Hot Organic Foam

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

So what's the first thing that comes to mind when you read the words "hot organic foam?" A Starbucks coffee drink? A chemical-free bubble bath? A high-end spa treatment. A..., um..., intimacy-enhancement product? (OK, let's not even go there.)

No, it turns out that hot organic foam is the latest thing in... weed killers.

Municipal workers in Ventura County, California, are testing out an alternative to the chemicals and pesticides that are often used in landscaping. The so-called hot organic foam contains natural sugars extracted from corn and coconut plants. It is heated to over 200 degrees and applied to weeds using a gadget that looks remarkably similar to a carpet steam cleaner. (And that gadget costs a whopping $26,000!)

I wonder if individual homeowners will one day be able to rent a smaller-scale Steam-A-Weed contraption from their local grocery store? Steam the carpet, steam the weeds.

Watch the video describing how it works. Read the article from the Ventura County Star, via MSNBC: An Eco-Friendly Weed Whacker.