2008 Woodie Awards
Going Green: Help save the planet while doing laundry
Brandon Drescher
Issue date: 3/25/08 Section: Opinion
Wash with a full load, but don't overfill the washer because that makes it more difficult to get the clothes clean. Washing with a full load wastes less water and conserves energy.
Also, when washing, about 90 percent of the energy used goes into heating the water that you'll be using. Except for getting the toughest stains out, it is unnecessary to use hot water or for that matter even warm water. Plus, detergents are being formulated to clean more efficiently in cold water. Using the hot water setting can account for 13 percent of home energy costs. That's a fairly large percentage for just washing your clothes.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the most common dry-cleaning solvent, perchloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene, is a potential carcinogen and ends up in the groundwater and soil. So, try buying more clothes that do not need to be dry-cleaned and in turn you can reduce the amount of the solvent contaminating our soil. All we need is one more thing to be in our soil that doesn't belong!
Last but not least, please clean the lint screen after every load! It takes two seconds, it saves time and energy which we all can afford to do. Also, if you throw it out in the yard, birds will use it to build their nest. It's non-hazardous to anything, and it helps nature out a bit.
Also, when washing, about 90 percent of the energy used goes into heating the water that you'll be using. Except for getting the toughest stains out, it is unnecessary to use hot water or for that matter even warm water. Plus, detergents are being formulated to clean more efficiently in cold water. Using the hot water setting can account for 13 percent of home energy costs. That's a fairly large percentage for just washing your clothes.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the most common dry-cleaning solvent, perchloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene, is a potential carcinogen and ends up in the groundwater and soil. So, try buying more clothes that do not need to be dry-cleaned and in turn you can reduce the amount of the solvent contaminating our soil. All we need is one more thing to be in our soil that doesn't belong!
Last but not least, please clean the lint screen after every load! It takes two seconds, it saves time and energy which we all can afford to do. Also, if you throw it out in the yard, birds will use it to build their nest. It's non-hazardous to anything, and it helps nature out a bit.
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