A waterless washing machine that removes stains from garments in a few minutes has been developed at the National University of Singapore (NUS), the facility said on Wednesday.
The appliance uses negative ions, compressed air and deodorants to clean clothes.
Industrial design students Wendy Chua (21) and Gabriel Tan (23) said they were inspired by the technology in air purifiers, which uses negative ions to clump dirt and bacteria, making it easier for the particles to be sucked out. The ions are a natural cleaning agent.
The sleek and compact design is modelled after a waterfall, a natural negative ion generator.
It does away with the expensive task of sending clothing to be dry cleaned and protects favourite garments, said Chua. No detergents are used.
”It’s not meant to replace the traditional washing machine, but it’s more a hybrid of the washing machine and the dry cleaner,” The Straits Times quoted Chua as saying. – Sapa-DPA