Posts: 6034
From: Vancouver USA
Registered: May 2004

posted January 30, 2006 12:25 PM         

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Wash clothes with thin air
By SAM GREENHILL
29jan06

IT COULD be a godsend for drought-stricken communities -- a washing machine that needs no water or powder yet cleans clothes in a jiffy.

Scientists in Singapore have invented the revolutionary appliance called the Airwash and it has already caught the eye of one major manufacturer.
The machine works by blasting dirty clothes with jets of air primed with negative ions, which have the effect of clumping dust together, deactivating bacteria and neutralising odours.

The result, the inventors claim, is clean, fresh-smelling clothes that come out of the machine completely dry -- meaning an end to clothes lines and perhaps even signalling the death knell for the tumble dryer.

And since no water is involved, fabrics unsuitable for conventional machines -- such as leather and suede -- can be washed at home instead of having to be dry cleaned.

Negative ions are molecules that have lost an electric charge. Odourless, tasteless and invisible, they are created when molecules in the atmosphere break apart due to fast-moving air and sunlight. In nature, they are found in invigorating environments such as pine forests and where breaking waves pound the seashore.

The Airwash is inspired by the way clothes used to be beaten against river rocks near waterfalls, which are another of nature's negative-ion generators. A prototype has been built by Gabriel Tan and Wendy Chua of the National University of Singapore and Electrolux is watching closely.

The average householder spends nine months in a lifetime doing the washing and the Airwash designers believe any machine that makes the chore easier will be welcomed.

Mr Tan said: "But as well as being boring, laundry uses up scarce water supplies and pollutes with chemical detergents."

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/printpage/0,5481,17965878,00.html

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posted January 30, 2006 12:49 PM           

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wow! LibraSparkle,
that sounds wonderful..
it really sounds perfect..

no dryers, no wrinkles
no water or chemicals
that's like magic, hehe

thanks for sharing

sending you lots of Love, heard you had surgery, and more Love and Light and Magic!

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Posts: 27312
From: Columbus, GA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted February 01, 2006 09:07 AM         

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"There is no use trying," said Alice; "one can't believe impossible things." "I dare say you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." Lewis Carroll

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Posts: 1537
From:
Registered: Nov 2003

posted February 01, 2006 12:12 PM         

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Actually, I think we should learn to put up with a little dirt. People who habitually eat a little grit with their food don't need B vitamins, and their immune system does not succumb to allergies. Super clean clothes are only to impress the neighbours, and we are messing with the atmosphere big time, when we assume because we cant see or touch something, it cant be a problem

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And I will give thee the treasures of darkness
Isiah 45:3

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Posts: 27312
From: Columbus, GA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted October 23, 2006 02:54 PM         

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"There is no use trying," said Alice; "one can't believe impossible things." "I dare say you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." Lewis Carroll

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Posts: 2296
From: A temporary home
Registered: May 2004

posted October 24, 2006 12:12 PM         

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What wonderful news!

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Posts: 1488
From: Northeast Ohio
Registered: Sep 2002

posted October 13, 2007 05:58 AM         

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Bump...

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Posts: 27312
From: Columbus, GA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted April 04, 2008 11:20 AM         

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*bump again*

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"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia." Charles Schultz

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Posts: 2160
From: UK
Registered: Jan 2008

posted April 10, 2008 07:49 AM         

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Wowzer!
Technology at its best eh?

quote:

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Super clean clothes are only to impress the neighbours, and we are messing with the atmosphere big time

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Spot on.
I haven't had a washing machine or iron for 3 years and nobody's noticed yet. I use a combo of:
a) Having a set of clothes for each purpose. I have a set of dirty clothes for dirty tasks that never get washed, just dried out, brushed off and stored in paper
b) Clothes brushes - wait for the dirt to dry and brush it out/off. Remarkably effective
c) Hanging up wrinkled clothes over the bath and watch the wrinkles get steamed out with no effort.

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Posts: 1681
From:
Registered: May 2004

posted April 11, 2008 08:46 AM         

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So wheelsofcheese, are you saying you don't wash your clothes?

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Posts: 2160
From: UK
Registered: Jan 2008

posted April 24, 2008 04:53 AM         

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Hello Yin. No, I'm not saying that I never wash them but I can see that my post was a bit ambiguous. I use the laundrette every 3 months for heavy stuff like jeans etc. Light stuff I'll handwash. Bed linen gets the most attention.

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Posts: 27312
From: Columbus, GA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted April 25, 2008 11:08 AM         

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"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia." Charles Schultz

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Posts: 1275
From: Meet Me in Sofia
Registered: Nov 2006

posted April 25, 2008 04:15 PM         

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i want one!

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Posts: 1705
From: Arizona
Registered: Feb 2004

posted January 17, 2009 08:35 AM         

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Ok, I still haven't heard any mention of this contraption on the news or in newspapers and one would think those of us in the Southwest deserts would jump at something that would help preserve what precious little water we have here.

Has anyone else heard anymore about this contraption?

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Posts: 3856
From: Still out looking for Schrödinger's cat.........& LEXIGRAMMING... is my Passion!
Registered: Jan 2008

posted February 02, 2009 11:43 PM         

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http://www.gadgets-club.com/the-gadget-of-the-future-is-the-airwash-waterless-washing-machine/

I have not heard any new reports on it either.
It sounds great!
But if it is, why isn't it on the market yet?

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Posts: 1407
From: ca, usa
Registered: Jan 2008

posted February 14, 2009 11:45 AM         

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if you can find an alec guinness film called "the man in the white suit" it will make more sense. planned obsolence is a factor of all commercial enterprises...think how many vested interests would be breached by something this simple. the water boards would have less work, and the washer-dryer people would be put out of business or at the very least have to scupper their old lines...like detroit, manufacturers would be stuck with a bunch of scrap merchandise and have to spend a fortune on new equipment; plus the soap makers, the conditioner makers, the iron manufacturers, not to mention ironing boards,

it's amazing how many people's livelihoods depend on washing and drying machines when you start to think about it!!

plus how many people would actually believe in this?

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Posts: 3122
From: Australia
Registered: Jun 2008

posted April 05, 2009 06:31 AM         

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quote:

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But if it is, why isn't it on the market yet?

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Detergent companies may be as powerful as alcohol and cigarette companies!

I love it - I can't wait until the world is 'flooded' with them!!!

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Posts: 27312
From: Columbus, GA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted April 06, 2009 09:52 AM         

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"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia." Charles Schultz

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