On top of making smartphones, Xiaomi has a knack of making white goods smart. From air purifiers to rice cookers, the Chinese brand is now introducing a connected washing machine that’s rather compact.
The mini washing machine is developed by MiniJ and it is available through its crowdfunding platform on the China Mi Store. At time of writing, it has already achieved over 874% of its funding goal.
It costs 1,499 CNY which is about RM900 with our current exchange rates. While that amount of money can get you a 7-8kg top loader, this washing machine from Xiaomi is a front-loading unit with a capacity of just 2.8kg. It is just 63cm tall with a footprint of just 50cm X 41.5cm.
Despite its smaller dimensions and capacity, Xiaomi reckons that it is large enough to wash 8 pieces of children clothing, 6 pieces of undergarments, 5 pieces of sport wear or 5 shirts.
On par with modern front load washing machines, it has an Amotec direct drive system for better performance and a water heater that goes up to 95 degrees celcius. Not only this gives a cleaner wash, but it also sterilises your clothing against bacteria such as E coli and Staphylococcus aureus.
To keep noise levels low, it can operate as quiet as 45dB during wash and 53db during the spin cycle. For smoother operation, the mini washing machine also has a set of dampers from SUSPA, a company that apparently makes shock absorbers for Mercedes Benz and Porsche.
Like any smart Xiaomi appliances, there’s also an app which gives you full control from your smartphone. It also offers water usage statistics and will remind you when your laundry is done.
As an added bonus, early backers will also get this rather nifty foldable cloth hanger/dryer accessory worth 128 CNY (about RM77). The hanger has built in fans which will dry your shirt in under 3 hours with either cold or hot air.
For now, it is only available in China and we don’t think it would be made available for the international market. If you’re interested, you can probably try your luck with grey importers in the next few months.
