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Even with the most energy efficient washer and dryers on the market, today’s families use an incredible amount of energy washing and drying their clothes, towels, and linens. Here are a few tips and suggestions to help you save money and use less energy while doing your family’s laundry.
Clothes Dryer Exhaust Duct Drafts
In many homes, the room with the clothes dryer is the coldest room in the house. Your clothes dryer is connected to an exhaust duct that is open to the outdoors. In the winter, cold drafts in through the duct, through your dryer and into your house.
Dryer vents use a sheet-metal flapper to try to reduce these drafts. This is very primitive technology that does not provide a positive seal to stop the drafts. Compounding the problem is that over time, lint clogs the flapper valve causing it to stay open.
An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add a Energy Saving Clothes Dryer Vent Seal
Do Full Loads of Laundry:
As obvious as this may sound, many households continue to do partial loads of laundry which significantly increases the operating costs of their washing machines. Even the latest energy efficient washing machines that self adjust based on the volume of the load will run more efficiently at full loads, saving water, energy, and money.
Reuse Your Towels:
Some of the bulkiest items in our laundry are towels. Generally speaking, there is no reason that a towel cannot be reused several times before it needs to be washed. Unless of course you are not thoroughly cleaning yourself in the shower!
Hang Your Clothes to Dry:
Buying a Retractable Indoor Clothesline
Clean Out Your Dryer’s Lint Trap:
Your clothes dryer will not run efficiently if the lint trap is full of lint. Cleaning out the trap after every load maximizes the air flow through the unit reducing the amount of time (and energy) that it takes to dry your clothes.
One of my co-workers actually rerouted the dryer vent back into his home so that he wouldn’t lose any heat outside the house. I cannot recommend this but it stands as a testament to the lengths some people will go to fight the ever increasing cost of energy.
Set Your Washing Machine to Use “Cold” or “Cool” Water:
With very few exceptions, I’ve found that using the cold water setting on our washing machine is just as effective as using warm or hot water. Additionally, the cold water prevents your clothing’s colors from running and helps prevent shrinking as well.
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Do It Yourself (DIY) Geothermal Cooling System
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Do It Yourself Home Energy Audits
36 Ways to Reduce Your Home’s Energy Use
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Cool tips, never even thought of them. I have done the whole clothes line thing and although it does save energy, it is very annoying and then you have to iron everything. If you don’t mind then it’s def a great benefit. Do you know how much energy is used per load?
Craig
http://www.budgetpulse.com
You dont have to iron if you put 1/2 to 1 cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle of your washer. It cuts the soap in the final rinse and maked things fluffy (especially if you put everythng in the dryer for about 5 min then outside). It also removes sweat smell s from clothing.