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Now here’s, the good news. A virtually waterless washing machine is on its way to hit the market by the end of 2011. This new concept in washing machines require only about a cup of water and will rely on 3-mm long nylon plastic beads complete the clothes washing cycle.
Professor Stephen Burkinshaw, a textile chemistry professor at the University of Leeds discovered that a certain type of nylon polymer bead had an inherent polarity that can extract dirt out of a fabric using a little amount of water. It is said to keep whatever dirt gathered locked-in at the beads’ nucleus. Professor Burkinshaws’ polymer beads are said to be reusable for a great number of times before reaching their saturation point.
The clothes washing process is practically waterless as it uses only one cup of water. Hence, the carbon footprint associated with water and electricity consumption as well as water run-off pollution will soon be provided with a solution.
Cambridge Consultants, one of UK’s top developers of breakthrough innovations, was hired to prove the efficiency of the polymer beads. If the product is found efficient and commercially viable, their team will come up with a solution on how the beads could be removed to end the clothes washing cycle. In six months time, Cambridge Consultants came up with a prototype of the washing machine, which was initially called a “virtually waterless washing machine”. The results boasted of clothes that were cleaned with equal efficiency as those washed using the traditional methods.
Xeros Co, was created to handle the production of the “virtually waterless washing machine”, founded by no less than Professor Stephen Burkinshaw himself. It is backed by £500,000 investment provided by the IP Group. Part of the company’s projections will include extending licenses to domestic manufacturers of washing machines.
Xeros Company has also partnered with the Kansas City-based GreenEarth Cleaning in line with their move to initially target commercial establishments like hotels, high-end washing outlets and care homes. GreenEarth Cleaning is the prime innovator of dry-cleaning without perc; which makes use of an eco-friendly dry cleaning method using liquid silicone, or decamethylpentacyclosiloxane also known as D5.
