Keep Greene Green

Information for keeping Greene County and all our favorite places green, growing and Earth-friendly. 
(Not to mention saving the environment can often 
save you money!)

(Family Features) Washing clothes in cold water as a way to save energy and money is a hot topic in households across the country. Simply turning the setting down from hot to cold water when doing your laundry can save up to 14 percent on annual energy bills.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, more than 80 percent of energy used to wash clothes comes from heating water, so switching from hot to cold helps save $.17 a load, or more than $60 a year. With more than 105 million households in the country, that adds up to more than $6 billion in savings.

However, even fans of energy conservation complain that using a cooler wash cycle often comes at the cost of residual stains and less bright whites. New laboratory research suggests that adding a bleaching product is critical when washing whites in cold water.

Due to the decrease of detergent performance in cold, bleach is needed to reach the optimum cleaning level. By adding bleach to every white or bleach-safe load of cold water wash, you will boost the cleaning power of the wash cycle to bring out whiter whites, while helping prolong the life of fabric and keeping energy costs down.

Known as “Dr. Laundry,” Harold Baker is the associate research fellow from The Clorox Company who helped develop the energy-conscious laundry technology. “The problem is that most detergents don’t perform as well in cooler temperatures – we have found that you need an extra boost,” said Baker. “We formulated Clorox Plus Coldwater Bleach to keep white garments and linens looking their best just like Clorox’s original formula has done for millions of laundry loads throughout the years.”

Washing in cold water not only helps conserve energy, it works to prolong the life of fabrics, Baker added. Fibers break down less quickly in cold water verses hot. For optimal cleaning with washing bleach-safe loads in cold water, Baker stressed using bleach because it helps lift soils better than detergent along in cold water.

Baker says there are many ways families can save money and conserve energy in the laundry room. Some of his favorite energy savings laundry tips include:

* Only wash full loads of laundry to save water and heating costs

* Dry heavy and light fabrics separately to keep drying times down, and set a timer to avoid over drying

* Switch the dryer load immediately to leverage the leftover heat and increase the efficiency of the dryer

* Clean the dryer lint filter every time to ensure nothing is blocking air flow and hampering heat efficiencies

For more tips from Dr. Laundry.

All materials courtesy of Clorox

Courtesy of Family Features

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