Although the high-efficiency (HE) washing machines that have been on the market for the past few years can save as much as 80% of the water used by traditional machines, two British Firms, Xeros and Green Earth Cleaning, are developing an even more water-stingy product. They’re working on a system—not just a machine—that uses just 10% of the water of a conventional machine.

The secret: reusable nylon beads (developed by polymer scientists at the University of Leeds) that act as the detergent, absorbing dirt and stains. They’ve discovered that nylon has a tendency to attract dirt (they cite stains that seem to be attracted to nylon shirts, although we must admit that there aren’t too many people we know who roll around with shirts of that fabric), so by using the beads in the agitator, the clothes get clean. Faster wash cycles, reduced water consumption and a quicker dry-time could reduce laundry utility costs by 30%.

However, there’s a rub: not all of the beads come out of the laundry during the spin cycle (so far, anyway, during prototype testing), so it is necessary to shake out the clothes and even possibly vacuum them.

That’s right: While you may save on the laundry, you still have to vacuum.