Xeros Washing Machine (The 'waterless' washing machine)

New machine by Xeros cleans clothes with beads and a tiny amount of water.

Researchers at the University of Leeds have invented a washing machine that uses almost no water. The clothes come out clean and almost dry, which reduces the need for a dryer. Xeros washing machines use just one cup of water per wash cycle and uses tiny beads in the cleaning process. Xeros Ltd says that converting to a virtually waterless machine will save 90 percent of the fresh water used currently with conventional machines. In the U.S., this means saving 1.2 billion tons of water each year.

When you factor in the decreased amount of time needed to dry your clothes, Xeros washing machines also reduce your carbon footprint by up to 40 percent because you use less electricity and laundry detergent than you would with conventional washing machines.

Xeros Ltd says that if all U.S. homes used the Xeros washing machines, the reduction in America’s carbon footprint would equal taking 5 million cars off the road.

"Dry" cleaning is set to become a domestic activity with a washing machine that uses 90% less water than a normal laundry cycle and could be available by the end of 2011. The device, developed by Leeds-based Xeros Ltd, replaces water with tiny plastic beads that suck up stains and its producers claim it will shift stubborn pounds from household energy bills as well.

The Xeros process uses 3mm-long nylon beads that can get into all the crevices and folds of clothing and can also be re-used hundreds of times. The beads flood the machine's drum once the clothes are wet and the humidity is at the right level. After the washing cycle is complete, the beads drain away in the same way as water in a conventional machine.

The chief executive of Xeros, Bill Westwater, said: "The net saving in water, detergent and electricity and including the cost of the beads, we calculate, is about a 30% cost saving for the user." He claims the machine has been tested successfully on a range of fabrics stained with everything from mud, red wine and curry stains to ink from ballpoint pens.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, just under one-third of household energy is used to heat water. Laundry washing also accounts for 15% of all household water consumption; meaning if everyone in the UK converted from normal washing to the Xeros system, the carbon emissions saved would be the equivalent of taking 1.4 m cars off the roads. Another perk of the device is that it should allow many delicates to be "dry" cleaned at home.