A middle-school student in Guandong province in China figured out a way to run a washing machine without electricity.
He rigged up a washing machine to a stationary bicycle and pedaled until the clothes were clean. He demonstrated that you can wash your clothes, keep in shape, and protect the environment at the same time.
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Mark McKenzie
Saw this very idea in a movie from the 80′s, “Mosqito Coast” with Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren and River Phoenix. From the book by Paul Theroux.
PaulVI
Seriously, anyone who needs (!) to get healthier could get paid to do this kind of work. (1) It’s a motivator. (2) It would use otherwise wasted energy being produced on all the cycles, treadmills, ellipticals, etc. at all the gyms. We’d kill two birds with one stone: energy conservation and health promotion.
While we’re at it, this fits in with my model for a bicycle society. (1) Comfortable velomobiles (heat or A/C, sealed cabin). (2) Motivated individuals (and those who need to get healthy, with suitable motivation) to pedal for those who cannot pedal for themselves. Same benefits as above.
Alex
By the time you’re done washing a set of clothes, the ones you’re wearing would be soaked in sweat and therefore have to be washed!
It’s an endless cycle. Endless!
Persephone
Mark McKenzie, I’m not surprised this isn’t a new idea; I would go so far as to bet that something similar to this was done on Gilligan’s Island, as I remember them having some machines hooked up for pedal power. (Yet, somehow, they could never repair the dang boat. Hmmm.)
It is a good idea, though. Having everyone in the family take turns would help them appreciate just how much work there is to do to maintain one’s lifestyle.
There’s a hand cranked mini washer I’ve seen on infomercials. Adapting it might be quite workable.
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Wok
