Sanyo AQUA washing machine recycles water, dry cleans clothes

We've seen washing machines that tell you whose turn it is, offer remote monitoring, sterilize garb, require no water, and tackle more stains than we knew were possible to pick up, but Sanyo's forthcoming machine lives life on the greener side, and cuts down your trips to the dry cleaners to boot. The aptly-named AQUA was spotted as CES, and aside from the thoughtfully designed entry door that's high enough for folks to reach while standing up, this gizmo rocks a unique "Aqualoop" feature that allows it to recycle water for use in future washes. Moreover, the Air Wash function enables owners to clean clothes at home that are typically reserved for the dry cleaners, as it "infuses" your swag with odor / bacteria-killing chemicals without the use of water, leaving your wearables fresh and your body at home. Although there's no word on price or future availability just yet, we've still got more than a few reservations when it comes to reusing soiled liquid to, um, clean dirty clothing.

[Via The Raw Feed]

[Trent @ Jan 17th 2007 1:18AM]

Dry Cleaners are a significant source of urban air pollution. As a business it's far easier to regulate and control the emissions. Move that same business inside the house into non-point source and the air pollution released could be catastrophic in some urban areas already exceeding maximum levels.

If it truly uses chemicals that contribute to air pollution that traditional dry cleaners use this thing should never be allowed to be sold in the US.

[John @ Jan 17th 2007 1:36AM]

I can back Scooter 100%. We have a cycling system in our home that pumps wash water out of the machine into a tub and only uses fresh water for the cold rinse cycle. Next load, the warm soapy water goes back in. Not only do you save hugely on water and gas/electricity for heating, but you can also use a lot less soap (I tend to add just a sprinkle extra each load). All in all, I have perfectly clean clothes, a fatter wallet, and a clearer conscience.

[Mike Krus @ Jan 17th 2007 3:52AM]

Come live in Scotland. We got 4 days without rain since the beginning of October, no shortage of water!

[clemensnew @ Jan 17th 2007 9:18AM]

From what I read it is a real stretch to compare this to dry cleaning. Traditional dry cleaning uses no water but your clothes get wet. The most common chemical used is Perchloroethylene. There is no way this would be used in a residential setting. It is possible that this new washing machine could blow some aerosel to deoderize your clothes but there is no way you can remove stains without getting the clothes wet.
I'm all for saving water but the marketing is getting ahead of the technology.

[TIMMAH! @ Jan 17th 2007 12:40PM]

This is fine, but I draw the line at them partnering up with Toto.

[Wayne @ Jan 17th 2007 4:30PM]

The dry cleaning process, while it does not use water, does actually reuse the fluids that run through the clothes, as it is much more expensive to buy than to process and reuse.