12 min. washing machine handles 7 loads in time it took to do 1.

The 12-minute washday: Latest washing machines promise to handle seven loads in the time it usually takes to complete one

By SEAN POULTER
Last updated at 12:26 AM on 17th March 2011

We've come a long way from the days of the mangle and suds up to your elbows.

But doing the family wash can still take up a big chunk of your day.

The latest washing machines promise to change all that – by producing a load of clean laundry  in as little as 12 minutes.

A clean break with the past: Unlike early models, the latest machines can whiz through a cycle in a matter of minutes

This compares with a typical wash cycle that takes up to 90 minutes and guzzles through three times as much water into the bargain.

For the eco-conscious, the faster machines claim to save 212,415 gallons of water over a lifetime  – enough to fill almost 17 swimming pools (not that the eco-conscious would be too thrilled at that use of the surplus). And they would run for two years and four months less than those in most homes over the same time.

The washing machines, from manufacturer Russell Hobbs, are said to clean much quicker because they fire water and detergent at the clothes through two jet nozzles, rather than the conventional single one.

The cheapest of the machines, which boasts a 7kg capacity with a 1200 revs spin-speed and 15 programmes, costs £247, and is sold through Asda.

‘This range of incredible 12-minute washing machines, currently the speediest in the land, really will help families save time, energy and money,’ said a company spokesman.

Washing clothes quicker is only one way to save water. Quite a lot goes down the kitchen sink when we wash our dishes.

Bosch yesterday unveiled its AquaStar dishwasher range, which it claims is the world’s most water-efficient.

It uses just 6.5 litres to wash a full load – less than half the 14 litres of most machines and the whopping 40 litres for doing the job by hand.

The machine targets water much more sparingly in the cleaning process, rather than using the cascade system found in conventional dishwashers.

Jacob Tomkins, managing director of the water efficiency organisation Waterwise, said appliances that use much less water are now becoming part of everyday life in households.

There is a catch with the 12-minute wash, however.

It apparently works best when clothes aren’t too dirty. According to the manufacturers, if clothes are really filthy, nothing beats an old-fashioned soak.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1367015/The-12-minute-washday-Latest-washing-machines-promise-handle-seven-loads-time-usually-takes-complete-one.html#ixzz1Gog7u5qR