This machine uses sound waves to dry your laundry
This is really cool

"Forget heat — drying laundry is about cranking up the volume," said Jamie Condliffe at Technology Review. Researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee have built an energy-efficient clothes dryer that blasts laundry with high-frequency sound waves. The machine uses ultrasound to vibrate water droplets out of fabric, forming a fine mist that's siphoned out like a regular dryer.
Oak Ridge's ultrasonic dryer can dry a medium-size load in 20 minutes, compared with 50 for a conventional machine. It also uses 70 percent less energy than conventional dryers, which are infamous energy hogs. The typical household dryer uses more power over the course of a year than a refrigerator, dishwasher, and clothes washer combined. The project was developed in collaboration with GE Appliances, which plans to eventually use the technology in its own dryers.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The Miami Showband massacre, 50 years on
The Explainer Unanswered questions remain over Troubles terror attack that killed three members of one of Ireland's most popular music acts
-
Tea app hack: user data stolen from women's dating safety app
In The Spotlight Data leak has led to fears users could be targeted by men angered by the app's premise
-
The Assassin: action-packed caper is 'terrific fun'
The Week Recommends Keeley Hawes stars as a former hitwoman drawn out of retirement for 'one last job'