Saving Energy when using a clothes washer

There are some simple things you can do to save energy when using a clothes washer:

Use cold water whenever possible (or the coolest wash temperature that provides acceptable performance). But remember that cold water supply temperatures are colder in winter so you may need to add a little warm water in the colder seasons!
Dissolving powder detergents before you add it to the washer is good practice for all wash temperatures and will certainly improve the performance in cold water (some machines require powder to be added in a drawer or dispenser).
Adjust the water level to suit the load size that you are washing. Use an automatic water level function (load detection) if it is available.
Wash a full load rather than several smaller loads where possible, and try to group clothes by fabric and colour, and by how dirty they are. For example, try to wash a whole load of lightly soiled items with cold water, rather than adding a pair of overalls that need a heavier cycle and a warmer wash.
Be careful of options on top loaders that claim to rectify "out of balance" problems when spinning by adding water to re-float the load: some tests have shown that lots of extra water is used in some models to little effect.
Some clothes washers have a 'suds save' option, which can save water and detergent if washing more than one load at a time. This particularly benefits those on tank (non-mains) water supplies.

Using your clothes washer overnight will only save money if you have a residential time-of-use tariff and if you internally heat the water in the machine. See your local electricity supplier for details. However, scheduling overnight washing can help with your hot water supply if you need to do a warm wash and if you have electric off peak hot water (as the hot water can recharge fully overnight as the water is used).

This page last modified 20 September 2010