Doing Laundry and Saving Energy

Laundry is a chore that seems to never end. Thus, it is probably of no surprise to you to know that the average household will use about 13,500 gallons of water doing 400 loads of laundry a year. Which brings me to the simple question, “how can you change your laundry routine and save energy?” I’ll try to answer that question, and in the process, possibly help you save a little money.

1. If you do not have a front load washer now, give it some consideration in the future. Why? Front-load washers do save energy, using less hot water, and saving you up to $100 dollars a year.

However, with a front-load washer you will need to use low-sudsing detergent which is slightly more expensive. If you see (HE) on the bottle that will tell you that it is safe for front loaders and is low-sudsing.

2. The front-loader offers some benefits. It uses less detergent, has shorter spin cycles and usually needs fewer repairs.

3. If you are looking for a front-load washer try to get the largest capacity washer you can afford. This will save you time and energy when doing your laundry. In addition, look at the rpms of the washer. If you have a rpm of 1000+ you will find that it will take less time for your clothes to dry.

4. Use cold water. It is a known fact that 90 percent of the energy used by your washer is in heating the water.

5. Replacing a 10-year old washer with an Energy Start model can save you up to $120 a year on utility bills.

6. Use hot water only for the very dirty loads, and use cold water for the rinse.

7. Try to wash only full loads, this will save water and energy.

To my surprise, a clothes dryer will pull more energy that an air conditioner. To put this to the test, I kicked on the air conditioner and watched the dial run. It ran very slowly. I then turned off the air and put the clothes dryer on. To my surprise, the wheel spun very quickly.

Therefore, if you are trying to cut your energy bill, learning ways to save money using your clothes dryer is definitely one good place to start. Here are some helpful tips:

1. Use the moisture sensing setting on your clothes dryer instead of a timer. This is a nice feature, which I use all the time. What this feature will do, is automatically shut off when it sense that the clothes are dry.

2. Clean the lint screen every time you use the machine. I also clean the outside vent, because when that is plugged with lint, the dryer will run longer and the clothes will dry more slowly.

In addition, a clogged lint screen can save up to 30 percent more energy and can cause a fire hazard if not cleaned.

3. To minimize heat loss, and reduce warm up and drying time, try loading wet clothes immediately after another.

4. With blankets and rugs, I usually line dry the items.

5. Heavy cotton items take longer to dry than lighter clothing. If possible, they to separate heavy items from lighter items.

6. Some clothes can be removed from the dryer while still damp and hung up to dry. This helps to save energy, prevent static and reduce shrinkage and wrinkles. (I do this all the time with white shirts.)

As you can see, it is not that difficult to save energy, water and money when doing your laundry. Granted, it does not take away the unending chore, but at least you will have a little extra money in your pocket with these helpful hints.