For such a little person, a baby sure goes through a lot of laundry: diapers, bibs, sleepers, undershirts, blankets, sheets, socks, pants . . . and of course all the items the baby spits up on that also need to be cleaned—often. That’s why having a baby in the house turns the mundane washer and dryer into wonder machines of incredible convenience.

This increase in laundry loads is also a good reason for you to focus your green efforts on the laundry room.

Green Washing Machines

If you’re buying a new washer, remember to look for Energy Star models. Traditional top-loading washing machines use about forty gallons of water per load, whereas Energy Star washers use only about twenty-five gallons per load. That’s a 40 percent savings in water, which translates into an energy cost savings of almost 50 percent.¹

Make that new machine a front-loader. Front-loading machines work on a horizontal axis that saves both water and energy. A top-loading ma­chine must be filled with water in order to keep the clothing wet and then an agitator swirls the water around, but a front-loading machine uses less water because the tub does not need to be filled completely; the tub itself rotates, making the clothes tumble in the water. These machines also reduce the energy needed for drying clothes because they spin clothes faster than top-loading machines, which reduces the moisture level before the clothes even enter the dryer.² As an extra green bonus, front-loading washers are kinder to your clothing, so your clothes last longer.

In comparison to top-loading washing machines, the front-loaders use 50 percent less energy and a third less water. With those savings, it will pay for itself in six years and should last for ten. In addition, a front-loading Energy Star washer will save enough energy annually to light your entire home for a month and a half, and it saves as much water in a year as the average person drinks in a lifetime.³ Wow.

Green Clothes Dryer

Many clothes dryers have an Energy Guide label that will help you compare the energy use of various models, but the label is not required, so it can sometimes be difficult to choose the most energy-efficient type. As a general guideline, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy says that gas dryers are generally less expensive to operate than electric models.⁵

A major energy consideration is whether the dryer has a moisture sensor option so that it can turn itself off when the load is dry. Another consideration is how dry the clothes are when they are put into the dryer. To­day’s resource-efficient clothes washers use higher spin speeds to re­move more water from clothes while they are still in the washer. Consider upgrading to a high-efficiency clothes washer to maximize energy savings throughout the laundry cycle.

Learn about more washing and drying tips from Dr. Greene