Most American families use the bulk of their energy consumption doing laundry. This is not a major problem at our home, since there are only three of us. We typically do two loads of laundry a week, but for those of you out there with larger families, there are things you can do to lessen the “load” of your laundry. Read on for my favorite ways to green your laundry.
1. Be Selective
Wash only full loads of laundry and try to wear items like your jeans and jackets more than once. If it isn’t dirty, don’t just toss it in the wash.
2. Wash in Cold
Since cold water generally comes out of the tap at 80°, you can almost always wash items in cold, this will save 75% more energy than hot water.
3. Hang to Dry
I save energy by partially drying our clothing and then hanging them to completely dry. This also prevents me from having to iron, since the clothes almost always dry perfectly wrinkle-free. This is a good thing too since I can not stand to iron. If it is a sunny, warm day take advantage of the sun and wind to dry your clothes.
4. Clean the Lint
Removing the lint from your dryer makes the machine run more efficiently and also prevents it from becoming a fire hazard – clean the lint drawer before every single load.
5. Think Energy Star
When it is time to purchase a new washer or dryer, consider an Energy Star front loader. You can save over $100 a year in energy costs and ours holds much more per cycle and spins faster than a conventional model all while using 1/2 as much water.
6. Get Unplugged
Since washers and dryers are major energy vampires if possible pull the plug when not in use.
How do you green your laundry?
great suggestions! Laundry is always an energy issue in our house. I also have a great homemade laundry soap recipe that is super inexpensive and cuts down on plastic waste.
J. Danger,
Ahh. I would love a homemade laundry soap recipe. xo.