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Don't think of laundry as a mundane household chore -- think of it an opportunity to go green! Because by reducing the amount of hot water you use, washing only full loads, and switching to eco-friendly detergents, you can make a huge dent in your environmental impact. (And save some moula, too.)
Did you know?- Between 75 and 80 percent of your clothing's lifecycle impact comes from washing and drying.
- The average household does almost 400 loads of laundry each year, consuming about 13,500 gallons of water.
- An Energy Star-qualified clothes washer can save you $550 in operating costs over its lifetime.
- 90 percent of all energy used by a washing machine goes to heating the water; only 10 percent is used to power the motor.
- Using phosphate-free detergents will get your clothes just as clean, but is far gentler on the environment.
You'll find dozens more tips and facts like these in our latest guide, How to Go Green: Laundry, one in a series of dozens that we're rolling out to help you go green in your everyday life.
Want more? Check out How to Go Green: Summer for the best green tips of the season. Or, check out more of our guides on How to Go Green on TreeHugger.
Difficulty level: Easy
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