Clothes Washing & Drying

Washing

It takes energy to heat water so consider using the coolest setting possible when washing your clothes.
Adjust the water level to suit the washing load. Saves water and saves the energy needed to heat the water.
It's better to do fewer large loads rather than more smaller loads.
When buying a new washing machine:
- Read the energy and water rating information. Similar sized machines differ significantly in terms of their energy efficiency and water use.
- Make sure the machine has a cold wash option.
Try to choose a machine that has a load sensor. This will automatically adjust the water level to suit the size of the load.

	Top Loaders	Front Loaders	Twin Tubs
General characteristics	Top loaders tend to be large and have the benefit of doing the wash cycle quickly.	Front loaders come in a range of size, but generally are not as large as top loaders. They have longer wash cycles than do top loaders but tend to have a faster spin speed, resulting in drier clothes.	Twin tubs tend to have a smaller capacity and required the clothes to be manually moved from the wash to the rinse tub.
Energy and Water Efficiency	Top loaders typically use between two to three times as much water as a front loader doing the same load. If washing is done with warm/hot water then this means a significant increase in the energy used.	Front loaders are significantly more water and energy efficient than either a top loader or a twin tub. Because the faster spin speed dries the clothes more there is also scope for further energy savings if a dryer is used.	Twin tubs are similar to top loaders in terms of their energy and water use.
Cost	For their capacity top loaders tend to be cheaper to buy, but mainly because of their high energy use, more expensive to run.	Front loaders are generally more expensive to buy, but due to their greater energy and water efficiency, and the need to use less detergent, they are cheaper to run.	For their capacity twin tubs tend to be cheaper to buy, but mainly because of their high energy use, more expensive to run.

Drying

Only use the clothes dryer when necessary - drying clothes on the line is cheaper, better for the environment and for your clothes.
Drying clothes in a drier can use up to 15 times as much energy as washing them.
For the greatest energy efficiency, don't overload the dryer, keep the lint filter clean and time drying so that when one load of drying is finished another load goes in. The residual heat built up in the dryer will mean the next load dries more quickly.

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