This Washing Machine Uses Beads For Huge Savings

Everyone knows a washing machine requires water and detergent to clean the clothes.

But that wasn’t the case of University of Leeds’ textile chemist professor Stephen Burkinshaw and his students. They have developed a washing machine that uses nearly 1.5 million tiny polymer beads mixed with a small cup of water and detergent to thoroughly clean one load of laundry.

The beads physically dislodge dirt, and work against creasing by weighing down the fabric.

The same beads can reportedly be reused over and over for up to six months before being recycled, resulting in a great deal of 70 percent savings in water usage and 50 percent savings in electricity.

Xeros, a division of the University of Leeds, is making these machines. They explained that the beads’ “uniform mechanical action plus their tailored chemistry” help absorb stain and dirt while ensuring fabric care.

Xeros promises that the beads will be automatically extracted through the drum.

The Xeros washing machine is currently being used by some hotels and dry-cleaning retail shops only. Nevertheless, this washing machine is a brilliant idea that could potentially work towards a greener Earth, if it gains more widespread use.

Source: Cnet

Image Credit: Xeros