A New Type of Washing Machine Cuts Water Use by 70%

Published on by in Technology

A New Type of Washing Machine Cuts Water Use by 70%

One of the biggest drains on freshwater resources is the household washing machine. As reported by the EPA, a washing machine uses about 41 gallons of water per load on average, while a typical US family uses the washing machine once per day. The UK-based companyXeroshas come up with a washing technology that uses 70% less water per washing cycle. This technology also uses a special "bead cleaning" method that is environmentally friendly and apparently cleans dirty clothes even better than regular soap.

The Xeros washing machine looks just like a regular front-loading washer. The main difference from the standard washing machine is that it contains 50 kilograms of lentil-sized polymer beads, which are contained in a wet sump under the machine. During the washing process they are pulsed in with water through the top of the drum. Once the cycle is complete, the beads fall out of the drum and then recirculate during the next wash. The machine is capable of cleaning clothes in cold water (68 °F), while the cleaning process also uses a special detergent, though only about half the amount that would be needed if using regular detergent.

Read details

Media

Taxonomy