From The University of Leeds Web Site / June 9, 2008

Researchers at the University of Leeds have developed a new way of cleaning clothes using less than 2% 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, 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.

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.

The new technology could be on the UK market as early as 2009. Xeros has recently received funding of £500,000 from the University’s commercialisation partner, IP Group, subject to certain milestones being met.

Xeros was established in February 2007 to exploit a new patented washing method invented and developed in the School of Design at the University of Leeds. Company founder, Professor Stephen Burkinshaw, is an internationally-recognised expert in the science of textiles and dyeing.

Professor Burkinshaw, Professor of Textile Chemistry and director of Xeros, said: “The performance of the Xeros process in cleaning clothes has been quite astonishing. We’ve shown that it can remove all sorts of everyday stains including coffee and lipstick whilst using a tiny fraction of the water used by conventional washing machines. The investment from IP Group will help us to accelerate the commercialisation of the technology and I look forward to seeing new washing and dry-cleaning machines that use the Xeros technology.”

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.

Dr Rob Rule, Managing Director of Techtran Ltd, IP Group’s Leeds business, and a director of Xeros, said: “This is one of the most surprising and remarkable technologies I’ve encountered in recent years. Xeros has the ability to save billions of litres of water per year and, we believe, the potential to revolutionise the global laundry market. ”

• Leave a comment... (2)

24 easy ways to make your building green

This Earth Day just passed has prompted a flurry of PR activity and one of the more interesting of these offerings comes from the US-based Building Owners and Managers Association. It has suggested 24 ways to cut the environmental footprint of office buildings, touching on water conservation, landscaping, recycling and education. Greening office buildings is crucial in the quest towards reducing carbon emissions. BOMA says that carbon emissions from office buildings make up nearly 20 per cent of all emissions in the US, and in London, mayor Ken Livingstone estimates that businesses produce nearly a third of the city’s carbon emissions. BOMA’s 24 tips are listed in full below:

Conserve Water
1. Install low-flow aerators, which simply screw on to bathroom taps and can be purchased for under a fiver.
2. Insert water displacement devices to limit the amount of water used in the toilet tank.
3. Monitor activities with sensors, such as motion-sensor taps and cooling tower sensors.
4. Implement ‘dry’ cleaning methods. Using a broom, squeegee or dry vacuum cleaner as ‘dry’ instead of ‘wet’ cleaning can save gallons of water.
5. Reduce water pressure.
6. Reset hot-water thermostats to the lowest setting possible.
7. Turn off hot-water heaters while the building is unoccupied.

Landscape Sustainably
8. Create a landscaping programme that makes use of indigenous plants and conserves water.
9. Add composting to your landscape maintenance plan.
10. Use drip irrigation or soaker hoses, which use less water than sprinklers.
11. Schedule an annual review of your property’s irrigation system.
12. Harvest rainwater to water your building’s grounds.

Reduce, Re-use and Recycle
13. Work with vendors who have recycling programmes in place.
14. Establish disposal methods to discard electronics and hazardous waste.
15. Use coreless paper products.
16. Ensure that your janitorial service uses green cleaning products.
17. Ensure windows and skylights are clean to allow in optimal daylight.
18. Encourage tenants to turn off equipment after hours.
19. Encourage tenants to use Energy Star equipment.
20. Develop a recycling programme for everything (not just paper) — lighting, plastics, metal, glass and cardboard.

Communicate and Educate
21. Institute an energy-awareness programme.
22. Encourage tenants to institute work from home policies to reduce workplace energy consumption.
23. Create an electronic green newsletter to send to tenants periodically.
24. Encourage tenants and building personnel to use environmentally-friendly modes of transportation.

• Leave a comment... (3)