How to Save Energy Doing Laundry

Posted by L. Marie Dubuque Aug 12, 2008

Just like you don’t want to make unnecessary trips in your car, you don’t want your washing machine and dryer to see to much action either. If you’re one of those people who runs a load everyday, change your habits…fast.

• Halt the hot! If you think cold, you’ll get a warm and fuzzy feeling all over, knowing you saved money and energy. If you’re used to washing white towels in hot water, start using cold. The trick is to add only a tablespoon of bleach to the load. You’ll notice the towels feel clean and soft and the white is really white, not that dingy white. But don’t overdo it on the bleach. The material won’t last as long and you’ll find yourself replacing towels much more often than you intended to.
• Fill the machine to the top and don’t over-fill. You don’t want to waste water by not putting enough clothes in, but you also don't want to over-fill the machine. If you stuff it too full and a wayward sock falls out of the bin your machine will likely malfunction.
• Ditch the dryer! If you can, air dry everything. If that’s not possible dry half way and line dry the rest. Simply hang a clothes line in your back yard (check with your neighborhood organization or community guidelines first) or invest in an inexpensive clothes rack you can set in the laundry room or basement. Stick with stainless steel or another material that won’t rust with wet clothes hanging on it. Never buy a wood rack. It will rot!

Remember, the less drying you can do, the better your clothes will look. The constant tumbling motion isn’t great for your clothes or your wallet.