Did you know that almost 90% of the energy used to wash your clothes goes into heating the water?
Currently 60% of all Americans wash clothes in warm water, but research indicates this is unnecessary. In fact, modern washing machines wash equally well in all water temperatures, and appliance makers like GE recommend cold water for the majority of all loads. The Sierra Club reports that every household that washes clothes in cold water can eliminate 1,600 pounds of carbon dioxide each year. This equals the amount of CO2 produced by burning 80 gallons of gas. Microfiber pollution is another problem with laundry that most people know little about. Microfiber or “microplastic” pollution is the release of plastic particles washed off of products like synthetic clothes. Microfibers account for 35% of the primary plastics in our oceans today. Studies show that microfiber release is significantly less in cold water.
MAKE IT YOUR ONE THING:
Washing clothes in cold water helps the environment and your wallet. Cold water slows the fading and shrinking of fabrics so they last longer, reduces expensive energy costs and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. As a bonus, clothes washed in cold wrinkle less and are more likely to release stains. To learn more about microfiber pollution caused by laundry, visit EcoWatch. Give it a try and MAKE IT YOUR ONE THING.