Researchers at the University of Leeds have invented a technology that uses plastic chips to clean clothes, eliminating nearly all water and energy used by a conventional washing machine.

Dubbed the world’s first “virtually waterless” washing machine, the contraption utilizes plastic granules or chips to remove stains and leaves the clothes nearly dry. The machine can use as little as a cup of water.

“The performance of the Xeros process in cleaning clothes has been quite astonishing,” said Stephen Burkinshaw, a university professor and founder of Xeros, the university’s spin-off company that will commercialize the technology. “We’ve shown that it can remove all sorts of everyday stains including coffee and lipstick whilst using a tiny fraction of the water used by conventional washing machines."

Xeros has received £500,000, or nearly $1 million, in funding from its partner, IP Group. The product could hit the market next year.

The plastic or polymer chips may be used during the textile dyeing process to remove excess dyes. The technology also is being tested for dry-cleaning purposes and could one day replace potentially harmful solvents now being employed in the sector. It also could have additional applications, such as wastewater treatment and metal degreasing.

The average U.K. household uses nearly 21 liters (about 5.5 gallons) of water a day to wash clothes, which equal to about 13 percent of total water consumption, according to Waterwise, a U.K. organization.

The U.K. market is valued at about £1 billion, or nearly $2 million, with more than 2 million washing machines sold each year, according to the university.