How polymer beads cut utility costs in laundry
Our daily laundry consumes huge amounts of water and energy. Researchers at the pioneering start up Xeros in the United Kingdom have developed a revolutionary solution addressing saving potential as well as quality improvements in laundry.
Xeros uses polymer-based beads with a diameter of 4 to 6 millimeters to substitute large parts of the water used: The fabric massaging effect of the up to 1.5 million reusable polymer beads in a 25 kilogram commercial laundry machine can reduce water and detergent use by more than 50 percent. Xeros and BASF have been working together since 2013 to optimize the beads’ effectiveness. Their ellipsoidal shape, their specific density and their smart functionalization provide for a gentle but efficient wash and have made them very popular among hotel launderers.
