by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Setting the temperature on your washing machine to cold or 30 degrees Celsius is a great way to save energy, money, and carbon emissions
About 90% of all the energy used for washing clothes goes to heating the water, and so, switching to cold water can save you upwards of $100 a year in reduced energy costs.
In most cases there is no need for washing clothes in hot water. This can also be seen by the way clothes are washed by many peoples in foreign countries, just in the rivers, in cold water.
I have been doing most, and yes I did say, most, of my laundry on the 30 degree Celsius setting (could not tell you how much energy that may have saved me but...) and have not have any problems whatsoever with the wash as regards to cleanness and such. I do, on occasions, use 95 degree Celsius, the nigh on boiling, setting for the likes of linen, such as bedlinen, just to kill off any little critters – the famous bedbugs, for instance – that may be hiding in there. Otherwise, however, it is 30 degrees and that's it. It works and it helps reducing energy usage, and that, in the end is not just good for the environment but also for my wallet.
© M Smith (Veshengro), June 2008
Wash with cold water and do your bit for the environment
