This Invention Could Dramatically Cut Your Laundry Costs

Advertising Disclosure: When you buy something by clicking links on our site, we may earn a small commission, but it never affects the products or services we recommend.

Image Not Available

A trio of Ph.D. candidates at MIT have developed a new filter that could dramatically reduce the amount of water needed to do laundry. The students, under the business name AquaFresco, have been racking up awards at their school for the device.

According to the company’s website, traditional laundry uses more than 20 gallons of water and only removes about a tablespoon of dirt and oils from clothes, a process they call highly inefficient. The patent-pending filter they’ve developed can be attached to an existing laundry machine and allow the same water and detergent to be re-used for multiple loads. Their prototype testing shows it reduced use of water and detergent by 95 percent.

There’s no word on how much the filter costs, or how often it would have to be replaced, so it’s impossible to say if it’s worth it for an individual homeowner, but at this point they’re not targeting homeowners. The company’s first clients are midsized hotels, which they estimate could save $100,000 per year in water and detergent costs. They note that there may be applications in commercial laundry, industrial wastewater, and household laundry in the future.

For more details, visit their website.

Do you have water-saving tips or laundry secrets? Share them in comments below or on our Facebook page.

Get smarter with your money!

Want the best money-news and tips to help you make more and spend less? Then sign up for the free Money Talks Newsletter to receive daily updates of personal finance news and advice, delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for our free newsletter today.