Laundry Room
Elizabeth Haus
What is a Laundry Room?
A laundry room is a service area, where clothes are washed ad dried.
Washing Machines
Normal washing machines use about 41 gallons of water per load of laundry. If you were to buy an Energy Star washing machine, then you could use 35-50% less water per load, and you could use 50% less energy. Also when looking for an energy efficient washer, look for one with a load/ size adjustment, so that you don't use a full loads amount of water on a half load of laundry. Using your washer more energy efficiently will help use less energy in your home and your community, and it will help to save you money.
Tips:
- only wash full loads of laundry, and select the appropriate load size
- buy laundry detergent and fabric softener with minimal packaging
- use cold-water wash cycles when appropriate, about 90% of the energy used for washing clothes is used to heat the water.
Dryers
If you regularly clean of the lint filter and exhaust, then your dryer wont have to work as hard to make sure air is flowing through the filter. Look for dryers with a moisture sensor, instead of setting a timer that will probably continue going after your clothes are dry, a moisture sensor will shut off the machine when it senses the clothes are dry. This can save 8-12 dollars a year. Even though it is faster to use a dryer to dry your clothes, it is always better to use a clothes line to let your clothes air dry. Using your dryer more energy efficiently will save you more money and help use less energy in your home.
Detergents
When buying laundry detergents look for ones that are HE (High-Efficiency). Also, look for detergents with minimal packaging. When using a liquid or powder detergent that you must measure, make sure you use the correct amount, don't use more than you need. Also, be sure to pay attention to the measurement instructions on the bottle. Companies are coming out with 2x and 3x concentrated detergents which require you to use less detergent per load, so make sure you don't use the same measurements as old unconsecrated detergents. Using less laundry detergent or more energy efficient laundry detergent will help save you money, and will help the world use less of its non renewable resources.