Did you know that with a more efficient washing machine you could save 7,000 gallons of water over the course of one year? Over eleven years, this would be enough water to fill up three backyard swimming pools, or provide a lifetime of drinking water for six people!

Do your part to reduce energy and water consumption in your laundry room by investing in more efficient appliances and practices, and follow the valuable tips below:

5 Energy- and Money-Saving Tips for Washing Machines

The best energy performers are ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washers, which use 35 to 50 percent less water and 20 to 50 percent less energy per load than other washers. These clothes washers need to have advanced design features which provide cleaning performance using less water and energy.

Besides buying ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washers, there are other things you can do to reduce your load (pun intended!):

1. Read your appliance’s owner's manual; it's full of hints to help you operate your clothes washer at optimum efficiency.
2. Go cold! Clothes that are rinsed in cold water come out just as clean as those rinsed in warm, and you'll save money on your water-heating bill.
3. Wait for a full load or use the small-load setting. Clothes washers are most energy efficient when they're fully loaded but make sure you don’t overload your machine.
4. If possible, adjust the water level setting to match the load size.
5. If you're in the market for a new clothes washer, consider buying a water-saving frontload washer which uses about 40 percent less water per load and 50 percent less energy than top-loading washers. They also use less detergent.

5 Energy- and Money-Saving Tips for Clothes Dryers

As with your clothes washer, it’s highly recommended that you choose an ENERGY STAR qualified dryer – partly because many dryers now come with sensors that automatically shut off the dryer when your clothes are dry. This will save you energy and wear and tear on your clothes.

Here are five other tips you can take to the bank:

• The wetter the clothes, the more energy your dryer uses to dry them. Wring your clothes out or spin them in the clothes washer first.
• Avoid drying partial loads.
• If possible, sort your clothes by thickness. Dry the thin, quick-drying items in one load and thicker items – such as towels – in another.
• Try to start your second load of drying as soon as the first is finished. That way the dryer will still be warm – and you'll save energy.
• To save money and reduce clothes shrinkage, use your dryer's "cool down" cycle. No heat is supplied in the last few minutes, but drying continues as cool air is blown through tumbling clothes.

Being as efficient as possible in your laundry room will help the environment by lowering your energy and water consumption, which produces less air pollution from power plants and less water going to waste. And it’ll help your pocketbook to boot!

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