Dear GreenTalk
I've heard that Americans waste an enormous amount of water and energy cleaning and drying their clothes. Do you have any tips on greening the washing process?
B. Jones, Troy, New York
It's true that Americans use huge amounts of water and energy to keep their clothes clean, dry, and soft. In fact, the average American household spends about 12,000 gallons of water on about 300 loads of laundry a year. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a nonprofit organization, estimates that up to 20 percent of the water used in our homes goes down the drain of the washing machine. During this time, around 10 percent of a house's total electricity consumption goes into the laundry. There is no doubt that strengthening this aspect of self-care could significantly reduce our carbon footprint and overall environmental impact.
Perhaps the fastest way to save energy and water is to upgrade an older washing machine. Conventional washing machines (built prior to 2011) use about 40 gallons of water per load, while newer "HE" (High Efficiency) machines can work as well or better at 14 gallons or less. And since these HE machines have much less water to heat and are designed for maximum efficiency, they also use 50-80% less energy. In addition, they spin faster, which removes more water from the clothing and thus saves time in the dryer. Regardless of whether your machine is HE or not, set it to the "high spin speed" or "long spin" setting to remove excess moisture from your clothes and reduce the time and energy used in the dryer.
Air drying clothes is by far the most energy efficient way to go, but most of us (80%) rely on clothes dryers to get our job done quickly despite the shock. While HE washers have been around for a decade, the most efficient tumble dryers have only become widespread in recent years. Newer devices, especially those that meet strict federal energy efficiency standards, automatically recognize the running time and switch-off time based on load size / weight.
If you have an older (traditional) dryer, consider buying a SmartDry sensor that fits in your machine and then sends you wireless alerts when the load is dry, when delicate items need to come out, or when the machine has stopped running. The $ 60 device saves an average of 15 minutes of drying time per charge. While it won't replace a new machine, it can help you keep an old one from clogging the landfill while you postpone the cost and use of resources to replace it.
Another inexpensive way to reduce the environmental impact of your clothes is to use a Cora ball, a small recycled / recyclable plastic ball that traps the plastic microfibers that wash wool clothes in the washing machine before they end up in our washing machine. Rivers and oceans.
And if you like fabric softeners but don't want to expose yourself and those around you to harsh chemicals, most fabric softeners use dipalmethylhydroxyethylammonium methosulfate, a synthetic chemical with emollient and anti-static properties, give one of the balls a try. naturally soft and fluffy clothes by gently placing them next to clothes in the dryer, separating fabrics to allow heat to circulate better, reducing wrinkles and static electricity while reducing drying time.
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