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Washing tips
From TipThePlanet
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[edit] Washing machines
- Use the cold water setting on your clothes washer when you can.
- Use the correct amount of detergent and be sure to use eco detergent. Too many bubbles make your machine work harder and use more energy. The No. 1 sin, according to repair people and appliance experts, seems to be adding too much soap to washing machines or dishwashers.
- Washing machines and dishwashers are made to use far less water now than older models and, therefore, need less soap. And detergents have also become increasingly concentrated. So a little goes a long way. Depending on how hard or soft your water is, one-eighth to one-half of what is usually recommended should be adequate. Too much detergent can make your clothes stiff and shorten the life of your machine. An excess of soap can also cause a buildup of mold and mildew.
- To determine if you’re oversoaping. Take four to six clean bath towels, put them in your front-loading washing machine (one towel for a top loader). Don’t add any detergent or fabric softener. Switch to the hot water setting and medium wash and run it for about five minutes. Check for soap suds. If you don’t see any suds right away, turn off the machine and see if there is any soapy residue. If you see suds or residue, it is soap coming out of your clothes from the last wash.
- Presoak or use the soak cycle when washing heavily soiled garments like your kid's soccer uniform. You'll avoid two washings and save energy.
- Harvest rainwater to re-use for laundry washing.
- eco-balls - the debate is out as to whether they work!
- With high-efficiency machines — which includes all front-loading machines and any top loader that specifically states that it’s high efficiency — it’s a good idea to use detergents specifically made for them
- Check this article from the NY Times about Washing machines and dishwashers
[edit] Dry cleaning
- Bring your own garment bag to the dry cleaner. This way, they won't have to package your clothing in plastic that will end up in landfills.
- Conventional dry-cleaning uses perchloroethylene - a solvent that's bad for your health and the environment. Two non-perc methods are rapidly replacing this suspected carcinogen: a carbon dioxide process and a silicone-based solvent called "GreenEarth". The CO2 and silicone-based processes perform as well as or better than conventional dry cleaning, for about the same price. Look here to locate a GreenEarth Cleaner near you if you live in the U.S. Wet Cleaning is another option although it did not fare well in a 2003 Consumer Report test.
- Snow cleaning is another little known alternative to dry cleaning especially for delicate persian and silk rugs!
[edit] Drying
- Air dry washing using a laundry line or drying rack.
- Air dry rack - Different types of air drying racks.
- Air dry clothes & Air dry clothing - Different ways to air dry clothes
- Fill your dryer, but do not pack it like holiday luggage.
- A dirty lint screen can cause your dryer to use up to 30 percent more energy-and it can be a fire hazard. Clean the lint screen after each load. Lowly lint has little use, and maybe you'll find that missing sock!
- If you have a tumble dryer, use these Dryer Balls which cut drying time by about 25%. In addition, clothes and towels come out soft and fluffy without the use of fabric conditioner.
- If your dryer has an automatic dry cycle, use it rather than a timed cycle.
- Use the cool-down cycle to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.
- Separate loads into heavy and light items since lightweight items take less drying time. Underwear and rugs do better if kept apart!
- Look for the ENERGY STAR® and EnergyGuide labels
[edit] Dishwashing
- According to researchers, a load of dishes cleaned in a dishwasher requires 37 percent less water than washing dishes by hand. However, if you fill the wash and rinse basins instead of letting the water run, you'll use half as much water as a dishwasher would.
- 80 percent of the energy your dishwasher uses is for heating water. Remember-by saving water, you're also helping your city's wastewater facility save on the energy used to pump it, treat it, and clean it. Up to 50 percent of a typical city's energy bill goes to supplying water and cleaning it after use!
- Select a dishwasher with a booster heater that raises incoming water to 140° F or higher.
- Avoid using the "rinse hold" setting on your dishwasher.
- Use short wash cycles for everything but the dirtiest dishes. They use less energy and work just as well.
- If your dishwasher has an air-dry setting, choose it instead of heat-drying.
- Many newer dishwashers do not require you to rinse dishes off before loading. If you prefer to pre-rinse use cold water on your dishes before loading them-but don't waste water by letting it run continuously. Remove baked on food and large chunks, but for the most part, prerinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher was not only unnecessary, it wasted thousands of gallons of water and could actually result in dirtier dishes. Apparently the soap needs something to work against to get the dishes clean!
- If you have a choice, install your dishwasher away from your refrigerator.
- Check the manual that came with your dishwasher for the manufacturer's recommendations on water temperature; many have internal heating elements that allow you to set the water heater to a lower temperature.
- Scrape, don't rinse, off large food pieces and bones. Soaking or prewashing is generally only recommended in cases of burned-on or dried-on food.
- Be sure your dishwasher is full, but not overloaded.
- Let your dishes air dry; if you don't have an automatic air-dry switch, turn off the control knob after the final rinse and prop the door open a little so the dishes will dry faster.
- Loading the dishwasher right will also get your dishes cleaner.
- Load large items at the sides and back of the dishwasher so that they don’t block water and detergent from reaching other dishes.
- Place the dirtier side of the dishes toward the center of the machine for more exposure to spray.
