Tips and inspiration
- You may be washing your clothes at an unnecessarily high temperature. Laundry that’s not that dirty can be washed at 20°C while regular mixed loads can be cleaned effectively at 30°C.
- Try using eco mode if your machine has one. It runs slower, relying on longer soak times and agitation to clean clothes, making it particularly useful when washing at 20°C.
- Only wash full loads. Make sure the drum is three quarters full. This leaves enough room for your laundry to tumble to dislodge dirt but means you avoid small loads and using your washing machine more often.
The big picture
Reducing your wash temperature from 40°C to 20°C could save you 62% in energy use. According to Which?, if we all did this in the UK, it would be equivalent to taking 634,000 cars off the road in terms of carbon dioxide emissions.
Sources:
Change this laundry habit and help cut CO2 pollution by 400,000 cars, Which?
Why is this action beneficial?
Save energy
Doing fewer, fuller loads reduces your overall energy use from laundry. Around 90% of the energy used by a washing machine comes from heating water, so reducing the temperature can save a lot of energy and have a big impact.
Save money
By lowering your wash temperature and using your machine less often you’ll reduce your energy use which in turn will reduce your electricity bill.
Reduce emissions
Using your washing machine less often and at a lower temperature uses less energy and so produces less carbon emissions.
Reduce waste
Washing at cooler temperatures is gentler on your clothes. It prevents them from fading and shrinking and reduces other types of wear, helping your clothes last longer.
Reduce pollution
Each time you wash synthetic clothes, they release microfibres that contribute to microplastic pollution. Cooler washes release fewer microfibers, helping to protect marine life and water quality.
Similar actions
- Energy
- Energy
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