You’re probably a seasoned pro at saving energy in your home’s busiest spots, like your living room and kitchen. But what about rooms in your house where there’s less activity, like the laundry room?
Even if you don’t spend a lot of time in there (though probably more than you’d like), your laundry room uses a lot of energy. Here’s five tips to remove any “stains” on your laundry room’s energy use:
Wash with cold water.
This is one of the easiest things you can do, and definitely the most beneficial. In fact, cutting out hot water can save you 50% more energy!
Your clothes won’t complain about bathing in the cold either. Just use cold-water detergents, or high-efficiency detergents. (Look for the “he” symbol.)
Use the right size load for your washer and dryer.
Your washer uses the same amount of energy no matter what, so wash a full load. But be sure to use the right-sized load for your dryer. Too much and it will take your clothes longer to dry. Too little and you’ll waste energy drying only a few things.
Try these hacks to dry for.
What’s better than one dryer hack? Three!. Try switching loads while the dryer is still warm so you can use the remaining heat for the next cycle. You can also separate your towels and heavier-weight cottons from your lightweight clothes (the light-weight ones take less time). And remember to take advantage of your dryer’s moisture-sensing dry cycle, which helps you avoid over drying your clothes.
Use dryer balls.
Never heard of them? These nifty little numbers separate your clothes in the dryer, getting more air to them and cutting down your drying time. Wool dryer balls even absorb some moisture too. So yeah, dryer balls are the best.
Get an ENERGY STAR®-certified washer and dryer.
If it’s time to retire your old washer and dryer, be sure to look for ENERGY STAR® certified models! ENERGY STAR certified washers and dryers can save up to 25% more energy, plus with our rebates you can save even more. Yep, it all adds up to awesome!