ENERGY STAR appliances get their ratings by meeting benchmarks for operating efficiency and energy savings. While these appliances are designed for efficiency in everyday use, you can optimize the performance of, and maximize the savings from your ENERGY STAR washing machine by following these tips:
* Run your washer with full loads as often as possible – While sensors and settings can be used to make adjustments for smaller loads, clothes washers deliver maximum savings when full wash loads are run, resulting in a lower number of wash cycles per week.
* Don’t automatically assume that every load requires hot water – Depending on the stains, dirt or grime that you’re trying to get out of your clothes, in most cases you’ll be able to get the same results from running cycles with warm or cold water. The one exception would be the necessity of using hot water to remove oily stains. Keep in mind that using hot water will eat up about 90% of the energy used for a wash load while warm water uses about 50% less energy. Using cold water means that energy will only be used to operate the machinery, which maximizes your savings.
* Use the spin cycle – The spin cycle removes moisture from the clothes using centrifugal force. Longer and faster spin cycles will remove more moisture, which will reduce the length of the drying cycle.
* Use the recommended type of detergent – If you have a front loading washer, High Efficiency detergents which generate a lower amount of soap suds are recommended. Going with traditional detergents produces a higher than desired level of suds, which will reduce washing efficiency and may lead to mechanical issues down the line.
* Leave the door to your front loading washer open after completing a wash load – Unlike top loading washers, front loading necessitates a water-tight seal to prevent leakage. While a tightly sealed door is necessary to keep water in the basin during a wash, it will also trap moisture left behind if the door is shut once the wash is completed. This trapped moisture can be seen as condensation on the glass of the door and can lead to moldy and/or mildewy odors. If you smell these odors when opening your washer door, run a cycle without a wash load using about 8 ounces of bleach to remove them. Instead, leave the door open slightly after a wash load to allow residual moisture to evaporate.
Running your ENERGY STAR washing machine at its highest level of efficiency can save energy, time and money on both wash loads and drying loads. What you do with that extra time and money is up to you.
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