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posted by takyon on Saturday August 08 2015, @07:00PM   Printer-friendly
from the clean-feeling dept.

Traditional washing machines suck up a lot of water. An old-school top-loader can chug down 40 gallons of water for a full load, newer models still run through use 27 gallons per load, and even Energy Star washers can use up to 14 gallons per wash.

But there's a new washing machine that cleans clothes with 80 percent less water than most washers. It uses less detergent. And in the end, the clothes come out cleaner. It does this through the use of recyclable plastic beads.
...
The washing machine utilizes a cold water cycle and detergent mixture to activate the beads, which are charged to statically latch on to dirt as it works against the fibers, opening them up. At the end of the cycle, the beads are weighted to drop to the bottom of the washer, where the release their grime. The beads are good for about 500 to 1000 cycles, then are 100 percent recyclable. (Benjamin says they mostly become dashboards in new cars.)

Sounds good on the face of it. On the other hand, there has been recent press about pollution from plastic beads.


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  • (Score: 4, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 08 2015, @10:14PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 08 2015, @10:14PM (#220019)

    Because it costs money and takes energy to clean and distribute a lot of water. It also costs money and energy to heat that water. Just because you don't think very much about the stuff you get out of the tap doesn't mean it's cheap, free or doesn't contribute to polluting the environment.

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