Some Holiday Inn hotels in the US are testing a vending machine that dry cleans guests’ clothing in about five minutes, Forbes reports.
The Presso system dry cleans clothing using steam and a non-toxic cleaning liquid, and air for drying. Traditional dry cleaners use the carcinogenic chemical perchloroethylene. The machines are designed to be installed in hotel hallways, reducing the need to send dry cleaning out to third-party vendors.
Presso doesn’t yet work on deep stains, but it can clean and freshen up clothes, and more powerful cleaning technology is in the works, company officials say. The Presso system uses far less electricity and water than regular dry cleaning, and is less expensive, too, they add.
Guests at 16 hotels in the Midwest can place their clothing in the Presso machine and pay for dry cleaning with a credit card. The cleaning cycle runs for 3-7 minutes.
Presso was developed by a pair of inventors from Purdue University and recently received startup funding.
