Laundry

It takes water and energy to wash clothes but there are ways to be clean and green in the laundry!

By thinking ahead and being mindful of the environment when you wash, you could save yourself money, energy and water with some of the below simple low carbon actions.

Simple things you can do today

• Wash your clothes in cold water using cold water detergents
• Wash and dry full loads only – if you have to wash a smaller load, make sure you use the appropriate water level setting
• Wear clothes until they are actually dirty – air clothes between wearings if only wearing them for a short time
• Spot clean areas that are marked
• If your laundry water is being used in the garden as grey water, you should be washing with phosphate-free detergents.
• Use the sun’s energy not wall energy to dry clothes - hang clothes on the line or a drying rack – rather than use a clothes dryer
• If you have to use a clothes dryer, consider these energy saving tips
• Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes
• Use the cool down cycle to allow clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer
• Clean the lint filter in the dryer after each load

Long-term actions

• Consider buying an energy-efficient star rated appliances for the laundry (washing machine or dryer). Look at energy and water ratings – each star rating can mean a difference in energy and water per use)
• Consider what size appliances you need – for example, if you choose a washing machine that is too small, then you have to do more loads, and waste more energy and water
• The ClimateSmart Retail program can help you with making energy efficient appliance purchases