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Energy Alternatives and Conservation
"Civilization is in no immediate danger of running out of energy or
even just out of oil, but we are running out of environment --that is, out of the capacity of the
environment to absorb energy's impacts without risk of intolerable disruption..."
~ Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran, author of Power to the People
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Clean Laundry without Dirtying the Environment
June 2005
Union of Concerned Scientists
http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/greentips/0605-green-laundry-tips.html
Though the end result of doing laundry is clean clothes, the laundering process
itself is not necessarily clean. A typical top-loading washer uses approximately 40 gallons of water per
load, and a dryer can use up to five kilowatts of electricity per hour. So the next time you head to the
laundry room, keep the following tips in mind to save water, electricity, and money:
Washers
Much of the energy consumed by a washer is used to heat water, so wash clothes on the "cold" or
"warm" settings rather than "hot" whenever possible.
Detergents designed specifically for cold-water washing are now available.
Wash full loads to make the best use of the energy required to run the machine. If you must do a smaller
load, adjust the water level accordingly.
Improve efficiency by sorting clothes according to fabric type, color, weight, and degree of soiling.
Wash heavy items such as towels separately from light items.
When the time comes to buy a new washer, choose an Energy Star-rated model. Energy Star washers not only use
less water per load (18 to 25 gallons on average; front-loading models use as little as five gallons) but
also extract more water from clothes, reducing drying time.
Dryers
At this time, there are no dryers that carry the Energy Star label, so look for one with a moisture sensor
that automatically shuts the machine off when clothes are dry.
If you have some flexibility in where to position your dryer, choose a warm location so less energy will
be needed to heat the air.
Clean the lint filter before each load to improve air circulation and efficiency.
Dry full loads to make the best use of the energy required to run the machine but not so full that air can't
circulate around the clothes.
Take advantage of retained heat by drying two or more loads in a row. You can also use the dryer's "cool-down"
setting (which may have a different name depending on your model) to complete the drying process without
actively heating the air.
Consider air-drying a load to cut down on dryer use.
Detergents
You can make your laundry routine even "greener" by using environmentally friendly detergents, fabric
softeners, and stain removers.
Look for phosphate-, petroleum-, and chlorine-free products, and use only as much as needed for a given
load. If you have hard water, you may need to use more detergent than the packaging suggests.
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