How to Be More Eco-Friendly When Doing Your Laundry

Save a few bucks in the bargain too

September 6, 2017 | by Vanessa Luis

The washing machine has become an important home appliance to own. But did you know that a laundry routine can be one of the largest water and energy-consuming activities? With that being said, it's impractical to go back to the old school - and not to mention, stressful - method of hand washing clothes either. The goal is to find a middle ground to save energy, without giving up on using the washing machine. You can begin by following these energy-reducing tips while doing your laundry.

Use cold water

A good amount of the energy used to washing clothes goes in heating the water. You can undo this energy strain by simply using cold water to wash your clothes. Unless you’re washing heavily stained clothes, using cold water is perfectly okay for your everyday laundry. This will help you save energy and money, and the lower water temperature is also gentler on fabrics. Also Read: Don’t Buy Another Outfit Till You Master These Laundry Hacks

Load it up

It takes just as much energy to wash a small load as it takes for a larger one. Instead of washing a few clothes every other day, pile up a larger load for laundry day so that you don’t have to run your machine often. Check your washing machine capacity to know how much you can wash in one cycle.

Choose the right-sized machine for your home

The drum sizes of washing machines available today range from 5- 11 kg. Access the capacity your family will need before you buy one so that no energy or water is wasted. A 6-7 kg washer will be sufficient for a couple, a 7-9 kg one for a family of four, and anything over 9 kg for a larger family. Also Read: How To Take Credit for Unnoticed Work

Update your washing machine

Models with newer technology are made more energy-efficient than the washing machines that were bought a decade ago. Many washing machines even come with an energy-efficiency star rating where more the stars, the higher will be the energy-saving capacity. This is not only a good eco-friendly choice but will also save you a few bucks on the electricity bill.

Consider a front-loading machine

Front-loading washing machines use a lot less water than the top-loading ones. The washer drums of these machines spin faster, extracting more water and cutting dryer time too. This makes these washing machines a much more energy-efficient buy. Also Read: How To: Buy a Washing Machine Is your laundry routine eco-friendly? If not, it’s about time you change your ways or change your washing machine so that you become more energy-conscious.