Chinese designers come up with exercise bike that washes your clothes as you pedal

Household chores is one reason give by would-be exercisers to skip off the sweating, but what if you could manage both at once?

The Bike Washing Machine, invented by engineers in China, replaces the front wheel  of a stationary exercise bike with a washing drum

The designers, based at Dalian Nationalities University, China, say cyclists would be able to save electricity by washing clothes as they exercise.

The pedalling motion spins the drum, churning the clothes and making sure the soap penetrates the fibres.

Any extra eenergy generated by the cycling is stored for another wash later, in case you’re too tired.

Once the soaping phase is done, the water is replaced and a rinse and spin cycle can be carried out.

In densely populated China, the designers say the Bike Washing Machine could be ideal for those living in small spaces who might otherwise have to choose between a washing machine or exercise equipment.

What’s more it could be cheaper than paying for electricity, or come in useful in countries without reliable power supplies.

On Tuvie, a design sharing site, the designers said: 'Riding a bike is a popular exercise, washing laundry is something that you might do on daily basis or at least once a week, unless you keep buying new clothes and underwear, so why not combine them into a single useful equipment/appliance?