Researchers looking for ways to improve washing machines at the University of Leeds have developed a new way of cleaning clothes using less than 2percent of the water and energy of a conventional washing machine. The revolutionary technology will provide alternatives to both domestic washing and dry cleaning, heralding the world's first “virtually waterless” washing system.

Xeros, which is a University of Leeds spin-out, is commercialising the technology with some of the biggest names in the washing and dry-cleaning industries.

The process is based on the use of plastic granules (or chips) which are tumbled with the clothes to remove stains. A range of tests, carried out according to worldwide industry protocols to prove the technology performs to the high standards expected in the cleaning industry, show the process can remove virtually all types of everyday stains as effectively as existing processes whilst leaving clothes as fresh as normal washing. In addition, the clothes emerge from the process almost dry, reducing the need for tumble-dryers.

Xeros' technology uses as little as a cup of water in each wash cycle and could also bring benefits to other industrial processes such as wastewater treatment and metal degreasing.

According to Waterwise, a UK NGO focused on decreasing water wastage in the UK, washing machine use has risen by 23% in the past 15 years, up from 3 times a week in 1990 to an average of 4 times a week per household today. The average UK household uses almost 21 litres of water each day on clothes washing - 13% of daily household water consumption. This accounts for approximately 455 million litres of water daily, enough water to fill 145 Olympic size swimming pools.

Tests are currently underway in the dry-cleaning market with a view to replacing certain solvents that are currently used in dry-cleaning. Some of these solvents are potentially harmful, having been linked with certain types of cancer and some are now facing a ban in various states in the USA. The company believes that its new proprietary technology would eradicate the need for these solvents from dry-cleaning providing safety and monetary incentives for the dry cleaning industry.

A typical washing machine uses about 35kg of water for every kg of clothes that are washed - as well as large amounts of energy to heat the water and to dry the clothes afterwards. With environmental concerns becoming increasingly urgent and water becoming an increasingly scarce resource, there is an urgent need to reduce the amount of water and energy used for washing clothes.

The Xeros technology is a fundamental step-change in the textile lifecycle by replacing water in washing and effluent treatment processes with plastic/polymer chips. For example, it can be used during the dyeing of textiles to remove unwanted excess dyes. It can also be used to clean clothes during the life of the garment.

In dry-cleaning, the technology can replace the current cleaning solvent (per-chloroethylene) and results in lower costs from energy, solvents and compulsory regulations arising from solvent distillation processes. In addition, the technology could be used in domestic washing machines, in which the amount of water and energy used for washing would be dramatically reduced. The technology has already been proven in controlled lab experiments in the Company's laboratories in Leeds. It has also been tested in commercial scale dry-cleaning facilities.