Nylon Bead Washing Machine Saves on Energy Bills
A new type of waterless washing machine might be able to reduce your 
electricity bills. Additionally, this machine would reduce your home water waste. How? The machine, developed by a European company called Xeros, uses new technology that relies on nylon beads instead of water for cleaning your clothes.
The idea for a process like this has been stewing in the mind of chemists for awhile. Chemists realized that polymers used to dye plastics might also be capable of reducing fabric stains. After playing around with many different types of plastics, chemists realized that nylon was the way to go. Nylon beads actually attract stains. When humidity is increased to a full 100%, nylon beads become amorphous. The result is that the stains that have been sucked up go right into the center of the beads. They stay there and your clothes get clean.
The new washing machine uses this concept. Instead of using water to clean your clothes, it uses 3 mm long nylon beads. The machine uses a bit of water to get your clothes damp and to create the humidity necessary for the beads to work. Then the beads are released into the washing machine. They suck up the stains and then drain away in the same way that water typically drains away in a washing machine. The beads can be re-used hundreds of times before they need to be replaced. The used beads can be recycled into other products.
This is one of the greenest washing machines ever invented. It reduces water waste. It reduces the need for detergents. And it saves you money on your electricity bill. If you currently use hot water to wash your clothes, your electricity costs will go down considerably since you’ll no longer need to heat the water to wash your clothes.
This energy efficient appliance isn’t on the market, yet. However, the company plans to release the machine to the market at the commercial level by late 2011. They believe that they should be able to get this washing machine out to consumers shortly after that. Until then, it’s important to keep practicing energy-saving laundry habits at home but this is definitely a machine to keep an eye out for in the year or so to come.