While today's high-efficiency washing machines use far less water than their predecessors, they still consume between 10 and 24 gallons of water per load—and as much as 9,000 gallons per US household per year. That's a lot of water just for cleaning clothes, especially with the growing drought conditions throughout the American West. But Xeros' revolutionary washing machines could reduce our laundry water usage to a trickle, using... plastic beads?

Developed by Stephen Burkinshaw at the University of Leeds, the Xeros washing machine leverages the mechanical force of specially designed polymer beads, rather than water, to loosen and lift soil stains from fabrics.

As the Xeros website explains:




So instead of pouring gallons of water into every load, the Xeros requires just a small cup full of water and detergent. What's more, the beads can be reused over and over, for up to six months (roughly 100 loads), before being recycled. Consumers stand to save up to 47 percent in electricity costs and 72 percent in water usage.

The Xeros machines are already used by a small number of professional cleaners, athletic clubs, and Hyatt hotels—but they're expected to hit the wider consumer market over the next few years. [Xeros Cleaning via Inhabitat]