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Wringing Water Out Of The Wash

By Jacob Stokes

Researchers at Xeros, a British company linked to the University of Leeds, have developed a machine that washes a regular laundry load using as little as one cup of water, about 1% of the 10 to 15 gallons a typical washer takes. The machine uses tiny plastic chips (and a bit of detergent) to rub the dirt from clothes, which emerge virtually dry—and extremely clean, the company says. With $1 million from university commercialization partner IP Group, Xeros is now talking to manufacturers about the technology. Company director Rob Rule says the virtually waterless machine could be available in Britain next year. According to London-based nonprofit Waterwise, washing machines in Britain alone consume about 120 million gallons daily, enough to fill 145 Olympic-size swimming pools.