Product review (5 stars): Spectacular
I absolutely love this thing! It's already saved me soooo much money. We live out in the country with no washer or dryer, at the moment, and just the gas it saves me getting to and from the laundry mat was worth the purchase price. It only does small loads, but I'm alright with that. I love that it doesn't take electricity to work, that I can use my home made soap in it, and it gets everything cleaner then those bloody front loaders (which I hate.) I do have to rinse everything twice, but at least I can tell how clean everything is getting, which you can't do with an electric washer.

My advice, make sure that you follow the directions. The thing should never be full to the top or it doesn't work right (I've found that a "large" load, when measured correctly, makes it only look about half full.) It's a very sturdy little thing, but I can see where constantly putting more of a load in it then it was made for would break it fairly quickly. I've had and been using mine for over a month now and haven't had a single structural problem with it. Sometimes you have to loosen the top screw on the lid to make sure the lid makes proper contact or it can come off, but as long as you follow the instructions that hasn't been a problem. I was afraid, with all of the other reviews on here, that it would leak around the lid. Not even a drop as long as it's put on correctly. I love the creativeness of the drain release. All in all, it's a great product for anyone looking for a way not to have to go the the laundry mat constantly. It's not electric, it won't spin the water out of your clothes, and it won't do much for getting your clothes clean if you're expecting some miracle stain remover that'll somehow do more then a front loading washer or if you over load it, but if you're looking for an efficient laundry alternative then this is a great little contraption.

Oh, and I have a fairly good sized, active family who get dirty and work hard. As long as I do standard pre-treatment on what needs it, I've found that the thing actually gets my clothes cleaner then the front loaders at the laundry mat and that, with two rinses, there's less soap residue, too, which is nice for anyone with sensitive skin. Won't do a comforter or big blanket, I have a wash board for that, but everything else cleans nicely.