True confessions- I haven’t washed my clothes in hot water for years. In fact I can’t even remember the last time I used a dryer! When I stopped using hot water, I didn’t even know anything about the carbon impact, I did it because I was cheap!
I Just Gotta Tell Ya
- About 80-90% of energy used by a washer goes into heating the water
- Average household saving= $61 per year
- If each household used on cold water would keep 1281 pounds of CO2 from entering the air.
- Cold water keeps your clothes looking newer and longer than hot water
- The typical American household does nearly 400 loads of laundry per year, using about 40 gallons of water per full load with a conventional washer.
Helpful Hints
- Fill it up: Clothes washers use relatively the same amount of energy regardless of the size of the laundry load, run full loads whenever possible.
- Avoid the sanitary cycle: This super hot cycle, available on some models, increases energy use significantly, so only use it when absolutely necessary.
- Activate the high spin speed option: If your clothes washer has spin options, choose a high spin speed or the extended spin option to reduce the amount of remaining moisture in your clothes after washing. This decreases the amount of time it takes to dry your clothes.
- Leave the door open after use: Front-loading washers use airtight seals to make sure no moisture leaks while the machine is in use. However, when the machine is not in use, this seal can trap moisture in the machine. Be sure to leave the door ajar for an hour or two after use to allow any of the remaining moisture inside the machine to evaporate. Make sure children do not climb into the machine while the door is open.
If you are looking for a new washer dryer consider the Eco Star combination Washer Dryer. In most cases, purchasing a newer, efficient (ex: Energy Star) washer and.or dryer can qualify you for a tax credit of up to 30% depending on where you’re located. In any case, be sure to use the proper tax calculators and estimators to figure out what you may or may not qualify for.
Resources
- Consumer Energy Center Great information on saving money and what type of machines to buy.
I bought the front loading washing machine a few years ago and I gotta tell ya (who do I sound like?) the moldy smell, even though I NEVER close the door, was making me want to throw the machine away. The cloths were smelling like mold too. Then, I decided to try adding vinegar to the washes and running the machine with vinegar. That worked! I always use vinegar for regular household cleaning and I thought why not try washing the washing machine with vinegar too. So if your front loader smells like mold, run the machine with a cup of vinegar and hot water (sorry Cathy. For this purpose, you have to use hot water) without cloths. Do this at least once every two weeks. I add vinegar to my washes as fabric softener and odor eliminator. That works too.