Saving Energy While Doing Laundry

When used with cold-water detergent, washing in cold water is actually better for your clothes. Turn your hot water heater down to the lowest practical setting to allow everyone hot showers. Unless you have some grease stains on your clothes, or some seriously soiled threads, you probably don't need to use hot water when you are washing clothes. Even if you do have some spagehtti soaked sweaters, switch it to cold when it is on the rinse cycle. Make sure your water temperature is set at 120 degrees (farentheit) and you will not only use less energy but you will also keep from burning any little ones- or yourself for that matter. The best way to save money when you are doing the laundry is to wash clothes in cold water. Oily stains that require hot water for removal can be switched from hot to warm still saving energy and doing a good job of cleaning your laundry

By loading the washer to full capacity you may be using a slight amount more energy, but nothing compared to what you would be using had you split it up into two loads. So fill the washer to the brim, and save a little money in your pocket and energy to boot.

Properly maintaining your dryer can help it to run effectively and efficiently. If you can, replace plastic vents and hoses with rigid materials that will prevent these pieces from collapsing. Check the vent hose to make sure it too is allowing air to flow without obstruction. On occasion, you also will want to check the dryer vent to make sure it is not blocked. Keeping this free of obstruction helps improve air circulation making the dryer work more efficiently. Remove lint from your dryers lint trap after every load. Cleaning the dryer lint filter can save you money. When everything is in good working order, electricity is not wasted and money is saved.

Air-drying is, in general, more energy efficient, whether it be inside or outside. You can save lots of money on electricity by using a laundry rack. Also you need to find space to hang clothes - it could be outdoors or inside. You will have to iron certain items of course, like shirts ie but by my reckoning that whole method still uses less energy/ money than using a dryer in the first place.

It doesn't have to be a warm day, or even a sunny day. Sort clothes by drying time to avoid running an another cycle for only a few thicker items that dry slowly. If you over-dry the clothes, it wastes electricity, as well as causing wrinkles and "shinking". Time your washing and drying so that you are able to put the next dryer load in just as the last one finishes. That way the dryer is already hot, and doesn't need to use additional electricity or gas to warm up. Always wait until your washer and is full before running it. Remove clothes from the dryer right when it stops to avoid wrinkles. That saves you the additional electricity of ironing or re-running the load.

It doesn't have to be a warm day, or even a sunny day. Sort clothes by drying time to avoid running an another cycle for only a few thicker items that dry slowly. If you over-dry the clothes, it wastes electricity, as well as causing wrinkles and "shinking". Time your washing and drying so that you are able to put the next dryer load in just as the last one finishes. That way the dryer is already hot, and doesn't need to use additional electricity or gas to warm up. Always wait until your washer and is full before running it. Remove clothes from the dryer right when it stops to avoid wrinkles. That saves you the additional electricity of ironing or re-running the load.