The laundry room is one of largest water and energy-consuming rooms
in any home. We are all interested in saving money and any reduction in
water and energy use helps everyone by protecting the environment.
10 Ways To Make Your Laundry Room More Energy Efficient
1. Choose An Energy Efficient Washer
Purchase a high efficiency top load or front load Energy Star-certified washer.
These models will use at least 40 percent less energy and up to 65
percent less water than a standard top load washer. Most full-sized
Energy Star washers use only 8-25 gallons of water per load, compared to
the 40 gallons used by a standard machine. Energy Star models also spin
the water from the clothes at a higher rate reducing residual moisture,
resulting in less drying time.
2. Choose The Best Size Washer For Your Family
Choose the correctly sized washing machine that will meet your household’s needs. Washing machines range in capacity from 1.6 to 5.3 cubic feet.
If your normal laundry loads are small, choose a smaller model that
uses less water and use a public laundromat for large items like
comforters that are only washed once or twice a season.
3. Use The Correct Water Temperature
About 90 percent of the
energy used for washing clothes is spent on heating the water. Unless
you are dealing with clothes that heavily stained with oily stains, the warm or cold water setting on your machine will generally do just as good a job in cleaning your clothes.
Plus, lower water temperatures are more gentle on fabrics and will help
your clothes stay looking their best. Switching your wash water
temperature setting from hot to warm can cut energy costs for each load
of clothes in half.
4. Select An Energy Efficient Dryer
Choose a EnergyStar dryer
with a moisture sensor which will shut off your machine when clothes
are dry. An air-dry feature, which dries clothes with cold air, reduces
energy use and wrinkles. Always choose the correct dryer cycle for each load.
5. Compare Electric and Natural Gas Dryers
Most
dryers consume a similar amount of energy to dry one load of clothes.
However, a dryer powered by natural gas will dry a load of clothes three
times faster than an electric dryer. Compare the operating costs of electric and gas-powered clothes dryers.
In many areas, natural gas is less expensive. You must consider the
cost of installation since a professional technician is required to
install a gas line and dryer.
6. Plan Your Laundry Routine
Plan
your laundry duty so that you can dry multiple loads during each
session. You’ll save energy by using an already heated dryer that
doesn’t have to be brought up to temperature each time it is used. You
will also save energy if your dryer is in a conditioned space that is
not excessively cold.
7. Separate And Conquer Drying Times
Separate
your clothes and dry similar types of clothes together. Lightweight
synthetics, for example, dry much more quickly than bath towels and
natural fiber clothes. Never overload the dryer. The clothes need room
to tumble so that air can reach each surface.
8. Clean Your Dryer Vents
An unobstructed flow of air makes a dryer work more efficiently and can prevent fires.
Clean the dryer lint filter after every use. Check the outside dryer
exhaust frequently to make sure it’s clean and that the flapper opens
and closes freely. Manufacturers recommend using rigid venting materials, not plastic vents that may collapse and cause blockages.
9. Get Outside
Line drying
is, of course, the most energy-efficient alternative for drying
clothes. If you don’t have adequate outdoor space or live in an
apartment, place a dryer rack by an open, sunny window.
10. Skip The Iron
Irons
can consume up to 1,800 watts of energy, and if used for two hours, one
iron emits 4.8 pounds of carbon dioxide. Line drying clothes or drying
on lower temperature settings and removing them promptly from the dryer
while still slightly damp will keep wrinkles to a minimum.
