Watch more How to Go Green at Home videos: http://www.howcast.com/videos/197158-How-to-Conserve-Energy-When-Doing-Laundry

Step 1: Get a green machine
If your washer is more than 10 years old, consider replacing it with an energy-efficient one. Energy-efficient models use half the water and about 35% less energy per load.

Tip
Look for washing machines marked with the Energy Star logo.

Step 2: Buy eco-friendly detergent
Buy eco-friendly laundry detergent. You can even make your own—recipes are readily available online.

Step 3: Only wash full loads
Don’t do laundry until you have a full load.

Step 4: Wash in cold water
Unless you’re washing baby clothes, wash in cold water. Ninety percent of the energy used in washing clothes comes from heating the water.

Tip
At the very least, use cold water for the final rinse, which uses almost half the 50 gallons needed to do a load of wash.

Step 5: Line dry
Line dry as much of your laundry as often as possible.

Step 6: Clean the filter
When you do use the dryer, clean the lint filter every time so it runs efficiently.

Tip
Check clothes in the dryer often so you don’t run it longer than you need to.

Step 7: Wash at off hours
In the summer, do laundry in the early morning or late at night, when energy demand is lowest.

Did You Know?
The average American family does eight loads of laundry a week.
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