Energy Saving and Washing

Washing clothes and drying and ironing them are chores that most of us could do without but they are necessary. It used to take a lot longer – Victorian washdays took the whole day, usually on a Monday, and involved hard and constant labour. Heating the water on the fire, rotating the clothes by hand, using a mangle to press out the water and then pegging out the clothes on a line outside to dry, followed by airing on a clothes horse by the open fire or range.

Today, what we have gained in time and automation, we have lost in the environmental impact of our washing. We tend to wash more frequently. Not many families have ‘wash days’ any more – the washing machine is in use on a daily basis and people (especially teenagers) expect to wear an outfit only for a day or even a few hours before it needs to be washed. Not only do we use electricity to wash the clothes, many families without the space or inclination to hang clothes outside use electrically powered tumble driers. And then there are the environmental costs of manufacturing and disposing of washing products and detergents...

Tips for Energy Efficient Washing

Few environmentalists suggest you go back to Victorian methods but for clothing made of thin material, such as summer tops, nightwear, stockings and tights, hand washing followed by drip drying outside on a clothes line is about as environmentally friendly as you can get in terms of doing the laundry. It doesn’t take that long if you do several items at once and clothes that are drip dried also have the advantage of not needing much, or any ironing.

If you need to wash with a washing machine, always do a full load. A family of four that does this, and never washes a half load will save £4 per year. Not much, but better than nothing and the environmental savings add up, too, with less detergent used and less electricity. Always wash on a cool wash unless there is a very heavily soiled load. Modern detergents work just as well at 30 degrees as 50 degrees, and not heating the water to such high temperatures does make a saving.

Timely Washing is Good

Although modern washing methods are time saving, time is important in another way. Washing items that are very dirty as soon as possible makes it easier to get stains out without hotter washes. For example, if you have a member of the family that plays rugby in winter, rinsing out the kit in cold water before putting it in the washing machine on a 30 degree wash straight after they get home will get the kit clean. Leaving it to fester in the laundry basket for several days will allow the mud to dry on, and this will leave residue in the machine, stains on the kit and a bad smell around the basket.

Similarly, once the washing is finished, it is great if you can hang it out to dry straight away and then hang it up once you get it in from the line. This makes the clothes less likely to crease and they then don’t need ironing. This saves electricity, money and time on a very tedious job.

Alternatives to Make Detergents Go Further

Many retail outlets, supermarkets and internet sites now offer eco balls and similar products that you can put in the washing machine to replace detergents, or to make your detergent go further. Using these in each wash can make a saving over time, without compromising on the quality of the washing.

Care with Drying

Drying outside costs nothing but many households don’t have any outside space. If you have room inside, a Victorian airer fixed to the ceiling gets the laundry up into the hottest part of the room, where it dries quicker, and it keeps it out of the way to some extent. A clothes horse or airer does the same job and in winter, having airers on radiators can work well, if you don’t overload them. Damp laundry next to the wall behind radiators is not efficient as it causes wallpaper to peel and paint to flake, causing more redecorating.

More Cleaning Tips

For more top tips on saving energy when cleaning at home, read our feature Washing And Cleaning.