Laundry Tips to Save Energy and WaterCLOTHES WASHING Here are a few laundry tips to help save on energy and water costs. Laundry energy savings are just as valuable as the other areas of the house so don't forget to look in there (even if it not YOUR domain!) 
Most Australians now use their washing machine for virtually all clothes washing (as opposed to hand washing). As more people buy front loading machines and top loaders adopt less aggressive washing actions, many people are finding that most items can now be washed safely in the washing machine. You will probably never convince Nanna that this is OK but hopefully we will never go back to boiling the copper and using a washboard. (No I'm not that old but I've seen the evidence!) The main types of washing machine are top loaders and front loaders: the clothes are added to the machine either through a lid in the top, or a door in the front. Traditionally, front loading machines have used less water, had higher spin dry speeds (which remove more water), wash more gently and have significantly longer washing times (1-2 hours) than top loaders. However, technology improvements are being made across all types of machines. The energy star rating and water star rating are used to estimate energy and water usage. Some washers, particularly front loaders, have internal heating elements to heat the water. This can be a significant issue, as internal heating of water uses expensive and (often) high greenhouse impact electricity to heat the water, while an appliance that sources its hot water externally, with no internal heating, may be supplied with lower cost and (if gas or solar HWS) lower greenhouse impact hot water. A larger capacity washing machine is likely to be used less often for a given amount of washing, although smaller households are likely to just run it with smaller loads. Spin dry performance has little impact on the energy or water use of the clothes washer, BUT it does significantly affect the drying time, a factor to consider if you have to regularly use your dryer. The frequency of washing machine use is a significant factor affecting both energy and water consumption. The amount of energy and water used for a wash is not affected much by the amount of clothing washed, so a household that uses a washer often but only partly loads it could make savings by waiting to wash full loads. Of course trying to tell your teenager that their favourite shirt or top will not be washed till Tuesday is another matter!! The program and temperature specified for washing can significantly affect energy and water use. A heavy wash instead of a short wash can use far more water and, depending on the temperature energy.
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