10 ways to save energy while doing laundry

Looking to save money when doing your laundry, or perhaps contribute to a greener planet? We've compiled a great list of the top 10 ways to save money, and energy while doing your laundry...

1. Wash and rinse in cold or warm water instead of hot whenever possible. Remember that energy is used to heat the water as well as to run the washer.
2. Adjust your hot water heater to 120 degrees fahrenheit. This temperature is perfect for home use and will save a substantial amount of electricity. And, you'll reduce the likelihood of scalding, important if you have children in the house.
3. Follow the directions on the laundry soap and avoid using too much. Overuse of detergent makes your washer work harder, so measure carefully instead of guessing.

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4. Remove clothes from the dryer right when it stops to avoid wrinkles. That saves you the additional electricity of ironing or re-running the load.
5. Wash full loads...but don't overload. It takes almost as much energy to wash a small load as it does to wash a full load. Plus, a full load also saves water.
6. Dry like items together in a full load. Sort clothes by drying time to avoid running an another cycle for only a few thicker items that dry slowly.
7. Select the right drying time. If you over-dry the clothes, it wastes electricity, as well as causing wrinkles and "shinking".
8. Time your washing and drying so that you are able to put the next dryer load in just as the last one finishes. That way the dryer is already hot, and doesn't need to use additional electricity or gas to warm up
9. Hang bulky and heavy items to air dry for a day before loading in the dryer. This works particularly well for things like blankets, bedspreads, and area rugs.
10. Keep your lint filter clean, even cleaning after 2-3 loads. A newly cleaned filter flows air better, and shortens drying time. Also check the exhaust tube and vent to ensure they are flowing freely as well.