Even if you lower the fill level of water it's more energy efficient to just fill your washing machine all the way up. Adjust your washer and dryer's settings to accommodate the size and type of load. The “delicates” and “short” cycle options for washing will save on the cycle time and energy.
Wash with a cold cycle
Washing with a cold cycle can save you more than 80% of your energy consumption and cost. This is because most of the energy is used just to heat up the water in warm washes. Cold washes are just as clean as warm washes in most situation.
Go for 30°C cycle
Washing clothes at 30°C uses up to 40% less energy than washing at higher temperatures and is ideal for lightly soiled loads.
One big plus of a speed wash is that it's often an energy-saver, which makes it the more sustainable choice. By using less energy, a quick wash will also save you money, too. But a quick wash isn't the best option if you need to wash stained clothes.
Wash clothes on the shortest cycle (often referred to as "quick wash") that's practical for your needs. This means less water, heated to a lower temperature and a shorter spin cycle to save water and energy. Bonus - this cycle causes less damage to your clothes over time so helps them last longer.
Use shorter cycles for less soiled and delicate clothing, and longer cycles for heavily soiled and bulky items. Always opt for the shortest possible cycle to get the job done; the less time garments spend being spun around in the wash, the longer they'll last.
As a general rule, washing clothes in cold, gentle cycles with low-heat drying can help prevent your garments from shrinking.
All of the agitation and soaking during a longer washing cycle doesn't chew up much electricity. But the rapid hot wash, in the dishwasher or washing machine, will devour more electricity, so a cold and long wash is still more efficient.
Running a washing machine on the eco setting normally takes at least two hours, but appliances expert Andrew Lord reckons this can still use less energy than a 30-minute quick wash. 'When you are in eco mode, clothes get a longer soak and less water is used,' he said.
Cold wash (30°C or less)
If your clothes are “lightly to moderately soiled” (i.e. don't appear particularly dirty), this is a good to setting to have them on. It'll save you energy and money and is greener too.
The normal cycle is the most commonly used cycle for most people. It is a long cycle with high agitation and is used for everyday items such as socks, underwear, and t-shirts. In most cases, this can be your "go-to" cycle for everyday laundry.
Try washing before 4 p.m. or after 7 p.m. – Many energy companies charge extra for electricity during their “peak hours,” which see increased energy usage. During the summer, run your washer early in the morning – energy use peaks on hot afternoons.
Normal. The normal cycle is a vigorous wash cycle due to its high agitation and lengthy cycle. This cycle uses warm water with a high spin speed for moderately soiled clothing made of cotton, linen, and other mixed fabrics. Depending on your machine, a normal cycle can run up to an hour.
If you have any heavily soiled clothes then 15 minutes isn't going to be long enough to get the stains out. Also, 15 minutes isn't long enough to clean a full load of washing, even if it isn't stained.
How can a programme like the Eco mode save energy when it takes longer? It's surprisingly simple: with the longer wash-cycle, the water doesn't need heating up as much when compared to shorter programmes.
The best time of day to run your washer and dryer is early in the morning or at night to avoid the surge in price. “During the winter, electricity demand is highest in the morning hours between 7am and 9am when people are waking up and turning up their heat. Doing laundry in the evening is your safest bet.”
How often you should do laundry depends on what you're washing. Clothes you wear close to the skin, like underwear, socks and bras, should be washed frequently, while other types of clothing can be worn multiple times before washing.
Towels should be washed in the warmest water appropriate for the fabric according to the care label. Generally, warm or hot water is recommended for washing towels. Use a cycle specifically for towels or a normal/regular cycle.
Place the blanket in your washer and run a cold, delicate cycle with your usual detergent. If your washer doesn't have a gentle option, use the lowest spin setting. Avoid chlorine bleach, and skip any fabric softeners.
Researchers at Newcastle University in the UK found that the delicate cycle, which uses about twice as much water as other settings, releases an average of 800,000 more plastic microfibers than lower-water volume settings.
Most people should wash their sheets once per week. If you don't sleep on your mattress every day, you may be able to stretch this to once every two weeks or so.
That means you can do a second wash cycle per day which should be enough for most families. In short, you can do two loads every day and still save on your electricity bill. But doing the washing less frequently will save you even more.