Pedal-powered washing machine

Alex Gadsden tells us about his pedal-powered washing machine - how it works and what it can do.
01 August 2010

Interview with 

Alex Gadsden, Inventor

WASHING-SOCKS

Colourful socks hanging on a washing line

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Alex -   Hi.  I'm Alex Gadsden, inventor of Cyclean which is a pedal-powered washing machine. 

Ben - So how does this actually work?

Alex -   Well straightforwardly, it's built by recycled components.  It puts a bike together with a washing machine using the crucial part which is a hand-built, universal joint.  Because the machine likes to move around and do its own thing, you've got to work with it - creating this universal joint cable gave it the flow and just made it work.

Ben -   Electric washing machines are very energy-intensive, but spin at ridiculous rates.  What sort of spin rate can you get from gearing up a bicycle.

Alex -   Well, with the gearing we've got at the moment, we've got 520 rpm and that's on just a very easy spin cycle but if you really want to push it, you can get a 1,000 rpm out of it, no worries.

Ben -   How clean does it get the clothes?  Is it as good as using all the electricity?

Alex -   Whiter than white!

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