Clean clothes and clean environment
Yes we all love the feel and smell of clean laundry. The sensation of warmth and serenity that putting on pajamas straight out of the dryer gives. Not surprisingly the process of washing and drying your pajamas is very energy-intensive not to mention the gallons upon gallons of water that this involves. Here are some tips to get your “green on” in your laundry job.
Cold/Cold:
A large percentage of the energy used doing laundry is spent warming up water. Advances in Appliance and detergent technology have made to the point were washing with cold water is just as effective as hot water. Plus cold water prevents color bleed and is not as damaging to textile fabrics. So next time you start your washer, turn the temperature setting to cold.
No to the Dryer
Nothing beats the feel of fresh laundry out of the dryer. Unfortunately this comes to a huge cost to the air quality. The amount of energy spent in the drying of clothes can equate to 15% of your home’s energy consumption. Luckily for us, there is always the sun to take care of our clothes drying needs. A clothesline will do the trick, just remember to keep you clothes in the shade to avoid color and fabric decay. If this outside don’t look so sunny, you can always hang your clothes inside your home.
Use “Green” Products
There is different ways for detergent to be “green” or environmentally friendly. Like I mentioned above, detergent formulas are now designed to work well with cold water and the concentrated formulas require less product to perform a similar job. The chemical compounds found in regular detergents can be harmful to the environment. Look for products that do not include phosphate and dioxanes.
Recycling
This may not be as closely related to your laundry, but it is little things that make the difference. Be sure you are properly disposing of any containers. Some bottles and boxes can be recycled while others can’t. Read and follow the labels and things should all fall in place.
Energy Star Appliances
Energy Star appliances will almost always be more energy efficient than other option. It is their washers water economy that really makes the difference. Buying a newer more energy efficient model can reduce your water consumption by up to 50%. This of course is for the people who are already into buying new appliances. If you are going to make a purchase, make sure you are at least getting something more efficient than your old model.
