Washing and drying your clothes are two of the least eco-friendly tasks in your daily life. But soon, thanks to a unique new washer-dryer, we may have a far greener way to get rid of our stains.
Washing and drying your clothes are two of the least eco-friendly tasks in your daily life: The average household will waste about 5.5 gallons of water each time they wash a bundle of clothes or sheets. But soon, thanks to a new appliance crafted by researchers at England’s Leeds University, we may have a far greener way to get rid of our stains.
The new washing machine, the Xeros, works in a novel way: A cartridge contained inside the machine holds about 45 pounds of plastic chips, which are used to absorb water and remove fabric stains. Using this system, it takes far less water to clean your clothes than usual - typically, only a single cup of water and a small amount of detergent are necessary for a full wash.
It may sound strange, but the creators swear it works like a dream. “We have shown that it can remove all sorts of everyday stains, including coffee and lipstick, while using a tiny fraction of the water used by conventional washing machines,” the Xeros’ founder, Stephen Burkinshaw, told PhysOrg.
Best of all, because the plastic chips absorb all the water during the washing cycle, there’s no need for a dryer at all - your clothes come out ready to wear. Each set of chips can be reused about 100 times before they need to be replaced, and the cost of the super-efficient washing machines isn’t expected to be much higher than typical washing machines.
The new machines aren’t on the market just yet, but hopefully it won’t be too long before your washing habits get a whole lot greener.