Green laundry tips: efficient clothes washing and drying

Ever thought of the impact on the environment of washing a load of clothes?  How much water is used?  How much energy?  What about the effect of laundry detergents?  With 40 gallons of water per load for conventional washing machines, 1800 to 5000 watts of energy used (and average energy costs of twenty to forty cents) per dryer cycle, and a host of unnecessary chemicals, dyes, and perfumes added to the ecosystem, just doing a load of laundry has quite a carbon footprint.  There is such a thing as efficient clothes washing and drying.  Follow these simple green laundry tips for eco-friendly washing.

Green, efficient clothes washing

• Use full loads to maximize use of water and energy with each load
• Wash and rinse with cold water — 90% of energy used for washing clothes goes towards heating water, according to the US Department of Energy
• Clean heavy stains by hand with soap and water before washing; this will eliminate the need for heavy washing, hot water, and harsh chemicals
• Use natural, biodegradable laundry detergents, or make a homemade detergent from eco-friendly ingredients such as borax, baking soda, and essential oils
• When in the market for a new washing machine, buy an energy efficient, Energy Star rated model

Green, efficient clothes drying

• Clean lint filter after each load to improve air circulation
• Wash heavy linens and towels separately to reduce drying time of lightweight clothing
• Air dry, air dry, air dry!  Use an outdoor clothes lines, or even an indoor rack as much as possible.  According to Project Laundry List, if everyone in America switched to clothes lines, several power plants could be shut down, so much energy would be saved.  
• Switch to an energy efficient, Energy Star dryer when it is time to upgrade your appliance

These green laundry tips require minimal effort and cost.  Saving water and energy will in fact save you money as well!  Buying a new washer and dryer for efficient clothes washing does come with an initial cost, but the lifetime financial and environmental savings of Energy Star models are well worth it.

photo by: Mysza831