Posted on 06/21/2009 2:43:57 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Green-friendly washing machine uses just one cup of water Bill Westwater, chief executive of Xeros Peter Stiff
Hippies may not be the most frequent visitors to the launderette, but soon they will have no excuse not to wash their clothes, thanks to a new environmentally friendly washing machine — that uses only one cup of water and leaves clothes virtually dry — set to go on sale next year.
The technology, developed at the University of Leeds, aims to save up to 90 per cent of water used by conventional machines, use 30 per cent less energy and have the environmental impact of taking two million cars off the road.
The machine works by replacing most of the water with thousands of tiny, reusable nylon polymer beads, which attract and absorb dirt under humid conditions.
Only a small amount of water and detergent is needed to dampen the clothes, loosen stains and create the water vapour that allows the beads to work. After the cycle is finished, the beads fall through a mesh in the machine’s drum and can be re-used up to a hundred times.
Xeros, the company behind the technology, is aiming initially at the commercial washing market, including hotels and dry cleaners. Its chief executive, Bill Westwater, said that growing pressure on companies and consumers to cut water usage and carbon emissions should boost demand for the system.
(Excerpt) Read more at business.timesonline.co.uk ...
That’s just gross (if that’s still a word nowdays).
Not good ~ the residual odor is incredible!
I guess in the future with the world heating up from Global warming we will all be wearing Thongs. 1 cup of water right. I guess you must soak clothes in 5 gallons of water before throwing into machine with one cup.
The dumbass liberals once again make a Limbaugh prediction come true. Rush has been doing a parody on this for over a year. He’s got those morons nailed.
They think we are fools.
These will be mandated and the lucky ones of us who have access to a stream can use a pair of rocks to clean our clothes.
Also, wasn’t there a big attempt to revive clothes lines a few years ago but too many neighbors complained about the unsightlyness of clothes hanging on a rope.
how much will they cost? both machine & beads
There already are washers that use radically less water and energy than standard ones.
The problem is that the cost of the machines are dramatically higher too.
Still, it makes financial sense for those who do a lot of loads. Won’t be for everyone.
Why bother to wash clothes.
Heck, just hang them out on the line and “air them out”.
B.O.
(no Not our boy B. Obama - although both stink)
is natural, right?
Why not celebrate the diversity of body odor?
Ever seen a European washing machine? It holds a third of what we have so they have to run it more often and use more electricity.........so stupid.
Or wear dirty clothes..........
And why don’t you have beads in your pockets and every other trap they can get caught in???
I’m sure people want to spend an hour or two getting them out of everything...
And what about a rinse?
I don’t want lots of detergent left in my towels and clothes to have against my skin endlessly...
The beads "can be re-used up to a hundred times." Maybe after 99 very lightly soiled loads. Bet they'll be an expensive consumable if they load up quickly with truly dirty kids' clothes.
.
Why wear clothes will be the next argument...
One cup of water which is 90 per cent less than other machines. Help me with the math here, but which washer uses 10 cups of water? Little Suzi washer to match Little Suzi Oven?
Ok, so after a hundred uses, how much do replacement beads cost?
Remember THAT Spam Scam?
How about recycling the the water in a more conventional washer? Push thru an osmotic filter; sterilize with UV and ozone; reuse.
This sounds like one of the gags that Rush Limbaugh had on his Radio show many years ago.
You would add almost NO water and your clothing would come out stinking as badly as when it went in.
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