Washing Machine That Doesn't Need Water

British company Xeros looks forward to conquer the American market with its latest invention, a new washing system able to save a lot of water using nylon beads. The beads tumble wash clothes using 90 percent less water than traditional washers.
In addition, the company's latest invention, which is currently in the development stage, requires less detergent. Xeros claims that there would be no need for tumble drying and if the homes in the United States would switch to the new system, the emissions of carbon dioxide would be considerably reduced. The result would be as though 5 million vehicles have been removed from the road. The company also says that the new washing machine will save 1.2 billion tons of water each year, which equals 17 million swimming pools.
The washing machines does its job using small nylon beads that eliminate stains off clothes and lock them into the molecular structure of the nylon. The beadscan be used for hundreds of washes and afterwards they can be easily recycled. The technology behind the new washing machine is the result of a research carried out at the University of Leeds. It has been used in a concept washing machine by the Cambridge Consultants.
After carrying out tests for over three years, Xeros, a spinout from the University, managed to achieve an agreement with Kansas City-based GreenEarth Cleaning, which intends to market Xeros' latest invention across North American continent in 2010. You can read more about the product on the company's website.

No Washing Powder Required
Sanyo has announced it will begin marketing a washing machine which does not require washing powder or soap of any kind. The machine cleans the clothes by combining electrolysed water's dirt dissolving and bacteria removing properties with its ultrasonic wave technology. For really dirty clothes, there's a cycle suitable for using detergent, but if used in "zero detergent" mode, Sanyo claims the machine is capable of saving AUS$180 a year in detergent costs alone. No plans are in place for an Australian release just yet, but the Japanese domestic price of the machine will be around AUS$2000, meaning it will pay for itself in just over a decade.