Try a few (or all of them out).
Washing:
- Wash full loads only, but don't "overload". It takes about as much energy to wash a small load as it does to wash a full load. Full loads also save water.
- Wash and rinse in cold water whenever possible. Remember that energy is usd to "heat" the water as well as to run the washer.
- Follow detergent directions for your particular washer nd avoid oversudsing. Oversudsing makes your washer work hader, so always easure detergent carefully instead of estimating the amount to use.
- If you really want to go green might I suggest that you look into the benefits of using SOAPNUTS (are not nuts), but berries - they are a natural solution (which have been used for thousands of years). You simply place 6-8 of these soap berries into a muslin bag and add the bag to your laundry load. Hypoallergenic, safe for everyone - can be used on even the dirtiest of loads.
- Obviously the BEST way to dry your clothes to save energy and lower your carbon footprint is to HANG dry clothes outside (sunshine is also a great way to brighten clothes and remove germs).
- However if you are using the dryer, dry similar thickness clothes together. This avoids having to run additional cycles for slower drying items.
- Don't overdry your items - aside from wasting energy, overdrying can cause unecessary shrinkage and wrinkling.
- Dry consecutive loads - the energy usedto bring the dryer up to operating temperature shouldn't be allowed to go to waste.
- Remove items from the dryer as soon as tumbling stops. If clothes become wrinkled from lying in the dryer, extra energy must be used to iron or re-dry them.
- Clean the lint filter after each load to maintain full airflow and mazimize drying efficiency. A clogged filter slows drying and wastes energy.
