Save Water When Washing

Tips to help reduce your water usage when washing clothes.

Since over 20% of the average family's water use comes from doing laundry, reducing water usage in the laundry room can have a big impact on your total household water consumption. Here are a couple of tips to save water and save money in the laundry room.

Wash full loads.

Whenever possible washing a full load is far more efficient and saves water over partial loads. It will also save electricity or gas when drying clothes.

Wash less frequently.

Nobody's suggesting that we should wear dirty clothes, but really how often do we need to wash those denims when we only wear them for light day to day use? Remember Grandma talking about Monday laundry day, and that was the only day laundry got done? The next time we're loading the washer, let's take a good look at the clothes. If a high percentage of the laundry looks like it might be just fine to use another day or two, then seriously think about saving the time, the work, the energy, and water usage by laundering less frequently.

Use Energy-Saving Washers

Suprisingly, there is not much else we can do to save water in clothes washing except to use a high-efficiency front-load or top-load washer. Basically, that means if we're really concerned about saving water we should not be using a traditional top-load washer with an agitator post in the middle. Agitator type top-load machines will use up to 3X the amount of water that a high-efficiency washer will use.

Of course, this may sound a bit self-serving coming from a place that sells new washing machines, but we'll get much of the same information from CU (Consumer's Union) or the Energy Star folks. The data is the data, and it's your water bill and your bill to heat the water. If it's time to replace that old agitator-type washer, the professionals at Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center are there to help.

For information on new energy-saving washers or other major appliances or plumbing fixtures call or visit Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center today.