HE 352
Decisions in the Laundry Place
Using Energy-Saving Laundry Procedures
Ninety-five percent of the households in the United States have washing machines, and each do an average of 5.8 wash loads per week. For this amount of laundry, considerable energy is needed to heat the water, wash, and dry clothes and household textiles. It is possible to cut down on the amount of energy used without sacrificing a lot of cleaning efficiency—but, it takes a little doing and some thoughtful consideration of energy-conserving strategies.
Energy-saving laundry procedures can yield unacceptable results—dingy clothing and household linens. If this happens, you may end up spending more money than you’ve saved on energy to replace those items which no longer have an acceptable appearance. The information and energy-conserving strategies below should help you avoid some of the pitfalls.
STRATEGY: As appliances need to be purchased or replaced, choose energy-efficient laundry equipment.
The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, as amended by the National Energy Conservation Policy Act of 1978, has resulted in...
... the development of energy efficiency standards for a number of appliances, including water heaters and clothes dryers, and ...
... the development of Federal Trade Commission rules for labeling of certain appliances,
including water heaters and washing machines, with energy cost and efficiency ratings.
Since passage of the acts, appliance manufacturers have been making energy-conserving modifications in their products. Watch for and use the energy cost and efficiency labels on laundry-related appliances, and consider the following as you make appliance purchases:
■	On most new washers the option of a warm water rinse has been eliminated: only a cold water rinse is available.
■	To get maximum use from hot or warm wash water, some washer models provide a suds -saver feature. After the wash cycle, the suds water is emptied into a tub and saved during the rinse cycle. The rinse water goes into still another tub or directly down the drain. The suds water can then be pumped back into the washer for the next load of clothes.
■	When purchasing a new washer, consider the appliance which provides for choice of water level to correspond with wash load size. If you cannot afford this feature, try to choose a model which allows manual control of water level.
■	Depending upon the design of the machine, some washers use more water than others for comparably-sized wash loads. This can be an important consideration since much of the energy used in the laundry process is used to heat the water.
■	The maximum temperature setting on some water heaters may be lower than in the past. Consider lowering the temper-
ature setting of the water heater which does not need to be replaced. (Note: The initial  
“warm wash” temperature should be 90 to 110 degrees F, 32 to 43 degrees C. The temperature which results when very cold tap water is mixed with water from a heater at a lowered temperature setting should be checked. The resulting level of warmth may be inadequate for effective cleaning.)
■	The energy efficiency of water heaters has been improved by increasing the amount of insulation to minimize heat loss. For the water heater which has been in use for some time, consider adding an insulating jacket. (Be sure to heed any safety precautions related to the addition of insulation, especially to gas water heaters.)
■	The dryer with an electronic sensing device prevents over-drying clothes, and thus can shorten the drying cycle.
STRATEGY: Plan an energy-efficient laundry arrangement.
■	If possible, locate the washer near the water heater to minimize heat loss as water flows from heater to washer.
■	If space does not allow location of the washer near the water heater, insulate the long run of pipe between the two appliances, especially if the pipe must pass through a cold or unheated area.
■	For the most energy-efficient operation, use the shortest, straightest duct possible to vent the dryer.
Cooperative Extension Service, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907