1. Give clothes a cold bath. Reports from the U.S. Department of Energy state that 90 percent of energy usage involved with washing clothes is from heating the wash water. Simply switching to washing clothing in cold water can save a bundle.
2. Switch to powdered detergent. Liquid detergents are mostly water, and therefore require more packaging. Choosing concentrated liquids is better, but powders may offer more bang for your buck -- and less waste.
3. Skip the fabric softener. Fabric softeners are often mostly chemicals, which end up being vented into the air. Natural fiber clothing won't be prone to static cling as much as synthetic fibers, so you may be able to go without fabric softener if you wear cotton, wool and linen, for example.
4. Line dry when possible. On a nice day, hang your clothing out to dry in the fresh air and sunshine to save a lot of energy. Indoors, put clothes on a drying rack. Otherwise, invest in a dryer that has moisture sensors and will automatically shut off the dryer when the clothing is dried. This reduces energy waste.
5. Look for earth-friendly dry cleaners. Most dry cleaners use perchloroethylene (perc), which is neither good for the environment nor people. Seek out ones that use carbon dioxide (CO2) dry cleaning, which is safer for the environment. Consumer Reports has also stated that CO2 cleans better than perc.
6. Only run your washer when there's a full load. This will cut down on wasted water and clean more efficiently.
7. When the dryer needs to be run, clean the lint screen frequently. Clean out the lint trap after every load of clothes dried. This way you are sure that the dryer is running efficiently and won't be compromised by poor air flow from a clogged lint trap.
8. Choose Energy Star rated appliances. Energy Star qualified washers use at least 40 percent less energy than standard washers and roughly half the water. If you're in the market for a new washer, look for the Energy Star label.
