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When I was living in Japan in the 1990s, I discovered the so-called "semi-automatic" mini-washing machine. The homes there are often small and efficient, and the appliances are very cute. These small machines are fascinating, but only quasi-convenient. Nevertheless, I fell in love with the simplicity of the semi-automatic.

Semi-automatic washing machines are usually light in weight and consist of two side-by-side plastic tubs, one for washing and one for spinning.

In the US, these machines are completely new to most people (unfortunately, "semi-automatic" is more likely to refer to guns), but you can buy them at Walmart or through Amazon. (Recent YouTube comments indicate that the term is gradually disappearing.) Their size and portability make them ideal for RVs, small houses, and apartments with a bit of MacGyver-ing.

I recently bought one because I now live in a pre-war rented building in New York, where fully automatic machines are often banned by landlords who are worried about flooding. (The risk of using a semi-automatic faucet is very small, because you pour water from the faucet instead of letting water continuously flow into it-so any overflow is equivalent to dumping a bucket of mop water.)

If you are used to stronger and more prestigious machines, these devices look like toys by comparison. They may be as high as your bathroom counter, but I purchased a low, squat compact model that is only 23 inches (58 cm) high and 26 inches (66 cm) wide.

This example made by Hyundai is more typical, standing 3 feet tall:

Because they are cheap (I paid less than US$100 online) and very efficient, semi-automatic washing machines are more common in developing countries, including rural areas in China and India, and Brazil. According to market research firm Euromonitor, the sales of semi-automatic washing machines are actually a useful economic indicator: their "semi-automatic washing machine index" shows that as the middle class in emerging markets grows, the sales of these appliances are also increasing. But once a country’s middle class accounts for 15-20% of its population, people start to upgrade to fully automatic machines, and sales of semi-automatic machines will decline and never recover. In rural China, consumers are now upgrading to fully automatic machines, but in Brazil, the market is expected to continue to grow.

To use one, you first have to manually fill the larger bathtub with tap water. In my case, the thin hoses in the box were not connected to my faucet (they were not designed for North American sinks), so I had to improvise and pick up a pitcher. Hand-held shower nozzles can also be used. Next, add a small bag of clothing (8 to 13 pounds of clothing, depending on the model-it may be a pair of jeans, three tops, several pairs of socks, two pillowcases). Add a tablespoon or two of detergent. (I tried half a cup when I was working, and my tea towel was hardwood after it dries.)

After the 15-minute wash cycle is over, you can empty the machine by turning the release knob, ensuring that the hose is in the bathtub or bucket lower than your equipment. Gravity must be in your favor. Then you fill the tub again to rinse the clothes-just like washing clothes, except that there is no soap-and then physically transfer them to the second basket for a five-minute spinning cycle. In the end they will still be damp, so you need a hanger or shelf to air dry.

Finally, drain the wringed water from the spinner (it flows back to the washing side). Then you can start washing a small batch of clothes.

When I wrote this article, I realized that semi-automatic washing machines sound cumbersome, considering that laundromats and app-based laundry services abound in cities like New York. However, you will quickly get into the rhythm and can do laundry while doing other housework, or at any time during an equipment emergency. And it is much more efficient than washing hands in the sink.

There is also an environmental case for semi-automatic. Yes, the new high-efficiency washing machine consumes very little water, but the installation cost can be as high as $1,000. At the same time, the cheaper and highest-loaded breeds are serious energy pigs, especially when compared to their original cousins, which consume less electricity and can only handle cold water. (Hot water accounts for 90% of the energy consumed by the average warm water washing, so you must switch to cold water washing before doing this conversion.)

Since I bought my semi-automatic washing machine, I have found that watching the dirt in New York City rinse from my clothes, there is a strange intimacy-opaque brown water flows into the bathtub after every wash and rinse. This is part of the appeal of this technology-how it forces you to invest more emotionally and spiritually in the general trivia of laundry, thinking about the entire life cycle of your clothes, the world that stains them, and where we are environment. It's also very dirty.

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