A bit breathless of an article, to be sure — there are some questions as to comfort here (are the magical moisture-repellant items comfortable to wear? do they breathe?), as well as health and safety, plus environmental issues (cf. ScotchGard).
Plus, of course, laundering items does more than remove stains and smells; there are some issues around wrinkles, too.
And, of course, given how many HOAs don't allow you to line-dry your clothing, imagine the push-back for line-washing it.
Still, some real potential value for Third World nations, and doubtless some interesting times ahead … even if "The End of Laundry" is about as accurate as "The End of History." #ddtb
Embedded Link
Nanotechnology May Lead To The End Of Laundry – Forbes
Thanks to advances in nanotechnology, several companies are working on fabrics that repel water, stains and bacteria – and may make laundry a thing of the past.
Alex says:
Especially imagine the benefits for people living in developing countries where all the laundry is done by hand.
What Alex doesn’t say, and may not know, is that access to clean water in developing countries is often hard to come by: women may walk miles to bring back only as much as they can carry, and hope it’s safe. I’m sure they’d rather have clean water only for consuming and bathing.
@Marina – My impression that was one of the factors he was considering in the advantage as well. Though, if not, it’s part of what occurred to me, too.