apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time


Washup Washes Your Clothes...Then Flushes Your Toilet

unplggd032008-washup01.jpgWe like the concept behind this. Small space apartment dwellers would appreciate the utility of having a washing machine option in their bathroom (we know we would). But then again, the toilet in the concept photo above looks like it's giving a piggyback ride to a reject from The Transformers...

 
 

unplggd032008-washup02.jpgThe "Washup" concept is a sustainable and space saving water consumption device that reuses wasted water from the clothes washing cycle for in toilet flushing later (hopefully not at the same time...do your load before dropping it). We'd just worry we'd accidentally lose socks into the toilet while loading and emptying the machine above.

Other bathroom related posts:

Tags

Look!, green ideas

Related Links

Share

Comments (15)

I give it an 'A' for effort. Conceptually, it really is a great way to use waste water from the wash. But yes, it DOES look like the toilet is giving a piggy back to Optemus Prime.

posted by annaland on March 20th 2008 at 4:36pm
view annaland's profile

Just what the heck is that woman doing on the toilet?

posted by bakerboy on March 20th 2008 at 4:56pm
view bakerboy's profile

OMG, what a freak show this thing is. In 10 yrs. we'll look at the way we look at those room sized computers from the 60s.

posted by anne on March 21st 2008 at 10:05am
view anne's profile

i'm so immature, but that picture of the woman cracks me up.

good concept though.

posted by mariegael on March 21st 2008 at 6:30pm
view mariegael's profile

Wonderful idea. Hard to believe the Japanese haven't come up with a version of this yet.

I want to know what her right hand is doing.

posted by showing on March 24th 2008 at 8:49am
view showing's profile

She's enjoying the spin cycle.

posted by sunspot42 on March 25th 2008 at 1:17pm
view sunspot42's profile

I got the same thing in my house.

I live a 'green' house, not the one with glass and stuff.
But eco friendly house, just moved in.

And my washingmachine is powered by the sun or the wind.
And the water from the machine is stored in a special container to flush the toilets. But the trouble is the ecofriendly washingmachine never generates enough water to use the toilet on a daily basis. So also the drain over the shower is connected to the same container to fill it more.

So I dont think this idea would be feasable in a real situation. A toilet uses more water than a washing machine in a small house hold. Not sure what the stats are in a big household.

posted by SnD on July 8th 2008 at 12:47am
view SnD's profile

Re: the comment about why the Japanese don't do this.

They're very fussy about the proximity to the toilet of other objects. Many houses have a separate water closet and shower. Some have "unit baths" which are all in one, but they're not seen as preferable. I'm guessing laundry done anywhere near the toilet would be unacceptable.

Also, they aren't eco-friendly for the most part in Japan unless forced to be so by the government. Almost all of the recycling and composting, for instance is done by the trash collecting agencies, not by individuals. All individuals have to do is sort trash and put it out on the right day (and even then a lot don't do it properly).

This looks like an interesting idea, but implementation needs to be better. There's no reason the washer has to be above the toilet. The plumbing just needs to be set up differently.

posted by Orchid64 on July 12th 2008 at 4:03pm
view Orchid64's profile

The prospect of water shortages, excessive extraction harming biodiversity and higher prices would suggest dry compost toilets which separate liquids and solids. These could save up to fifty percent of our clean water usage and considerably more in water reprocessing costs as well as help replace topsoil depletion caused by industrial agriculture. The human animal, supposedly at the top of the biological hierarchy, is the only one which defecates in its own drinking water. "Washup" is just another case of a technological solution to the wrong question.

posted by bernie on July 14th 2008 at 8:12am
view bernie's profile

The real problem for the environment is over breeding, there's too many people... until people can face up to that, no amount of water recycling or curly lightglobes will solve the problem.

Babies are bad for the environment, it's not hard to say.

Wolfie!

posted by WolfieRankin on August 2nd 2008 at 7:04pm
view WolfieRankin's profile

I am sooo glad to read that I'm not the only person to wonder just what that female figure is DOING on the toilet ... for all the world to see. Laughing as I write this! Cat-gurl

posted by Cat-gurl on August 15th 2008 at 3:38pm
view Cat-gurl's profile

Besides being awkward, the laundry machine above the toilet will lead, eventually, to forgetting to lower the lid and dropping your last clean whatever into the bowl.

posted by bean on August 19th 2008 at 10:53pm
view bean's profile

Sounds interesting but I don't think I'll fall for it, I rather wash my clothes in a washing machine and wash my hands in a bathroom sink , in this case I'll just keep the classical methods.

posted by albert31 on October 9th 2008 at 7:49am
view albert31's profile

This looks like a truly ecologic washing machine. However, I have a feeling that is not as wonderful as you might think. How many times can you flush the water with the left over water from washing clothes? Moreover, after you use the toilet you might have to wait for the washing machine to do its job so you can flush the water. And if the washing machine breaks and you need new appliance parts for it, the toilet might not work properly either.

posted by timada on December 16th 2008 at 5:41am
view timada's profile

great post !!
I read a few of your other entires.where can i subscribe to your blog?
Thank you for sharing.sears parts

posted by sears parts on March 8th 2009 at 4:57am
view sears parts's profile