Cutting your energy use in the laundry room

Most homeowners try to be conscientious about how much energy their home consumes. Every time you stop a dripping faucet or shut off lights in a room you're not using, you benefit by saving money on your utility bills.

Running the washer and dryer results in a great deal of energy usage, but you may believe that there's little you can do about it. After all, you'll need to run a load of laundry whenever you're in need of clean clothes; depending on the size of your family, you may find yourself doing this chore several times each week.

Thankfully, newer washers and dryers offer several options for improving your efficiency in the laundry room. You can also try out a few new habits to reduce your electricity and water use when cleaning your wardrobe.

WASHER

Wait until you have plenty of laundry before you toss a load in. Trent Hamm, writing for the financial site The Simple Dollar, says this lets you wash more clothing with the same amount of water used in a typical wash cycle.

Don't be afraid to mix up your clothes. Using cold water not only ensures that the colors won't run and stain your whites, it also saves the energy that would be used to heat up the water.

You can still run an occasional hot water cycle to address very dirty or stained clothing. Another energy-saving option is to run a shorter wash cycle, saving the longer ones for particularly dirty loads.

Find out more about your washer settings and whether there are options that reduce your energy use. The Department of Energy says high-speed or extended spin cycles will wring more water out of your clothes after a cycle, which in turn can make them easier to dry.

Avoid using an extra rinse cycle. Mary Marlowe Leverette, writing for the home design site The Spruce, says this cycle won't be necessary as long as you're loading the washer properly and using the correct amount of detergent. Kimberly Janeway, writing for Consumer Reports, says a sanitary cycle—which increases the water temperature using an internal heater—can also be avoided in most circumstances.

If you already have an efficient washing machine, make sure to use a high-efficiency detergent that complements it. Regular detergent can produce too many suds, forcing the washer to use extra water when rinsing.

Check the washer's hoses to see if any are leaking. Leverette says you should inspect areas such as hose connections that might be more vulnerable to leaks, and replace the hoses every three to five years.

Consider an electricity-free alternative. Laurie McGinley, writing for the home design site Apartment Therapy, says these include small portable devices that are operated by a hand crank or other manual method. This option uses less water and no electricity, but can only handle smaller loads.

DRYER

The dryer uses a considerable amount of electricity, so the best way to save on these energy costs is to simply not use it. Hang clothes to dry on a clothesline, either outdoors or in the basement. Drying racks can also be convenient, although they may not be able to hold as much laundry.

When using the dryer, aim for a load that is adequately sized for the appliance. The Department of Energy says it will take

longer to dry the clothes if the dryer is too full, but that small loads can also take longer to dry.

Lightweight clothes will be easier to dry than items such as towels and heavy cottons, so they should be dried separately. Janeway says towels and sheets should be dried—and washed—together.

Check the dryer settings to make sure you’re selecting the most efficient options. Automatic cycles are preferable, since they’ll rely on a moisture cycle rather than a timer to determine when the dryer should shut off. The Department of Energy says you can also use lower heat settings or a cooldown cycle, which stops the appliance early to allow the drying process to conclude using residual heat.

Use wool or rubber dryer balls rather than dryer sheets. They work well to improve air circulation and can absorb some moisture, reducing the necessary drying time. Dryer sheets can also leave residue on moisture sensors, reducing their effectiveness.

Keep up with regular maintenance. Always clean the lint screen before starting the dryer, and regularly clean out the dryer vent as well. These steps both improve air circulation and reduce fire risk. Janeway says you should also consult with the owner’s manual to see how you can clean the moisture sensors.

A few minor upgrades to the dryer’s ventilation can improve efficiency. McGinley says the dryer needs to work harder if it has to exhaust air a long distance, so moving your dryer closer to the exhaust port can be beneficial. Eliminating elbow bends and using smooth ducts rather than flexible ones is also helpful.

OTHER TIPS

If it’s time to upgrade the washer and dryer, look for efficient options. Leverette says front loading washing machines are more efficient than top loading ones. You can also look for Energy Star rated appliances and compare models to see how much water they use on a typical cycle.

Heat pump dryers are very efficient, working by heating and recirculating ambient air around the appliance. Janeway says the disadvantage to this option is that they’re slower and more expensive. The

Department of Energy says gas dryers may also be more efficient depending on local rates, but require that the appliance be near a dedicated gas line.

Check with your utility to see if lower energy costs are available during off-peak times. You may be able to reduce your bills by scheduling your laundry to run overnight.

While it won’t directly reduce your washer’s water use, a greywater system can help reduce your water use elsewhere. Leverette says this system collects water that’s been used once but is still clean enough for other purposes. Collecting water from the washer allows you to reuse it for tasks like watering plants, as long as you’re using detergent that doesn’t add chemicals or salts that will harm your garden.

An easy way to cut down on how often you do laundry is to stop tossing clothes in the hamper after they’ve only been worn once. Unless an outfit has gotten particularly dirty or smelly at the end of the day, you can set it aside and wear it later in the week. It’s also easy to extend weekend relaxation to wearing the same clothes two days in a row.