CONSERVATION CORNER

WASHING MACHINES
A KEY CONTRIBUTOR TO INDOOR WATER-USE EFFICIENCY

Do you think a new, highly efficient washing machine can't make a difference in your household water and energy budgets? Think again! Recent estimates of potential water and energy savings provided by the new breed of washing machines are impressive, 38% water savings and 56% energy savings. This could potentially save the average household $40-$60 per year, and reduce your annual water use up to 5,000 gallons. The high-end machines can save you over $300 per year in combined water, energy, and detergent savings. How do they do it?

The majority of the new, efficient machines are front-loading or top-loading with horizontal axis tumblers. The advantages to this design are: it requires about half the water per load, requires less detergent, it cleans the clothes more thoroughly, and it's easier on the clothes than vertical axis tumblers. In addition, many models automatically adjust the water level to match the size of the load and have spin cycles approaching 1000 rpm's, which removes more water from the clean clothes than traditional spin cycles, leading to shorter drying times. All of these advanced features lead to substantial savings in water usage, wastewater, energy use, and the amount of detergent needed per load.

If you can't afford a new washing machine right now, there are still a couple things you can do to increase your water-use efficiency when doing laundry. First, always try to wait until you have a full load before washing clothes. If you can't wait for a full load, make sure you adjust the water level to match size of the load. Every little bit helps.

WATER
COMMUNITY RESOURCE, COMMUNITY SOLUTION

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