Washing machines are among the biggest power guzzlers in the home. But with these 3 tips you can save money when doing laundry.
Save electricity with the washing machine: This is how you save money
Tip 1 – Wash laundry at low temperatures
Most people always wash their clothes with the same program and at the same temperature. But that is often higher than necessary. There are tons of detergents in the drugstore these days. Thanks to advances in the detergent industry, most of them have one thing in common: the washing power of the detergents is so high that they can fully develop their cleaning effect even at low temperatures. Many remove light soiling and the smell of sweat even at 20 degrees. As far as the cleaning effect is concerned, it makes no difference whether you wash laundry at 30 or 40 degrees.
Therefore: If possible, wash at 30 instead of 40 degrees. In this way you can save an average of 17 euros a year and at the same time avoid around 25 kilograms of CO2. The Federal Environment Agency has also calculated that private households can reduce their electricity consumption by around 37 percent if they consistently use lower temperatures. In view of the current price increases in the energy sector, this should definitely be worth considering.
In a few cases, however, you should make an exception to washing at low temperatures. Laundry from sick or immunocompromised people, bed linen and towels should be washed hotter. The Federal Environment Agency also recommends washing at least once a month with a detergent containing bleach at 60 degrees to reduce the formation of germs in the washing machine.
Tip 2 – Load the washing machine fully
Many washing machines are now equipped with a sensor that measures the amount of water and doses the amount of water accordingly. If your machine is not one of these high-tech specimens, you should only switch it on with a full load if you want to save electricity with the washing machine. Compared to a half-full machine, you can save 24 euros a year. You also avoid 35 kilograms of CO2.
Tip 3 – Use the washing machine’s energy-saving program
Bad news for impatient minds: the longer a washing program lasts, the less electricity is used when washing. So-called “eco programs” use only half as much water as the normal standard programs and they heat up the water less. But they run longer. If you use the energy-saving program regularly, you save an average of 33 euros in electricity costs and 5400 liters of water when doing laundry. In addition, you avoid 48 kilograms of CO2 compared to a conventional 60-degree program.
Conclusion: Saving electricity when washing – easier than you think
The washing machine does not have to be a power guzzler. If you do everything right and follow these three tips, you can save a lot of money on the wash cycle. Especially in the current time, it is important for most people to pay attention to their power consumption – and that doesn’t necessarily have to be difficult.
