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Program Your Thermostat
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Dispose of Prescription Drugs Safely
September 19:
Give Carpooling a Try
September 12:
Set the Water Heater to 120 Degrees
September 5:
Cook More Efficiently
August 29:
Use Cold Water for Laundry
August 22:
Find New Uses for Old Phones
August 8:
"Bee" Kind to Pollinators: Limit or Avoid Pesticide Use
August 1:
Reduce Waste: End Junk Mail!
July 25:
Encourage Pollination: Help Bees!
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Use Less Oil: Walk or Bike at Least Once this Week Instead of Driving
July 11:
Water Lawns and Outdoor Plants in the Morning or Evening Only
July 4:
Practice Safe Souvenir Buying
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Reuse Paper Scraps
June 13:
Safely Dispose of Hazardous Wastes
June 6:
Give New Life to Old Stuff
May 30:
Make Your Own Non-Toxic Cleaners
May 23:
Find Ways to Consume Less
May 16:
Reuse your food scraps and yard waste: make compost!
May 9:
Make Sure Your Seafood's Sustainable
May 2:
Use a Low Flow Showerhead
April 25:
Reduce Weight in your Vehicle
April 18:
Use a Reusable Water Bottle
April 11:
Switch to Fluorescent Bulbs
April 4:
Buy in Bulk
March 28:
Unplug Your Appliances When They're Not in Use!
March 21:
Turn Off Your Engine Instead of Idling Your Car
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Use Cold Water for Laundry
What to do:
Instead of hot or warm water, use cold water to wash your clothes. Cold water will do a fine job of cleaning most fabrics, and actually works better for colored and delicate fabrics. For extra-soiled items, try warm water instead of hot. And whichever temperature you use to wash, make sure to rinse with cold water!
Why it Helps the Earth:
Using cold water saves energy: heating the water for a load of wash can use over 8 kWh of electricity. Washing with cold water uses less than 1 kWh.
What the Research Says:
For facts about laundry and energy use, read the Rocky Mountain Institute's "Energy Brief 6: Cleaning Appliances."
&nbs; Why it Helps You:
Cleaning clothes in colder water is gentler and reduces wear and tear. In fact, more delicate fabrics actually require cold water washing; check your labels. And, of course, saving energy saves money. The Rocky Mountain Institute calculated that the average cost of doing a load of laundry on the "cold/cold" setting is under 10 cents, while the cost of doing a "hot/hot" load is over 60 cents. Why throw away 50 cents a load just to wear out your clothes?
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Last Revision: August 29, 2010