Better Budget – The Spindel Laundry Dryer

Date Published: 12 August 2023

At least once a month, we try to bring you an unusual outside-the-box method to save money.  Recently we’ve introduced you to Pocketsmith.com and shown you how cleaning your heat pump can save you money on your heating.  We’ve even shown you a nifty app that hunts down the cheapest petrol which is getting more and more popular by the day.

This month we’re looking at a brilliant little clothes drying machine called the Spindel.

What is the Spindel?

Remember when you were a kid and you would part fill a bucket with water and swing it around.  The magic of centrifugal force keeps the water firmly in the bucket and not on you.

And this is what the Spindel does (amazingly well). It spins your wet clothes at 2,800 revolutions per minute, twice the speed of your washing machine. This draws out around 80% of the remaining water meaning less time in the dryer or on the clothes rack.

And less time in the dryer means cheaper electricity bills.  Because a spinning drum with holes in it is much cheaper to power than a giant heater.  99% cheaper according to the website.

The Spindel costs around $319 and is not available from those big box retailers (as far as I can see).  But if you order one on the website (we are not getting a commission from this, I promise), it will be delivered to your door promptly.  Installation involves taking it out of the box, removing a few plastic locks and plugging it in.

I’ve used mine for years and have found it amazing.  We use a rack to dry our clothes and even in the darkest part of winter, the clothes dried quickly.  The amount of water that is removed is incredible.  Easily a cup or two of water is removed in the 3 minute cycle.

So what are the cons?  There are only 2 that I have found and they are very minor.  Occasionally the drum can be weighted unevenly and as you crank the turbine up to full velocity, the drum can begin to knock against the side.  It’s not a noise you’re likely to ignore but is easily fixed by stopping the machine and moving the clothes about.  The Spindel operating manual suggests folding your clothes before putting them in the machine but, honestly, who has time for that?  It’s easy enough to shuffle the clothes about to correct the weight distribution.

The second (and even more minor) complaint is that the machine doesn’t have a timer.  I know.  It’s a first-world problem when my clothes dryer doesn’t have a timer and I have to wait for 3 minutes.  I did say it was a minor complaint!

The Spindel Summary

In case you haven’t guessed, I very much like the Spindel.  There is no noticeable wear and (more importantly) tear on the clothing.  My power bill is reduced each month and clothes are out on the rack for a lot less time.

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