Clark Howard's Tips

Waterless washing machine, smart AC could save you $$

July 9, 2008

Sanyo has invented a washing machine that cleans your clothes with no water. The Wall Street Journal reports this product is already being sold in Asia and will be marketed here in the future.

The device uses high-powered air to wash, disinfect and remove stains from clothing. The best part of all? You don't need a dryer; your clothes never get wet in the first place! That means you'll only use about one-fifth of the normal electricity required for laundry. The bad news is that the retail price is around $2,000 right now.

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Meanwhile, Mitsubishi has a new home air conditioner that senses when people are no longer in a room and automatically shuts off. This has obvious implications for your wallet. The AC works with sensors that detect body heat.

Clark loves the creativity involved with these kinds of inventions and the way they could potentially save you money. The only disappointment is that they're made in Japan. How come we're not doing this stuff??

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