Neither paper nor plastic when you take part in the new BYOB!Carbon Conscious Consumer: Five More Actions
Want to go further? Here's a few more actions involving laundry that you can take to help reduce your carbon impact.
- Save even more energy by air-drying clothes on clothes lines or drying racks. Wash only full loads, but do not overload your machine.
- Wash smaller loads only when you have a small-load attachment or variable water levels.
- Try detergents specially formulated for use in cold water.
- Use the correct amount of detergent. Too many bubbles make your machine work harder and use more energy.
- Use the cool-down cycle to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.
- Clean the lint filter in the dryer after every load to improve air circulation.
- If buying a new washer, look for the Energy Star label. Energy Star clothes washers clean clothes using 50% less energy than standard washers. Most full-sized Energy Star washers use 18-25 gallons of water per load, compared to the 40 gallons used by a standard machine. Energy Star models also spin the clothes better, resulting in less drying time.
- Energy Star does not label clothes dryers because most of them use similar amounts of energy. However, a feature that does save energy is a moisture sensor that automatically shuts off the machine when your clothes are dry. Not only will this save energy, it will save wear and tear on your clothes caused by over-drying.
