Did you know there are good practices for washing and drying clothes that can help improve the energy performance of these appliances? Well it is true.
Washing a full load of clothes in cold water and using a high efficiency detergent will reduce the energy used. A sanitary cycle uses the most energy to wash clothes due to the super-hot water cycle. Limiting this use of this sanitary cycle and instead using warm water with bleach can help offset this energy consumption.
Features on newer energy star rated washing machines like high spin speed to remove more water before drying and rinsing clothes with repeated high-pressure spraying vs submerging in full tub of water are two examples of advance technologies to improve performance.
Drying clothes with a clothesline is the most energy efficient method, but this practice is not widely used anymore due to the additional time and effort required.
Keeping the lint filter clean with every load is the easiest practice to improve performance.
Another measure with high potential for energy improvement is to vacuum out the dryer vent pipping with a rotating brush. Depending on how often the dryer is used will determine how often this should be performed. For most households cleaning once a year should be sufficient to improve airflow and reduce drying times. A good indicator that the dryer pipe is obstructed with lent is longer than normal drying times.
New energy star rated dryers have technology features such as moisture sensing drying feature that can also reduce drying times. Using low heat settings for longer drying cycles can also reduce energy use.
