- Air-dry your wet laundry
- Choose a front-loading ENERGY STAR washer
- Choose an energy-efficient dryer
- Wash clothes in cold water
- Wash a full load of laundry
- Maintain your dryer
- Choose natural laundry detergent
- Choose natural fabric softener
- Make your own detergent and fabric softener
- Choose eco-friendly packaging
Laundry
See all tips toGreenYour Laundry
Wash clothes in cold water
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Washing clothes in cold water significantly reduces the amount of energy used to wash a load of laundry.
Find it! Cold-water laundry detergent
Many companies now offer cold-water laundry detergent formulas. Choosing an eco-friendly cold-water detergent will ensure laundry comes out clean when using cold water, and will keep dangerous chemicals from washing into water supplies.
Biokleen laundry detergent
Biokleen has concentrated liquid and powder detergents.ECOS Laundry Detergent
ECOS brand laundry detergents have several formulas that work in cold water.Ecover Liquid Laundry and Laundry Powder
Liquid Laundry and Laundry Powder both work well in cold water.method HE Compatible baby laundry detergent
Method's cold-water-ready, biodegradable baby detergent cleans delicate clothes without irritating sensitive skin, as it contains no dyes or harsh chemicals. Looking for the grown-ups too? Check out method's entire line of laundry care products.Mountain Green Ultra Laundry Detergent
This product may be formulated for babies' sensitive skin, but it's good for sensitive people of all ages—and cleans at all temperatures too. It is crafted from natural plant-derived ingredients and contains no dyes, bleach, fragrance, or alcohol.OurHouse Unscented Concentrated Laundry Care
This concentrated product cleans well in cold water, biodegrades easily, and is not toxic to aquatic life.Planet Ultra Liquid Laundry Detergent or Ultra Powdered Laundry Detergent
Planet detergent can be used in cool or cold water, and contains no additives, such as perfumes, dyes, enzymes, or optical brighteners, which can remain on your clothes and cause skin irritation.Seventh Generation Liquid Laundry Detergent
Seventh Generation's vegetable-based laundry detergents contain no chlorine, dyes, phosphates, or artificial fragrances.Tide Coldwater Laundry Detergent
Tide's Coldwater formula is as effective as traditional products, but saves energy from reduced hot water use.Watkins Lemon Liquid Laundry Concentrate
Ultra concentrated, this detergent uses only 1 fl. oz. per load and is naturally fragranced with a lemon scent.
Washing laundry in cold water helps you go green because…
- It significantly reduces the amount of energy required to run your washing machine.
Since 85 to 90 percent of the energy consumed while washing a load of laundry comes from heating the water, washing clothes in cold water can eliminate 1,600 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions created by the average household annually.[1] For most homes, this no-cost solution will amount to a savings between $52 and $145 each year in water heating costs.[2]
As an added benefit, setting the temperature of wash water to cold will also help keep clothes looking new longer. Hot water tends to dull color and can also shrink and melt synthetic fabrics.
Of course, for those occasional loads of laundry that are really dirty, warm water is recommended. When this is necessary, energy can be saved by setting the rinse cycle to use cold water.
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