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10 Ways To Save Money On
Your Laundry
By Ray
Tolley
Electricity and water
bills can add up fast, especially when you're doing
laundry for what feels like an army. Keep reading for 10
great laundry tips that will help you cut your monthly
energy bills.
1. Run full loads of laundry.
It's much more cost-effective to wash a full load rather than two smaller
loads. If you wind up having to run a small load because
you don't have enough whites or you need the clothes
quickly, always try to set the water level accordingly.
2. Wash clothes in cold water.
The majority of the cost associated with running a washing machine comes
from the energy it takes to heat the water. You can cut
that energy expense in half by switching to warm water,
and you can cut it to zero by washing your clothes in
cold. There are laundry detergents specially formulated
to work in cold water. You will likely pay a little more
for them, but the longer term savings benefit makes it
easily worth the higher initial detergent expense.
3. Use your dryer's auto-dry function.
Most modern, energy-efficient dryers have moisture sensors that detect when
your clothes are dry and automatically turn off the
appliance. Instead of over-drying your clothing or
running your dryer for no reason, this handy feature can
reduce your utility bill significantly.
4. Hang your clothes to dry.
In sunny weather, letting your clothes air-dry costs you nothing on your
monthly energy bill - just a little additional physical
energy to hang and then later bring the clothes in. Plus
afterward, your clothes come back smelling backyard
breeze fresh.
5. Dry lightweight and heavyweight items separately.
Light items like socks and underwear will dry faster if you separate them
from heavier items like towels and jeans. You'll still
save money even though you're running the dryer twice.
6. Remove clothes from the dryer right away.
The sooner you remove your clothes from the dryer, the less ironing you'll
have to do - which will save you energy! Shake your
clothes out when they're still warm and hang them up
right away. This simple step will save you time and
money.
7. Clean the lint trap after every load.
A clean lint filter allows the dryer's hot air to circulate freely and will
dry your clothes faster, saving you dryer time and
money. It also minimizes the risk of your dryer
over-heating and potentially causing it damage.
8. Dry loads back-to-back.
If you're washing several loads, wait to dry them one after the other. Your
dryer won't have to heat up again and you can take
advantage of that heat already stored in the appliance.
9. Inspect your dryer exhaust vent regularly.
A clogged exhaust vent is like a lint-jammed lint trap - it'll reduce your
dryer's efficiency and increase drying time. Check the
vent is clear by going outside and verify that the air
coming out of the vent is warm and moist.
10. Install the water heater close to the washing machine.
If you can, try making the distance between your water heater and your
washing machine as short as possible. The less distance
hot water has to travel, the less heat that is lost
through the pipes.
About the Author: For information on practical home energy savings ideas,
please visit
www.energysavingsoptions.com, a popular site
providing great insights concerning energy cost cutting
measures, such as
garage door insulation, the helpful
portable furnace, a
Trane furnace, and many more!
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