Amidst the worst drought in over a century, Cape Town has imposed severe water restrictions of just 50 liters a day. The city is bracing for July 9th, which has been dubbed “Day Zero” – the day the city will cut off running water leaving 4 million people without water.

“The near-waterless washing system from Xeros is exciting and can potentially revolutionise the local tourism sector,” says Charl de Beer, manager of fanute. “Saving up to 80% water and nearly 50% electricity are metrics that resonate with South Africans, who are facing rising water costs due to the growing scarcity of these utilities.”

The Xeros laundry system replaces up to 80% of the water used in traditional washing systems with polymer XOrbs™ which gently massage textiles to provide superior cleaning results as compared to conventional aqueous washing methods. By combining the molecular structure of the XOrbs with a proprietary detergent solution, dirt from soiled items is attracted and absorbed by the XOrbs, producing cleaner results in ambient water.

The reusable XOrbs have a lifespan of hundreds of washes before being collected and recycled. The patented, award-winning system uses 80% less water, up to 50% less energy, and approximately 50% less detergent than traditional systems.