Boffins develop "virtually waterless" washing machine

It might sound like the laundry equivalent of the proverbial chocolate teapot, but researchers at Leeds University have claimed this week that they have developed a "virtually waterless" washing machine.

Xeros, a spin-off company from the university, said the new system uses plastic granules that are tumbled with the clothes to remove stains, requiring as little as one cup of water for each wash cycle.

Professor Burkinshaw, professor of textile chemistry at the university and founder of Xeros, said that the performance of the system had been "quite astonishing", matching the performance of conventional machines. "We have shown that it can remove all sorts of everyday stains including coffee and lipstick while using a tiny fraction of the water used by conventional washing machines, " he said, adding that the firm was now seeking to commercialise the system.

The company, which has secured £500,000 of investment from Leeds University's commercialisation partner IP Group and is in talks with a number of the largest players in the washing machine industry, said that overall the system uses just two per cent of the water and energy required by conventional machines.

It could also result in further energy savings as the clothes come out of the machine almost dry, removing the need for tumble drying.

According to figures from UK NGO Waterwise the average UK household uses almost 21 litres of water each day on clothes washing, representing 13 per cent of daily household water consumption.

Xeros added that the system could also deliver environmental benefits in the dry cleaning industry by eradicating the need to use potentially harmful solvents.