Is anything more routine than doing laundry? Probably not. At the same time, there aren’t many chores around the house which use more electricity. The washer and dryer use about 10% of a US home’s energy consumption, which costs hundreds of dollars a year.
You can save energy and money doing the routine loads of laundry a little differently. A few of the tips are quick and easy. A few others may be a step too far for the rush of daily life. That’s ok.
To wash your clothes in the cheapest and greenest way, consider washing full loads when possible, using cold water when possible, checking the detergent you use, and remembering to check the lint trap. You can reduce your energy usage, do things a little healthier for your family, and treat your clothes and the environment better.
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Start with Full Loads and Cold Water
These are two pretty common pointers, but true ones. Washing in cold water saves energy. Running full loads saves energy. Saving energy cuts your energy bill, at least a bit, each month.
The average American household runs about 300 loads of laundry a year. Most of those loads are perfectly fine to wash in cold water. A majority of the power it takes to wash clothes, which is about 4% of an annual household’s electric usage, is for making the water warm or hot.
Washing one full load (rather than two or three smaller loads) is generally more efficient, but there is a balance. Overfilled loads are inefficient because you can make a washer and dryer too crammed to spin or agitate well. At the same time, a normal wash cycle uses 41 gallons of water.
Dry Your Clothes the Smart Way
Putting the load in the dryer, it’s more efficient to separate heavy fabrics and towels from lighter, easier-to-dry clothing, then use the right cycle for each type of load. Lighter fabrics don’t need the same drying time as towels, jeans, and sweaters, unless you throw all of it in together.
Keep Your Dryer Clean
To save more energy, check vents and ducts on a regular basis. Clean the lint trap after each use, and clean it thoroughly every few uses. Maytag recommends a full cleaning of the trap every six months. These steps improve air circulation, so the machine is more efficient and has a longer lifespan. It also means you don’t have to run the same load for two cycles to get it dry and reduces the risk of fire.
Pretreat Stains
Follow these tips before throwing a load of clothes in the washing machine.
First, it’s a good idea to pretreat stains. You’ll be more likely to get the stain out in one cold-water wash, saving the energy it would take to wash it a second time. The fewer cycles an article of clothing goes through, and the more often shorter and cold cycles are used, the longer clothing will last. This is good for environmental sustainability and your family budget.
Remove any built up food, mud, or other dirt that’s still on the clothes. Then follow the pretreater’s instructions and let it sit on the stain for the recommended time.
It’s less work for the machine to do and is less likely to spread residue or odor to other items in the load.
Use the Right Detergent
Next, check out the detergent you’re using. This is important for getting good results with cold water washes.
Get a detergent formulated for cold water. These detergents have natural enzymes which work best in cold water. Another tip is try a low sudsing detergent, this may give you less residue on “clean” laundry and your loads will need fewer or shorter rinsing cycles.
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Air Drying
Now, let’s skip to the end. When thinking about saving energy, air drying instead of machine drying is the biggest step you can take. Air drying cuts a load of laundry’s carbon usage by about 75%. Heating water for the washer (if you use hot instead of cold water), and a dryer’s heating, are the most energy-heavy parts of doing laundry. A dryer uses an average of 6% of a home’s energy consumption.
Drying clothes on the line or on a drying rack also lets clothes last longer compared to the wear and tear of machine tumble drying.
Machine drying (and washing) also can create microplastics (very small pieces of plastic), which get into vents, ducts, and eventually into the water supply and the environment. About 3 million tons of microplastics are released into the environment a year according to The European Environment Agency and a U.S. National Institute of Health report says microplastic pollution has been found in fish, shrimp, and crabs, and in Antarctica.
What’s Energy Star Mean?
When it’s time to buy a new washer and dryer, you can reduce your energy consumption in one fell swoop by opting for a more energy efficient appliance. Energy Star labels show a new appliance has a high level of energy efficiency as tested and verified by the Environmental Protection Agency.
A new washing machine uses about 70% less energy than a washing machine in 1973 did. More current comparisons show an Energy Star approved washer uses about 25% less energy and 40% less water than non-Energy Star machines. That can save you about $550 in energy costs over its lifetime. Energy Star approved dryers use about 20% less energy.
Newer heat pump dryers that have Energy Star certification use about half the energy of standard dryers. Just like a heat pump for space heating, a heat pump dryer moves heat rather than generates it. It also recirculates the warm air rather than vent it outside, increasing its efficiency.
The US Department of Energy and Energy Star estimates if every washer and dryer in the country had Energy Star level standards, it would have the same emissions reduction as taking about 3.8 million vehicles a year off the road.
Green and Sustainable is also Better
From small steps like checking the lint trap and thinking about the detergent you buy, all the way up to buying new appliances, making changes to your laundry routine can save you energy and make the clothes your family wears and the sheets you sleep on healthier.
Opting for the laundry practices that use less energy can both reduce your energy bill and make your appliances and clothes last longer. That means you can save a bit of money each month and delay big purchases or repairs. It’s more sustainable for your budget and the planet.
If you're thinking about other ways to save money and live greener, our team can help with home electrification ideas and solar power systems for your home. Get started today by using our free Solar Design Tool, and find out how much you can save when you make the switch.
Energy Efficient Laundry FAQs
What does Energy Star approval mean?
Being Energy Star approved means an appliance, such as a washing machine and dryer, passed efficiency and energy-usage standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Does washing in cold water save energy?
Yes, using the cold water setting on your washing machine saves energy because heating water takes up more than half the energy a washing machine typically uses.
Can you make natural laundry detergent at home?
Yes. If you’ve got the time and a little bit of craftiness, it takes a few ingredients, and there are recipes you can follow out there.
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Andrew GiermakWriter and EditorAndrew joined Palmetto in Charlotte in August 2024. He’s been a writer in journalism, then in business, going back to almost the 20th century. He’s lived in Indiana, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Virginia again, and now North Carolina for the last 12 years. He likes golf. Is he good at it? Not so much.
