Xeros unveiled a consumer-grade washing machine at CES last week that could change the way we wash our clothes. Using small, pea-sized beads, called Xorbs, the machine needs just a fraction of the water of a normal wash. According to Reviewed.com, that means you can save up to 10 gallons of water at a time.
But saving water isn’t the only perk to the machine, which might only cost about $50 more than the typical appliance. During a wash, 15 pounds of beads are unleashed into the drum, where they “[attract] and [remove] stains, dye, and dirt” without the need for expensive detergent that pollutes the water supply. Amazingly, every single bead is collected by the machine at the end of the wash. How is that even possible? The company says that in all of its tests, only a handful of beads have escaped.
Further, “Xeros developed a filter that keeps toxic microfibers from washing off clothes and into water supplies. Similar to a dryer’s lint trap, it requires the user to empty it after each wash—but Xeros said that the extra effort isn’t just good for the environment, it might save your septic system.”
Several appliance companies are in talks with Xeros about manufacturing the machines. And while we’re still about two years away from seeing these magic beads in our own households, the prospect of the new technology is promising.
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