WASH CLOTHES IN COLD WATER
You can save energy by making a few changes in the way you wash clothes:
Cold water keeps your clothes looking newer longer than hot water washing.
No special detergents are needed for cold water washing. Use any eco-friendly detergent like Seventh Generation, or make your own.
For complete instructions for buying or making eco-friendly cleaning products of all sorts, read Clean and Green, The Complete Guide to Nontoxic and Environmentally Safe Housekeeping.
* With natural ingredients, you'll know what you're getting. The contents listed on a popular laundry detergent include anionic and nonionic surfactants and a buffering agent
* Avoid skin irritation caused by old-school products. Fabrics can appear and smell fresh, but still be laden with chemicals that are absorbed through your pores
* Fragrances in detergents and fabric softeners may cause allergies and asthma, and contain phthalates which are also used car paint production.
TIP: Rub a paste made of baking soda into strains using a tooth brush.
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 HOW MUCH IS SAVED?
80%-90% of the energy used to do laundry goes to heating the water. Washing your clothes in cold water is usually just as effective as hot.
Save $61 per year per household on average by forgoing the hot for the cold.
In a year, each household that switches from hot water to cold keeps 1,281 lbs of CO2 from entering the air.
Image from TerraPass. com
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