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Reduce clothes washing cost and reduce clothes drying energy use
Washing and tumble drying clothes uses 15% of UK home electrical energy.
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Tumble dryers waste energy, they increase the cost of washing by 2.5 to 4 times. You can reduce your
clothes drying energy use, and the global warming threat, by minimising your use of the clothes drier
and using either and indoor or outdoor clothes line instead.
Tumble dryers also subject clothes to mechanical and thermal stress, this can lead to pilling, shrinkage
and damage to fibres, reducing the life of the dried articles.
What can I do to reduce washing cost and clothes drying cost?
- Wash full loads wherever possible, full loads are more economical than partial loads, but don't
overload the machine.
- Buy an outdoor clothes line, use it on dry days and take advantage of the suns energy, additionally
your clothes will last longer.
- Buy an indoor clothes drying rack, floor or ceiling mounted racks can be obtained, use it on wet
or very cold days.
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If you must use a tumble dryer reduce clothes drying cost by:
- Don't over dry clothes.
- In winter vent it inside your home if the home humidity is not too high. DO NOT VENT GAS DRIERS INTO
YOUR HOME, THEY PRODUCE DANGEROUS GASES.
- Dry full loads, they are more economical than small loads, but do not overload the dryer.
- Dry two or more loads in a row, taking advantage of the dryer's retained heat.
- Make sure your dryer is operating efficiently - regularly, lint build up wastes energy.
- Separate your clothes and dry similar types together. Lightweight synthetics dry much more quickly
than natural fiber clothes, and these dry more quickly than bath towels.
- Use the cool-down cycle (perma-press cycle) to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual
heat in the dryer.
- Locate your tumble dryer in a heated space. Putting it in a cold or damp basement or an unheated garage
will make the dryer work harder and less efficiently.
- Make sure your tumble dryer is vented properly. If you vent the exhaust outside, use the straightest
and shortest metal duct available. Flexible vinyl duct is not recommended as it restricts airflow, can
be crushed, and may not withstand the high drier temperatures.
- Make sure your tumble dryer is vented properly. If you vent the exhaust outside, use the straightest
and shortest metal duct available. Flexible vinyl duct is not recommended as it restricts airflow,
can be crushed, and may not withstand the high drier temperatures.
Better still, use an indoor or outdoor clothes line.
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