Clothes washers have seen a 70% drop in energy use since 1990. If your washer is more than 10 years old, consider buying a new ENERGY STAR® certified clothes washer.
These washers use less energy, less water, and have greater capacity, allowing you to wash the same amount of laundry in fewer loads. Both top-load and front-load models are available.
New technologies move clothes in the washer without a central agitator and rinse clothes by spraying instead of filling the tub with water, resulting in a gentler wash that uses less water.
Use the EnergyGuide label or visit energystar.gov to compare models.
Clothes Washer Tips
- Warm or cold water is generally sufficient to clean your laundry; most of the energy used by clothes washers goes to heating water. Using warm water instead of hot water can cut a load’s energy use in half, and using cold water will save even more.
- Cold water detergents can be helpful to ensure items get clean, and high-efficiency detergents (indicated by the “he” symbol) should be used when required by the manufacturer.
- Try to wash full loads and use an appropriate water setting if you must wash a small load.
- Use the high-speed or extended spin cycle to remove as much moisture as possible before drying.