For many around the world who have no access to running water or electricity, the use of an electrically-powered washing machine and dryer is not an option. That leaves millions of families with tedious, long hours of gathering water by foot, hand-washing and air-drying laundry, while risking the development of health problems.
Working in concert with a South American NGO and the Safe Agua Peru project, Los Angeles-based design students Alex Cabunoc and Ji A You created the GiraDora, a compact foot-powered washing machine that drastically reduces the time needed to hand-wash laundry.
The result is based on their field research in a slum of 30,000 located in a water-poor area outside of Lima, where the duo found that up to six hours per day — three to five times a week — were used to wash clothes.
Text: Tree Hugger
Photo: Alex Cabunoc & Ji A You
