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Have a green dilemma or question for Planet Green? Please send questions to askplanetgreen [at] gmail [dot] com. (Questions may be edited for publication.)
Dear Planet Green,
With clothes, sheets, towels, placemats, tablecloths, and cleaning rags for a family of five going in the laundry each week, I'm starting to get overwhelmed by how much time, water, energy, and money we're spending keeping our duds clean. We have an older washer and dryer and a yard that's big enough to put up a clothesline, but what's the most efficient—and environmentally friendly—way of doing laundry: using cold water instead of hot, or swapping out the dryer for the line?
—Washer Woman
Dear Washer Woman,
Here's the obvious way to become a lean, green washing machine: do both! If you have the space for a clothesline—and weather that allows for year-round outside drying—you can save a cool $70 and prevent the release of a ton of carbon annually. (Short on time? Run the spin cycle twice to get any excess water out of your laundry before hanging it.) Cold-water washing has an even bigger impact: 90 percent of the energy required to get your clothes clean is dedicated to heating the water, so choosing the cold cycle could cut your energy bill by at least $100 a year. Want to make wash day even more eco-friendly? Choose a natural detergent that's formulated to work better in cold water than traditional brands (or make your own; get more than one use out of your outfits before tossing them in the hamper (this also saves on wear and tear); and when it's time for new appliances, look at those with EnergyStar certification.
More laundry ideas
How to Go Green: Laundry
Washing Laundry in Cold Water is the Same As…
How To: Eco-Laundry
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