I'll believe it when I see it, but the concept is interesting nonetheless. Created by researchers at Leeds University, the trick behind only using one cup of water to wash an entire load of laundry lies in chips...about 44 pounds of plastic chips.
Green Idea: Clean Your Clothes with a Single Cup of Water
The water and detergent are what dissolves the dirt from your clothes, while the plastic chips absorb the dirt. At the end of the wash the plastic chips are separated from your clothes and then reused for the next load of laundry. Because the clothes are virtually dry at the end of the cycle, you minimize the use of the dryer as well.
-via DVICE
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I'm curious as to how they remove the chips from the wash. I'd hate to be wearing a shirt at work, reach for a book or something, and have a plastic shard jab into my side. If they can positively make that happen, I'm sold on the concept.
view SpaceMonkeyX's profile
Wouldn't the plastic rip or otherwise destroy the fabric...especially after multiple 'washings'? And, I'm sorry, but since when is plastic absorbent?
view Enamorada's profile
sounds like science fiction to me! hyukhyuk.
i too wonder about these chip things - both their midday stabbing potential and the recent breakthrough in plastic being absorbent.
view kdkaboom's profile
44 lbs of chips, usable about 100 times.. that leaves a waste of .44 lbs of chips per load..
How much do they cost?
How much energy (and resources.. oil!) does it take to create them?
Are they recyclable?
Trading a few gallons of water for a half pound of plastic per load doesn't sound like a good idea to me..
view Peter D's profile