April
Green Washing Machines
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The way you wash your clothes could have a big effect on the environment. There’s a lot of power and water used in doing the laundry, but the amount you absolutely have to use can be reduced. You don’t have to go back to a washboard and bucket, either. There are green washing machines out there that use less water, get clothes cleaner, do less damage, and use less power to do it, too. Which kind of washing machine is the greenest? Let’s take a look at the options.
Wringer machines and twin tub machines tend to be pretty inefficient, plus they’re hard to find. That means that top loaders and front loaders are the big contenders. The biggest factor in whether or not a machine is truly green is how much water is used and how much energy is required. Front loaders tend to win out in both cases, using about ten gallons of water in a full load versus a top loader’s forty gallons.
Most of the energy used by the machine is used heating the water. More water needs more power to heat it. You can reduce your consumption a lot by doing the wash in cold water, but a machine that uses less water will be more efficient, even if you wash on hot. Front loaders will even consume less energy than a top loading machine when both are washing on cold. They’re just designed to be more efficient.
The way that front loaders treat clothes also mean that they put less wear and tear on them, pull more water out during the spin cycle to result in a faster drying time, and run more quietly (as long as they’re completely level). Front loaders can handle bigger loads, letting you spend less money and time to wash a full week’s laundry, and they’ll use less detergent.
You will need to use special detergents in many front loaders to prevent excessive foam. This detergent isn’t expensive, however, and releases less chemical contaminants into the water. You may also be able to get a tax credit or rebate on the purchase of your front loader, depending on where you live.
So why haven’t we been using front loading machines all these years? Originally, it was hard to keep them from leaking, making the top loader more popular. There are a few other disadvantages to front loading washing machines, too. They don’t soak clothes, you have to bend more to load and unload them, and they’re heavier.
Most of these machines still cost more than a top loader, and wash times are longer. There are some machines that can also develop an odor of mildew if the door is not left open. For most, however, these machines are a good bet, and a lot more eco-friendly than their top loading cousins.
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This is very US focused top loaders are extremely rare in the UK and most of europe.
Man, we are having to learn more and more everyday to stay eco-friendly
It’s also good to look at the other half of the laundry process - drying the clothes.
The new horizontal washing machines are a big advantage to hang drying clothes because they have faster spin-out speeds and those faster speeds mean your clothes are very well wrung out when you take them out of the washer.
Here is the coolest clothes drying rack I have found. It folds up really small. Since the top rotates it can be near a traffic path in your house and if you get close enough to brush into it just spins like a turnstile. Putting it right below the ceiling fan works nice in the winter.
I think there’s lots of companies in the US that are suing Green-washing machines. Just take a GM, put it through a Green-Washing Machine and it comes out “green”, well sort of… NOT
And to what Pete was saying. When I first moved to North America, I had never seen top loading machines. I had to crack up so bad, because I’ve never seen such cheap design. To be honest, I’ve never even seen a top loader in Europe, did those ever exist there? I can also not remember anyone ever complaining about leaks with those machines (for the last 20 years at least).
Anyways, watch out for those green washed “green” washing machines. There are lots that are actually not that great. Choose some of the original ones like AEG, Miele and Bosch.
Peace out, Hans
It is also important to consider products such as those Melaleuca provides that do the job without harmful chemicals.
Well For our family we had 2 front loaders both Maytags and they were disasters! WE now have a Top loader and doubt I will ever be willing to try a front loader again. We found they had lots of trouble.. did not use enough water to clean really dirty clothes well unless you ran it through 2 times which renders then water saving useless… We were unimpressed.
Im fall or saving money and the environment but not at the expense of my time and having dirty clothes.
Our stuff gets really dirt at times so we need water to get it clean. Front loaders just did not work for us .
I do agree this is a US based article . We have friends in the UK and AU all of whom have had front loaders for a long time and did not even think they could get a top loader if they wanted it.
The greenest way to wash clothes is not to use any laundry products.But to use the dirt removing laundry magnets.
We also have to consider greenwashing. This is when companies label their products as “green” products when they are not really. When buying a new washing machine, consider how much you can consume and not how much you can save. Do not immediately buy a front loader just because it is efficient. Some front loader brands might only last for a few years compared to simple but durable top loaders.
I have been using melaleuca products for the last 5-6 months mostly because I want to support the environment. They claim to have no bleach or harsh cleaners, but the one product I haven’t tried yet is their MelaPower laundry because I’m worried it might not work very well (I want to do my part, but i HAVE to have a laundry detergent that cleans well). Does anyone know how their laundry product works?