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Biodegradable Laundry Bags

 Washing clothes made a little easier
 
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Have a bag that is strong enough to hold a decent amount of laundry, yet disintegrates and dissolves into water when dumped into a washing machine, once the washing cycle starts. For added convenience, figure a way to attach a pocket of detergent (and optional softener), which gets released into the laundry upon washing.
—LoneRifle, Apr 17 2003

One of Isolyser's patents... http://164.195.100....ve+AND+ABST/fabric)
[ldischler, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]

Fully Water Soluble Laundry Bags http://www.winhealt.../Laundry%20Bags.htm
£30.55 for a pack of 100, incl. VAT. Thanks to Shanda for sending in this reference. [jutta, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]

[link]






       And how are you going to carry the washed clothes back upstairs?
—DrCurry, Apr 17 2003
   

       The usual way.......
—LoneRifle, Apr 17 2003
   

       huh?
—LoneRifle, Apr 17 2003
   

       Biodegradable means the ability to be broken down by living organisms, usually microbial. You are describing a bag that will disintegrate in water.   

       Is there any reason why you can’t just wash a (loosely packed) cloth bag of laundry without opening it?
—AO, Apr 17 2003
   

       The people at my old drop-off service threw my nylon laundry bag into the dryer with my clothers one time. Of course, the material melted under the heat. It also irreversibly adhered to all my clothes.   

       It was one of the only times in my adult life that I completely lost my temper and screamed in someone's face.   

       (-) for not answering [Curry]'s question.
—snarfyguy, Apr 17 2003
   

       Sounds like what's needed here is a laundry detergent which can be extruded as a fibre and then woven into a bag. Then just throw the whole lot in the machine. Comes in White and Colour variants.
—8th of 7, Apr 17 2003
   

       Isolyser makes products like this -- which are especially useful in getting rid of bio-contaminated products. Of course, the way they do it, the entire wash disappears, so there is no folding or ironing, no carrying stuff upstairs...
—ldischler, Apr 17 2003
   

       Prestressed fabric that, when wet, partially dissolves, releasing clothing into the wash, and when put into the dryer along with the clothing hardens into a clothes basket with which to carry the clothing back upstairs.
—bristolz, Apr 17 2003
   

       [Id] does it dispose of the contents too then? if it doesn't I can't see the point.
—po, Apr 17 2003
   

       One problem with the persistent bag idea: the clothes are not allowed to move around freely within the washing machine drum. would that be a problem?
—LoneRifle, Apr 17 2003
   

       Fabric that disappears in the wash? That happens all the time as it is. I’d prefer clothing that appears in the wash. Tiny little things, like those business cards that, when wet, grow to ten times their original size. No packing for trips, just put your wardrobe in your pocket. When you get there, add water.
—pluterday, Apr 17 2003
   

       of course the answer is staring you in the face. a removable drum! put it in and take it out to take the stuff upstairs. why would I want to do that? I live in a ground floor flat.
—po, Apr 17 2003
   

       The primary function of the agitator in a washing machine is to move the clothing and water about allowing the soapy water to flow through the soiled clothing and flush the dirt out with it. Leaving clothing inside a bag severely restricts this action resulting in a bag of half-soiled wet clothing. If you were to then pop this soggy mass into the dryer, you would be defeating the main principle of the automatic dryer, that of tumbling the clothing so it flies about while warm air is circulated throughout. You would find that it would take an inordinate amount of time to dry the bag of clothing. And, as a further disappointment, the clothing would still not be folded up for convenient storing away in dressers and closets.   

       I'm with the good doctor here. "The usual way" is insufficient. Please explain further. And while you are at it, could you please explain why you feel it is necessary to eliminate the laundry bag in the first place? I don't see having to take the clothes out of the bag as a particularly difficult chore.
—Canuck, Apr 17 2003
   

       Putting the clothes *into* the bag is a chore. I think driers should work like giant hot-air popcorn poppers, where the clothes blow around until they’re dry, then they blow out the top and land in a hamper.
—AO, Apr 17 2003
   

       Ummm, with a butter flavored softener.
—pluterday, Apr 17 2003
   

       I hate to break the idea into reality instead of fantasy, but as a engineer... the material that would accomplish that is called PolyVinalAlcohol or PVA. Pretty tough stuff, melts in contact with water. If someone wants to go invent that, just cut me in on the patent. ;)
—Painted_Sunset, Aug 16 2004
   
      
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