How To: Conserve energy when doing laundry

Doing the laundry uses a lot of water and energy. Here's how to wash your clothes with a clean conscience. This video will show you how to conserve energy when doing laundry.

You Will Need

* 1 Eco-friendly laundry detergent
* 1 A laundry line
* 1 An energy-efficient washing machine

Step 1. Get a green machine

If your washer is more than 10 years old, consider replacing it with an energy-efficient one. Energy-efficient models use half the water and about 35% less energy per load.

Look for washing machines marked with the Energy Star logo.

Step 2. Buy eco-friendly detergent

Buy eco-friendly laundry detergent. You can even make your own—recipes are readily available online.

Step 3. Only wash full loads

Don't do laundry until you have a full load.

Step 4. Wash in cold water

Unless you're washing baby clothes, wash in cold water. Ninety percent of the energy used in washing clothes comes from heating the water.

At the very least, use cold water for the final rinse, which uses almost half the 50 gallons needed to do a load of wash.

Step 5. Line dry

Line dry as much of your laundry as often as possible.

Step 6. Clean the filter

When you do use the dryer, clean the lint filter every time so it runs efficiently.

Check clothes in the dryer often so you don't run it longer than you need to.

Step 7. Wash at off hours

In the summer, do laundry in the early morning or late at night, when energy demand is lowest.

FACT: The average American family does eight loads of laundry a week.