drying which can take several days to weeks in tropical conditions, leading to the growth of molds.
GiraDora can wash a load of laundry in 3 to 5 minutes. It uses a third of the water needed for hand washing, and the water can be reused. Currently GiraDora is priced under $40 U.S.
Click here to access the frequently-asked questions online brochure. Plans are to sell the technology initially in Peru and Chile, and then begin manufacturing and selling it in other locations. For campers, college students and apartment dwellers, GiraDora may prove to be a good option.
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I’ve been a huge fan of these people powered solutions. These are practical in areas where electricity and other power sources are limited. By easing the drudgery of these chores, we will see grateful benefits. The freeing up of time to either have some leisure or to direct to more income generating activities, means that incremental benefits will grow to large benefits quickly.
A great solution to a common problem. These would also have a market for the outdoors and survivalist segments in the developed world.
Off the grid solutions are indeed practical inventions that can have enormous impact to help pull people out of poverty. This, the gravity light, bottle lighting which I wrote about on my Facebook 21st Century Tech site (it uses old 2 liter bottles filled with water and bleach) are great solutions for the Developing World and yes the survivalists will love them as well.
We have an off grid very remote cabin. Where and when can one of these be purchased?
GiraDora is priced under $40 U.S. washer pedal power i how much will cost to get one and bring it to Australia there are people here whom are poor and this would be a good thing to have to buy for every Australia that can not to get one and it would save power thank you
I would love to buy one thank you
FROM
Kathleen Nizeti-Panebianco
I would like to buy one for Idaho? Where to purchase it?
Tweet @TeamGiraDora to find out where to get this technology.
Please, someone explain why this is so difficult to purchase!!! some of us don’t tweet!
I started looking into where the GiraDora can be purchased. Since I wrote this posting back in 2013 it may no longer be available. I did note, however, that there are alternatives, one being the Wonderwash, a non-electric portable compact mini washing machine. On the Canadian Amazon website it sells for $72 CDN. I’ve provided the link. I’m sure there is an American site as well. https://www.amazon.ca/Laundry-Alternative-Wonderwash-Non-electric-Portable/dp/B002C8HR9A
Thank you for the info! Much appreciated!
Virus-free.
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