Washing machine that uses one cup of water

Daox · 06-24-09, 07:27 AM

Sounds like a very odd idea. It uses some sort of plastic bead media to help get the stains out of the clothes. The beads can be reused 100 times. Can they be recycled after?

Washing machine that uses one cup of water - Telegraph

Piwoslaw · 06-24-09, 08:01 AM

What's to keep the beads from getting tangled up in pockets and other nooks and crannies? Why do they all fall back through the mesh in the drum?

I wonder what those beads are about, whether it's some super-special material, patented of course. Once you buy the washing machine, you must pay the company for new beads. No info on how much a fresh supply of beads costs.

All in all, the idea of drastically reducing water use is great, I just hope there isn't too much fine print.

Another good side to using only a cup of water is that the clothes are much drier when the cycle is over, reducing drying times and (if a drier is used instead of a clothes line) electricity.

04-09-12, 09:18 AM

What an amazing concept! I wonder what the drawbacks are though. It almost sounds to good to be true, but who knows. I would love to see it in action against some of my grimy work clothes. If it can get them clean, then I am sold on the idea. Until then, I think that I will stick with my lg washer and dryer, as I have to admit that I am skeptical of how clean you can get anything with just one cup of water. And then what about all those plastic beads? Isn't that a bit of an environmental hazard in itself? Sure they can be recycled, but they still pollute the environment through out gassing, especially when they are remelted into something else. I really don't see that this can be a sustainably option.

NeilBlanchard · 04-09-12, 09:23 AM

Disposable plastic (even after 100 uses) is an oxymoron.

MN Renovator · 04-09-12, 11:01 AM

1 cup of water versus a bed spread used in July when your A/C went out. How much water does it take to absorb and remove that much sweat, it will need to take some dilution to clean. It also makes me think of a bad stain, if you dissolve the stain and don't have water to dilute whatever stained your close, whether it's blood, cloth baby diapers, puke, grass stains, that cup of grape juice, etc. you've just ruined a whole load of laundry.

ecomodded · 10-02-12, 01:07 AM

Do you have to separate the whites ?
I do not trust the principles of it,waterless in a washer no thanks..

MN Renovator · 10-02-12, 06:42 AM

I never thought of that, I never separate my whites with my top loader and I have every color I own from blues, blacks, red, etc together with the whites and lights.

I suppose I'd need to change my washing habits with a front loader, eh? I usually build up enough dirty laundry to do a load and then I toss it all in together and wash on cold, then toss it all in the dryer and dry it.

ecomodded · 10-02-12, 10:20 PM

I air dry outside, then fluff them up after with the drier set to fluff, if i want soft towels etc..
Its all part of keeping my electric bill down.

06-24-09, 07:27 AM	#1
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Washing machine that uses one cup of water Sounds like a very odd idea. It uses some sort of plastic bead media to help get the stains out of the clothes. The beads can be reused 100 times. Can they be recycled after? Washing machine that uses one cup of water - Telegraph

04-09-12, 09:18 AM	#3
Shayne Guest Posts: n/a	What an amazing concept! I wonder what the drawbacks are though. It almost sounds to good to be true, but who knows. I would love to see it in action against some of my grimy work clothes. If it can get them clean, then I am sold on the idea. Until then, I think that I will stick with my lg washer and dryer, as I have to admit that I am skeptical of how clean you can get anything with just one cup of water. And then what about all those plastic beads? Isn't that a bit of an environmental hazard in itself? Sure they can be recycled, but they still pollute the environment through out gassing, especially when they are remelted into something else. I really don't see that this can be a sustainably option. Last edited by Shayne; 04-10-12 at 01:38 PM..

10-02-12, 01:07 AM	#6
ecomodded Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Vancouver Island,Canada. Posts: 1,037 Thanks: 116 Thanked 100 Times in 87 Posts	Do you have to separate the whites ? I do not trust the principles of it,waterless in a washer no thanks.. Last edited by ecomodded; 10-02-12 at 01:10 AM..

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06-24-09, 08:01 AM	#2
Piwoslaw Super Moderator Join Date: May 2009 Location: Warsaw, Poland Posts: 961 Thanks: 188 Thanked 110 Times in 86 Posts	What's to keep the beads from getting tangled up in pockets and other nooks and crannies? Why do they all fall back through the mesh in the drum? I wonder what those beads are about, whether it's some super-special material, patented of course. Once you buy the washing machine, you must pay the company for new beads. No info on how much a fresh supply of beads costs. All in all, the idea of drastically reducing water use is great, I just hope there isn't too much fine print. Another good side to using only a cup of water is that the clothes are much drier when the cycle is over, reducing drying times and (if a drier is used instead of a clothes line) electricity.

04-09-12, 09:23 AM	#4
NeilBlanchard Journeyman EcoRenovator Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Maynard, MA Eaarth Posts: 383 Thanks: 78 Thanked 39 Times in 32 Posts	Disposable plastic (even after 100 uses) is an oxymoron.

04-09-12, 11:01 AM	#5
MN Renovator Less usage=Cheaper bills Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 939 Thanks: 41 Thanked 116 Times in 90 Posts	1 cup of water versus a bed spread used in July when your A/C went out. How much water does it take to absorb and remove that much sweat, it will need to take some dilution to clean. It also makes me think of a bad stain, if you dissolve the stain and don't have water to dilute whatever stained your close, whether it's blood, cloth baby diapers, puke, grass stains, that cup of grape juice, etc. you've just ruined a whole load of laundry.

10-02-12, 06:42 AM	#7
MN Renovator Less usage=Cheaper bills Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 939 Thanks: 41 Thanked 116 Times in 90 Posts	I never thought of that, I never separate my whites with my top loader and I have every color I own from blues, blacks, red, etc together with the whites and lights. I suppose I'd need to change my washing habits with a front loader, eh? I usually build up enough dirty laundry to do a load and then I toss it all in together and wash on cold, then toss it all in the dryer and dry it.

10-02-12, 10:20 PM	#8
ecomodded Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Vancouver Island,Canada. Posts: 1,037 Thanks: 116 Thanked 100 Times in 87 Posts	I air dry outside, then fluff them up after with the drier set to fluff, if i want soft towels etc.. Its all part of keeping my electric bill down.