Whether you’re living off the grid, cutting down on electricity, or wanting something portable, you’re probably still after dry clothes.
A clothes wringer can help remove excess water so air drying is quicker. This will eliminate dampness and musty smells. Check out our list of the seven best hand wringers on the market.
- Removes excess water effectively
- Long-lasting & durable
- Lightweight
- Great for camping or travelling
- Built in wringer
- Can be used as mop
- Heavy duty & indestructible
- Good for delicates
- Clamps onto most surfaces
- Easy to use
- Quiet & little vibration
- Comes with a timer
- Removes 90 percent of water
- Portable
- Takes up to 22 lbs of clothes
- Made in the USA
- Heavy duty
- Timesaver
- Portable, lightweight & compact
- Versatile use
- Smooth interior
Should You Hand Wring Clothes?
Wringing clothes means you twist and squeeze simultaneously to remove excess water. Some fabrics, like jeans, towels, cloths, and bedding, can handle being wrung. But we generally advise against wringing out garments by hand. Twisting and squeezing the fabric can result in stretching and damaging it.
Hand wringers, despite their name, do not actually involve the dramatic twisting and squeezing motion. They are much gentler on clothes and work with delicates, too!
So instead of twisting and squeezing your clothes, get a hand wringer.
Other methods that work to remove excess water include:
- Pressing the garment against the side of a tub or basin.
- Rolling the fabric up in a towel and pressing gently as you go.
- Hanging clothing over the bathtub so the water drips down.
- Gently squeezing the garment without twisting it.
- Laying it to air dry on a towel in a sunny spot.
Do You Need a Hand Clothes Wringer?
There are many circumstances in which you’ll find having a hand clothes wringer useful.
- If you’re arthritic, hand wringing or squeezing clothes can be painful. With a wringer, you might find it is easier since the most work you’ll need to do is turn the handle.
- If you have a power outage, a hand wringer is a great thing to have to prepare your clothes for being air dried.
- If you’re living off the grid or camping, you’ll be so thankful for your clothes wringer! Many people living in these circumstances can’t imagine life without a clothes wringer.
- Clothes wringers will help you save energy. Air drying is a top choice for people who are saving energy, but this can take a while. A clothes wringer can get the maximum amount of excess water from your clothes.
- It’s often quicker than hand wringing, especially for thicker garments like sweaters. A clothes wringer does the hard work for you and gets the job done quickly.
- If you like to do things by hand, including hand washing and air drying, then this is a must-have product for you. It’s an eco-friendly way to get all your clothes dry as quickly as possible.
- Clothes wringers are amazing for swimsuits. If you’re on a beach holiday or camping by the lake, you’ll need one of these to get swimwear dry as quickly as possible.
How to Choose a Clothes Hand Wringer
With many choices on the market, shopping for a hand wringer can be overwhelming. With these top tips, you’ll find the best one for you. Look out for these important factors.
Purpose
Most clothes wringers work with all types of clothes. But they each work differently. If you are looking to get the maximum amount of water out, you’ll probably want to choose a roller wringer. But if you’re looking for something more portable, we have great options for that, too. For each product, we’ll let you know the main purpose of the item.
Material
Consider the material when shopping. They come in a range of materials from steel to plastic. Some materials are more durable than others. If you want something that will last a long time, we recommend going with a steel product. But these will be more expensive.
Budget
First, consider your budget. Hand wringers can range from cheap to very expensive, so you’ll most likely find something that suits your price point.
Size
Lastly, look at the size of each product. These can take up a little space, or quite a lot. Of course, if you’re looking for something portable, smaller is better. If you have generous storage space, size won’t be as important a factor.
Ease of Use
Of course, the easier it is to use, the better. Some do require more elbow grease than others. We’ll give you a rough idea of how easy it is to use each product so you know what to expect when it arrives on your doorstep.
The Best Hand Wringers of 2021
We’ve spent hours researching real customer reviews, expert advice as well as using our own insight into each product. With this in mind, we can confidently recommend these seven best hand wringers for getting drier clothes with little effort.
The Great American Wringer Co
The Great American Wringer Co is great for clothing of all types, but also cloth diapers. Cloth diapers can hold a lot of excess water so it’s important to wring that all out.
With this product, you can clip it to a bucket or basin. So when you wring out the cloth diapers, excess water, soil and dirt will fall into a bucket. You will be able to see how clean the diapers are before using them again.
It’s stainless steel and Nitrel rollers, and therefore, is heavy duty and built to last. You’ll save a lot of time from twisting and drying, plus, it’s kinder on your hands and wrists.
Lastly, this product weighs just over 11 pounds, so it’s a little lighter than our previous recommendation. If you want to take this on your boat or with you camping, it’s totally possible!
Pros
- Easily clips to a bucket or basin.
- Removes excess water effectively.
- Long-lasting and durable.
- Not too heavy.
Cons
- Expensive.
Additional Specs
| Purpose | Wringing excess moisture out of most garments |
| Materials | Stainless steel and Nitrel rollers |
| Ease of Use | Easy — Medium |
| Size | 17.6 x 10.3 x 6.7 inches |
| Weight | 11.43 pounds |
Sterilite Mop Bucket and Wringer
Did you know you can also use a general mop bucket for wringing your clothes by hand? The Sterilite Mop Bucket and Wringer is our top choice.
You can hand wash or rinse your clothes in the bucket part of this product. When you need to remove excess water before air drying, simply press the wet clothes into the wringer. Gently push down and drain excess water. Do this until no excess water remains.
This is a practical, budget-friendly way to wring clothes by hand. Plus, it comes with four lightweight buckets, so it’s perfect if you’re camping or travelling. Take this with you and gently remove excess moisture without damaging your clothes.
Pros
- Budget-friendly.
- Great for camping or travelling.
- Built in wringer.
- Can also be used for a mop.
Cons
- Still requires some elbow grease.
- The handle is weak when the bucket is full of water.
Additional Specs
| Purpose | Hand wringing garments in a bucket |
| Materials | Plastic |
| Ease of Use | Medium |
| Size | 18.25 x 11.63 x 10.13 inches |
| Weight | 2 pounds |
Northwood Calliger 360 Hand Crank Clothes Wringer
The Northwood Calliger 360 is our top recommendation for delicates. Whether you need to hand wring a sweater, lingerie or a silk top — this will do the trick.
The rubber rollers are kind on fabric, whether it’s thick or thin. The product is super easy to use and will relieve stress and tension in your hands and wrists. It’ll speed up drying time without you breaking a sweat.
What’s great about this is that it’s built to last. All the metal has been zinc plated and powder coated for maximum weather resistance. The frame and rollers are indestructible so it should outlast all other models.
Finally, you can clamp this wringer onto virtually any surface, whether it’s horizontal or vertical. So when you remove the excess water, it falls down into a bucket or basin of your choice.
Pros
- Heavy duty and indestructible.
- Good for delicates — and thicker garments, too.
- Easy to use.
- Clamps onto most surfaces.
Cons
- It’s heavy, so not portable, and difficult to maneuver.
Additional Specs
| Purpose | Wringing excess moisture out of thick and thin garments |
| Materials | Zinc-plated metal, steel and rubber rollers |
| Ease of Use | Easy |
| Size | 22.9 x 14.5 x 6.1 inches |
| Weight | 20.3 pounds |
Panda 3200 rpm Portable Spin Dryer
You know those wringers you find at swimming pools for your swimwear? The Panda 3200 RPM Portable Spin Dryer is like those! So whether you need this for your small business or just want a more professional product, this is our top recommendation.
This is an electric product. So keep that in mind if you’re living off the grid. You will need to plug this in. But it still saves energy over time. It gets your clothes mostly dry very quickly so they’re ready to be air dried.
The spinning disc will remove the water — not heat. But despite no heat, customers do say this is one of the best spin dryers they’ve ever used!
Pros
- Speeds up air drying time.
- Easy to use.
- Quiet and little vibration.
- Comes with a timer so it automatically shuts off after the set time.
Cons
- Small capacity.
- Better for smaller and lighter garments.
Additional Specs
| Purpose | Spin drying clothes |
| Materials | Stainless steel and plastic disc |
| Ease of Use | Medium |
| Size | 13.5 x 13.5 x 25.5 inches |
| Weight | 22 pounds |
The Laundry Alternative Ninja Portable Spin Dryer
If you want to take pretty much all the work out of using a clothes wringer, the Laundry Alternative Ninja Soft Spin Dryer is the way forward. The only thing you need to do is put in the clothes and turn it on. The machine does the rest of the work for you!
This is a portable ventless electric dryer. So do keep in mind that you’ll need to be near an electricity source to use. Not ideal for rural camping, but if you’re on a campsite, it will work. This is ideal for drying swimsuits in while you have a shower in the communal bathrooms!
Pros
- Removes 90 percent of water.
- Portable.
- Takes up to 22 pounds of clothes.
- Must-have if you live in an apartment without a tumble dryer.
Cons
- Requires electricity.
- Doesn’t come with a bucket for drainage.
Additional Specs
| Purpose | Remove 90% of excess water easily |
| Materials | High-grade plastic |
| Ease of Use | Easy |
| Size | 13 x 13 x 24 inches |
| Weight | 19.7 pounds |
Wisemen Stainless Steel Industrial Model Hand Clothes Wringer
This one is great for towels, swimwear, and of course clothes. It can be hard to remove excess water from a towel without straining your hands or wrists. But with this wringer, the job is a breeze.
In fact, this product will remove 90 percent of excess water! So air drying will be quick and simple after using this. The washing machine spin cycle doesn’t even remove that much water, so this is much more effective.
Made of stainless steel, this will indeed require minimal replacement.
Pros
- Made in the USA.
- Heavy duty.
- Ideal for towels and chamois.
- Saves time.
Cons
- May need a few people to operate.
Additional Specs
| Purpose | Removes water from towels and chamois |
| Materials | Stainless steel |
| Ease of Use | Medium |
| Size | 20.1 x 10.4 x 6.5 inches |
| Weight | 10.53 pounds |
Laundreez Portable Clothes Washer
Camping, swimming, or travelling? The Laundreez Portable Clothes Washer is our top pick for you! Weighing only 12 ounces and small enough to fit in your backpack, this is ideal for wringing clothes on the go.
It works as a dry bag, a packing bag, a water carrier and a cooler bag. Of course — the main function is a clothes wringer. When you put the wet clothes in the bag, squeeze and wring the bag to remove the excess water. Open the small hole and let the water run out. Repeat this process until there’s no excess water left.
The smooth interior makes this bag ideal for all garments, including delicates. So if you have an embellished bathing suit, toss it in! Make sure to be gentle.
Pros
- Portable, lightweight and compact.
- Versatile use.
- Smooth interior.
- Great for travelling.
Cons
- Not heavy duty or long-lasting. Begins to leak or break over time.
- Not good for heavy clothes.
Additional Specs
| Purpose | Removing water while travelling. Also is a cooler, water storage, dry bag and packing bag. |
| Materials | Plastic |
| Ease of Use | Easy |
| Size | 3.2 x 12 x 1.8 inches |
| Weight | 12 ounces |
| Product | Best | Purpose | Ease of Use | Size | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Great American Wringer Co | Cloth Diapers | Wringing excess moisture | Easy – Medium | 17.6 x 10.3 x 6.7″ | 11.43 lbs |
| Sterilite Mop Bucket & Wringer | Mop Bucket | Hand wringing garments | Medium | 18.25 x 11.63 x 10.13″ | 2 lbs |
| Northwood Calliger Hand Crank | Delicates | Wringing excess moisture | Easy | 22.9 x 14.5 x 6.1″ | 20.3 lbs |
| Panda Portable Spin Dryer | Professional | Spin drying clothes | Medium | 13.5 x 13.5 x 25.5″ | 22 lbs |
| The Laundry Alternative Spin Dryer | Easiest to Use | Remove 90% of excess water | Easy | 13 x 13 x 24″ | 19.7 lbs |
| Wisemen Stainless Steel | Towels | Removes water from towels and chamois | Medium | 20.1 x 10.4 x 6.5″ | 10.53 lbs |
| Laundreez Portable Clothes Washer | Portable | Great for travel | Easy | 3.2 x 12 x 1.8″ | 12 oz |
Can You Make a DIY Hand Clothes Wringer?
Yes, you can. But it isn’t easy and it takes a while. Plus, it won’t be as effective as the ones we have listed.
However, if you want to try to make your own, follow these steps:
- Cut a few holes into the bottom of a bucket.
- Place this bucket inside another bucket (that doesn’t have holes).
- Put another bucket without holes inside the holey bucket. You’ll now have three stacked buckets inside one another with the holey one in the middle.
- When you need to use it, put the clothes in between the top two buckets.
- Then sit on the top bucket. This will press the clothes between the buckets and drain excess water.
- Empty and clean all buckets between uses.
Wring It Out
With the best hand wringers, you can wring excess water out of your clothes without hurting or straining your hands and wrists. This is ideal if you’re going to air dry your clothes afterwards. It will totally speed up the time.
Overall, we recommend The Great American Wringer Co. It’s great for cloth diapers, but also other materials. It easily clips to buckets, and is super durable.
If you’re on a budget, why not go for the Sterilite bucket? Less exciting but super effective and cheap!
Finally, if you’re going to be using it for towels, then we recommend the Dynajet Chamois & Towel Wringer. This will squeeze excess water out your towels, saving you time.
