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Photo: Southafrican.co.uk |
Imagine a machine similar to a microwave that can wash and dry your stinky shoes in just 10 minutes. Because very soon, you will be able to buy one.
Cheslyn Swart, a South African inventor, created a super-fast washing machine designed for “hopeless” sneakers after losing his job.
With no formal qualifications, this 24-year-old has been tinkering at home. Now, his invention is set to hit the South African market in March and will be available in other countries starting in June.
The “Nu-Sportshoe” washing machine is slightly larger than a microwave and has enough space to accommodate a pair of sports shoes. It cleans shoes using steam and a special solvent, also invented by Swart.
“The washing machine doesn’t need water. It sprays the solvent at a very high and very hot speed onto the shoes, removing all dirt. After 10 minutes, the shoes will be clean and dry,” stated Enver Buys, who assisted Swart in patenting the invention.
With traditional washing, it takes hours to scrub the shoes, followed by an additional 10 minutes to rinse off the soap, and finally, a whole day to dry them in the sun. If it rains, you have to bring the shoes inside and place them in front of the heater.
Designing the Nu-Sportshoe was no easy task. Buys mentioned that Swart’s first prototype was “a terrible thing.”
“Literally, we had to use a crane to lift it. It was all made of metal. Ten people couldn’t lift it because it was too heavy.” However, with help from many, the machine has been shrunk to just twice the size of a microwave.
The Danish government has conducted research into the product’s potential market in Europe, America, and Asia. The result indicates that around 3 million people will consume the product in just the first year.
