Appliance science

A new ‘curry’ button on Indian washing machines got us thinking beyond laundry

Indian hotel staff serve a preparation of prawns to guests during the Britain Curry Festival in Kolkata (AFP PHOTO/Deshakalyan CHOWDHURY)

Many of us consider a washing machine to be the archetypal one-function appliance. It is engineered to wash clothes and that’s it, right? In India, where only 10 per cent of the population own a washing machine, Panasonic has introduced the first washing machine to include a “curry” button. After two years of development, the new feature will use a special combination of water temperature and flow to dissolve nasty curry stains.

This simple refinement had us thinking about other uses for washing machines. Instead of washing clothes, some have been known to clean trainers or even children’s toys. Is it outlandish to suggest that a washing machine is an ideal place to defrost frozen vegetables or even wash (on a delicate setting, of course) fresh greens? Given the amount of space that washing machines take up, finding more tasks for these appliances might be the ultimate lifehack. Do you have any tips or thoughts for creative uses that could elevate washing machines to multi-tasker status?