Waterless washing machine is a world first
Nathan Wrench, programme manager at Cambridge Consultants.
CAMBRIDGE Consultants have developed the world's first virtually waterless washing machine.
Working with client, cleaning company Xeros, CC have come up with a prototype which saves 90% of current washing machine water usage and cuts carbon emissions.
The water is replaced by reusable nylon polymer beads which can clean the clothes faster, using 30% less energy and just a drop of detergent.
The savings go on, as less electricity is needed to dry the laundry because it has hardly got wet.
The discovery that certain types of polymer beads could be used as a cleaning agent was made by Prof Stephen Burkinshaw of Leeds University.
The idea was there, but there were hurdles to overcome, which was why CC were asked to join the party, turn the idea into a commercial product, and along the way work out how to remove the beads from each load at the end of the cycle.
The "green" advantages of this new method of doing the laundry would, in the UK alone, be the equivalent of taking two million cars off the road.
"While we are still at a relatively early stage of this development, we have demonstrated it is possible to develop a commercially viable washing machine.
"We are really excited about the potential this technology has to reduce the environmental impact of washing."
Xeros aims to have the new washing machine on the market by the end of next year, initially aiming at hotels and care homes and other commercial operators; the technology will in due course be licensed to domestic machine manufacturers.
The global market for laundry products is set to reach $50bn next year.
washing machine with nylon beads uses 90% less water
This is undoubtedly one of the most environment-friendly appliances that I have ever seen: using technology developed by professor Stephen Burkinshaw of Leeds University, the Xeros washing machine is so efficient it only needs a cup of water to clean an adult-sized shirt. That translates to 90% less water used compared to ordinary washing machines. The special ingredient: nylon beads. Nylon? unique property is that it becomes very absorbent under humid conditions. A small amount of water is enough to humidify the interior of the Xeros washing machine, and the nylon beads and detergent will do the rest.
Aside from the significant water savings, the revolutionary cleaning system also uses 30% less energy; the efficiency of the nylon beads also translates to less detergent used. Clothes that are washed in this manner will dry faster because of the small amount of water used in cleaning them. It gets even better: the first Xeros washing machines are set to be on sale next year. They’ll be sold to commercial establishments at first, but hopefully us residential peeps will be able to own one soon after.
Washing Machine Liberated Women In 20th Century
London, U.K. (AHN) - The washing machine, more than the contraceptive pill and the right to work, liberated women in the 20th century by relieving them from the hard work of household chores, the Vatican's official newspaper has said.
The L'Osservatore Romano was citing the Holy See's answer to the question "What contributed most to the emancipation of Western women?" as part of the newspaper's feature article marking the International Women's Day on Sunday.
"Some say it was the pill, others the liberalization of abortion, or being able to work outside the home. But the true contributor was the washing machine," the L'Osservatore Romano quoted the Vatican as saying.
The Vatican's choice of answer reflected Pope Benedict XVI's rejection of the contraceptive pill, which the Roman Catholic Church opposes.
The article traced the history of the washing machine and quoted American feminist Betty Friedan as saying that the ubiquitous appliance gave women great power by allowing them to change bed sheets twice a week.