April 10, 2026 My Mestic

Best Camping Washing Machines for Caravans and Motorhomes UK

A portable camping washing machine sounds like a niche product until you have spent a week on a campsite hand-washing socks in a bucket. For caravanners and motorhome owners who tour for more than a few days at a time, a compact washing machine saves time, money and frustration. Here is what to look for and why the Mestic MW-100 has become a popular choice in the UK.

Why Bother with a Camping Washing Machine?

The alternative to a portable washer on a touring holiday is either hand washing, which is tedious and does a mediocre job, or finding a laundrette, which eats into your day and costs money. A family of four generates a surprising amount of laundry over a two-week caravan holiday — especially with children involved.

A portable washing machine fits in a caravan garage or awning, runs from a standard campsite hook-up, and handles a small load in under an hour. Over a two-week trip, that convenience adds up significantly.

What to Look for in a Camping Washing Machine

Not every portable washer suits caravan life. Here are the key factors:

Size and weight: It needs to fit in your available storage and not eat into your payload allowance. Compact top-loaders designed for camping are far smaller than domestic machines.
Wash capacity: Most camping washers handle 2 to 3.5kg per load — enough for a day or two of clothes for a couple, or a single change for a family.
Power requirements: Standard UK campsite hook-ups deliver 10 or 16 amps. A camping washer should run within this budget alongside your other appliances.
Water usage: Efficient water use matters when you are filling from a tap and draining into a waste container.
Spin capability: A built-in spin cycle gets clothes much drier than wringing by hand, speeding up drying time on the line.

The Mestic MW-100: Purpose-Built for Touring

The Mestic MW-100 is designed specifically for caravan and motorhome use. It handles a 3kg wash load, includes a spin function, and runs from a standard 230V campsite hook-up. The compact footprint means it fits in most caravan garages or can sit in an awning during use.

The controls are straightforward — fill with water, add detergent, select your wash time, and let it run. The spin cycle removes excess water so clothes dry faster on the line, which matters on British campsites where you cannot always guarantee sunshine.

When Does a Camping Washer Make Sense?

For weekend trips, a portable washing machine is probably overkill — you can manage two days of clothes without washing. But for trips of a week or more, the equation changes. A family touring for two weeks would otherwise need to find and use laundrettes several times, costing time and typically several pounds per load.

Full-time tourers and seasonal caravan owners benefit the most. If your caravan is your base for several months of the year, a washing machine moves from luxury to essential.

Tips for Getting the Best Results

Sort loads by fabric weight: Washing similar fabrics together improves cleaning and reduces tangling during spin.
Use liquid detergent: Powder can struggle to dissolve fully in smaller machines with lower water temperatures.
Do not overload: A 3kg capacity means 3kg of dry clothes, not packed tight. Leave room for water and movement.
Pre-treat stains: A small machine with a short cycle will not remove heavy stains without help. A quick soak or stain spray before loading makes a noticeable difference.
Spin twice if needed: Running a second spin cycle gets more water out and reduces drying time, especially for heavier items like jeans or towels.

Alternatives Worth Considering

Manual scrub bags and hand-crank washers exist, but they require effort and deliver inconsistent results. Laundrettes work but cost money and time. A dedicated camping washing machine is the only option that combines convenience, consistent results and independence from site facilities.

Browse the full Mestic washing machine range to see specifications, pricing and availability. Every order ships with free UK delivery.

MW-100 specification

The figures below come from the current product listing.

Specification	MW-100
Power	180 W
Connection voltage	220-240 V
Filling weight	2 kg
Wash cycle duration	12-15 minutes
Timer	Adjustable, 15 minutes
Washing noise level	49 dB
Dimensions (l x w x h)	36 x 35.5 x 50.5 cm
Weight	4.8 kg
Energy label	A

Why 180W changes the calculation

A portable camping washing machine does not heat water. It agitates a drum, which is why it draws 180W rather than the 2,000W or more a domestic machine needs. At 230V that is about 0.8A.

The practical consequence is that it never competes for your hook-up allowance. On a 10A pitch you have around 2,300W in total. A 1,500W ceramic heater plus this machine comes to 1,680W, leaving room to spare. Compare that with a 1,000W kettle, which forces you to turn the heater down.

It is one of the few caravan appliances you can simply switch on without doing any arithmetic first.

What a cycle actually costs

At 180W a fifteen minute cycle uses 0.045 kWh. At an example metered rate of 30p per kWh that is about 1.4p, plus detergent and water. A site launderette typically charges a few pounds a load, more if you use the dryer.

On running cost alone the machine pays for itself quickly. The real question is whether it earns the storage space, and whether you have somewhere to dry things.

The drying problem

This is the part that catches people out, and it matters more in the colder half of the year.

Do not dry washing inside the caravan. Every gram of water that evaporates from a wet shirt goes into the air and condenses on the windows and walls, which is how a damp problem starts. It also makes the interior feel colder, so you spend more on heating.

Spin thoroughly first. The spin removes far more water than hours of hanging.
Dry in the awning, with ventilation and some airflow through it.
Use a site dryer for the final stage even if you washed yourself. It is usually cheaper than a full launderette wash.
Wash small and often. A 2 kg load suits two or three items, not a domestic weekly wash.