Clean & Green Laundry

If you live on campus, you may have noticed some changes in the laundry rooms this semester.

Decals have been placed on the washers to encourage students to choose the Bright Colors (cold water) setting when washing their clothes.  For most normally soiled clothing, using cold water is just as effective as hot or warm water AND saves a ton of energy!!!

A whopping 90% of energy used in washing machines goes exclusively to heating the water.  Only 10% is used to run the motor.

To put into perspective how wasteful using hot water is, washing your clothes for one year with hot water instead of cold wastes more electricity than leaving the refrigerator door open 24 hours a day for a year.

After affixing decals to the washing machines on campus, cold water cycle selection has increased by approximately 40%. This will save the University ~$1000 annually.

More Clean & Green Laundry Tips...

• Choose the cold water (Bright Colors) cycle when washing normally soiled clothing. It uses less energy, and it doesn't shrink your clothes or make your colors run.
•  To conserve water and clean efficiently, avoid overloading the machine. Pile clothing loosely for best results.
• Use the manufacturer recommended dose of detergent, which is a fourth of a cup or less. If your detergent is a concentrate, make note of that. Too much detergent will leave residue on your clothes.
• Please recycle your detergent bottles in order to avoid their relocation to a landfill.
• Always remove lint from the dryer filters. This will save energy and result in drier clothing.

For more information about how to green your laundry routine, please visit the Campus Clothesline and Clean and Green Vision websites.