Laundry
- When washing clothes, always run a full load for maximum savings - or set the controls for smaller loads.
- Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes.
- Make sure you don't waste energy by over-drying your clothes. If your dryer has a moisture sensor, use it - it detects when clothes are dry and shuts the dryer off automatically.
- Clean your dryer's lint filter after every load to improve air circulation.
- Using your dryer's cool-down cycle will allow clothes to finish drying with the lingering heat.
- Periodically check your dryer vent to make sure it's not blocked - this saves energy and may prevent a fire. Manufacturers recommend using rigid venting material, not plastic vents, which can collapse and cause blockages.
- If you're drying multiple loads, dry them one right after the other - you'll use less energy since the dryer is already heated.
- To save energy, wash full loads in the coolest water possible, and always rinse clothes in cold water.
- If you're on the market for a new clothes washer, consider buying an ENERGY STAR labeled model - it will use up to 50% less energy and 40% less water.
- A new technology called Horizontal Axis Washing Machines (HWMs) use less energy and water than regular machines - and with the money you save, an HWM can pay for itself in 3 to 3-1/2 years.
- New microwave clothes dryers dry clothes in about 15 percent less time and use 15 percent less energy than typical dryers.
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