By Amy D. Schieber

Most people don’t think they could save a load of money while doing a simple daily chore. Most also wouldn’t believe this activity would be something as simple as doing your laundry. There are many things house keepers may already do sometimes (but not all the time) and don’t realize that they’re actually saving money. Not only can you save money by using some of these simple hints, but time as well, which is valuable to pretty much everyone.

Tripple Crown Inspection Engineers suggests that before you even do your laundry, you have to have the right machines. When shopping for new appliances of this sort look for the Energy Start, and read Energy Guide labels. (Sporney, 2003)

Some ideas are common sense, some took a little extra mind work, and some are very new ways to help people save money and energy costs while doing their laundry.

• Instead of doing small loads, wait until you have a full load of laundry to do. Both take the same amount of energy.
• Always measure your detergent to the correct amount. More soap suds make the washer work harder.
• Sort your clothes by different thicknesses. This will prevent having to run the dryer longer because of slow drying articles.
• Dry consecutive loads of laundry. This will keep the dryer from having to get up to proper operating temperature more than once.
• If at all possible, dry clothes outside on sunny days.
• Always try to partially line dry heavy or bulky sheets or rugs.
• Take the items out of the dryer as soon as it stops tumbling. This will keep you from using the energy and time to iron.  (RMLD, 2005)
• Clean the lint filter after each load, so it will keep the air flowing and won’t slow down the drying process.
• Don’t over dry your clothes. One cycle should do the trick, but if it doesn’t don’t put the clothes in to dry for another full round.
• 80-85% of energy used while washing laundry goes to heating water. Try using cooler or cold water with cold water detergents.
• Periodically inspect your dryer vent to ensure it is not blocked.  (Sporney, 2003)

These ideas can be used by stay-at-home parents, working people, and even college students doing laundry on their own for the first time. Everyone knows the importance of needing a little extra money, time, and energy.

Some ideas may seem very obvious to someone who has done laundry for a long time, but even “some of these things I would never have thought of,” said Teri Tobin, wife and mother of three. “The technique I use most now is washing my laundry in cold water, and they still get clean.”

Changing simple things about how you do your laundry won’t affect how clean your clothes get as long as you do everything properly. Most energy and money saving techniques can be used more for the drying section of laundry day.

“These ideas are going to work great for the rest of college, and especially in a year when I get married and am doing laundry for two,” said twenty year old, Denise Murphy.

One final idea of my own is to set aside one or two days a week when you can get all of the house laundry done. This way you will save your washer and dryer machines and have the whole process out of the way for at least another week.

For more information on how to save energy costs supported by doing house hold chores look at:

RMLD. (2005). Reading Municipal Light Department: Reliable Power for Generations. Retrieved July 15, 2005, from http://www.rmld.com/40waystosave2.htm.

ECOMALL. (2005). Save Energy, Save Money. Retrieved July 15, 2005, from http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/saveenergy9.htm.