Laundry gets an energy clean-up

Using water to wash clothes is so…sigh…twentieth century. 

Though it is as much of an oxymoron as dry cleaning, dry washing technology is here. The Sanyo Aqua AWD-AQ1 can clean clothes without water by converting oxygen in the air to ozone. Ozone has a strong oxidation action, which when sprayed on clothing eliminates bacteria, odors and dirt. It almost makes doing laundry…cool?

There are other simple ways to reduce your energy consumption and clean up your laundering ways. 

• Use cold water: Nearly 90 per cent of the energy used for washing clothes goes to heating the water.
• Energy Star and front-load washers will save enough energy to pay for themselves in utility savings.
• Try eco-friendly detergents which are phosphate and bleach-free.
• Re-usable softener and anti-static balls don’t have the chemicals and toxins found in many conventional dryer sheets. You can also make your own softener sheets by misting a moist washcloth with a dab of liquid fabric softener and tossing it into the dryer.
• Look for moisture sensor clothes dryers, which automatically shut off when your clothes are dry. Not only will this save energy, it will save the wear and tear on your clothes caused by over-drying.
• Lay it on the line: Hang dry clothes.  Electric dryers emit approximately one ton of carbon dioxide per household per year and they are the 2nd biggest energy suckers in American homes. 

So make a clean start. By changing one simple thing, you can make a difference.