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The Energy-Efficient Laundry Room
The laundry room is a significant consumer of energy in most Canadian households because it uses both, warm or hot water, in some cases, and electricity or gas.
The type of appliances you use and the way you use them not only affect your fuel and water bills, they also affect the environment. By choosing energy-efficient appliances in the laundry room, you help reduce emissions that contribute to climate change. It’s simple: the less energy we use, the less energy will be generated – and that means fewer pollutants released that dirty our air.
Consider a front-loading washing machine
We’ve come a long way from slapping our laundry on rocks. Enhancements in appliance technology means the effort needed to clean an entire family’s worth of laundry is far less, plus newer machines are easier on fabrics, quieter and use less energy. This is particularly true if you consider an ENERGY STAR®-qualified washing machine with a front-loading mechanism.
Front-load washers may look similar to the more common household top-load machine, but they are considerably different. These appliances operate without an agitator, the large paddle-like device in the center of the wash tub. Instead the force of gravity agitates the clothes as the laundry tub spins, saving wear and tear on fabrics. Plus, the larger capacity improves washing of bulky items like sleeping bags, bedspreads and throw rugs.
What is the environmental benefit? Front-loading washing machines use about 40% less water per load and 50% less energy than top-loading washers.
Buying an energy-efficient electric clothes dryer
The EnerGuide label on appliances gives you important information on how much energy the appliance will typically use in a year compared to similar models. The label includes a number rating, which you can use to compare various makes of dryers.
There are other features to look for as well if you are in the market for a new dryer. For example, many full-size dryers have sensors that determine when the clothes are dry and trigger an automatic shut-off. Other dryers have an adjustable timer, which shuts the machine off after a pre-selected period. The problem with the latter is that you are likely to overestimate the length of time it will take to dry a load. As a result, the machine will continue to operate for several minutes after the clothes are dry — wasting energy and money and perhaps shortening fabric life and causing shrinkage. You can save energy and your clothes by choosing a dryer that shuts off automatically as soon as the clothes are dry.
Another feature to look for is a cycle that includes a "cool-down" period (sometimes known as a permapress cycle). No heat is supplied for the last few minutes of the cycle, so that cool air is blown through the tumbling clothes. The drying process continues and you save energy.
A compact dryer will probably use less energy per load than a full-size dryer, but each load dries fewer clothes. If you use your dryer only for small loads, a compact unit may be your best bet. Look for the same features as you would with a full-size dryer. If a machine does not have automatic controls, make sure the timer control allows you to select the exact drying time you require. Some units only provide for a few time settings.
Line drying comes back in vogue
When weather permits it, drying some or all of your laundry outside not only gives your clothes and linens a nice, clean scent, it also saves you money and gives you an excuse to be outside.
You have several options for outdoor clotheslines: a line on a pulley, a freestanding rotating umbrella clothesline or a retractable clothesline. Go to your local hardware or home supply store and ask for a complete clothesline kit.
Drying clothes and other items indoors on a drying rack, according to our readers, is another way they have reduced their energy consumption. "In the winter, an indoor clothes drying rack … is a very useful tool," said one reader. "Strategically located, it can humidify ambient air while saving electricity."
The One-Tonne Challenge agrees, but cautions that drying indoors sometimes is not suitable if your home has moisture problems.
You can buy many styles of drying racks from stand-alone models to ones that attach to the wall with a bracket and can be stowed away when not in use, a consideration for smaller homes or apartments.