Your Laundry Room

Your laundry room

Learn energy conservation tips for your laundry room.

Clothes washer

Start smart

• When shopping for a new clothes washer, look for energy efficient models.
• A front-loading machine uses less water and detergent than a standard top-loading machine.
• Put your washing machine close to your hot water tank to reduce heat loss in the connecting pipes.

Wash right

• Choose an appropriate wash cycle for the size of the load. Eight to ten minutes is enough for most laundry requirements. Use the shortest cycle possible.
• Wash only full loads of laundry and don't overload your machine.
• Use a cold water rinse to save energy and reduce wrinkles.
• If your washer has an adjustable water-level indicator, set it to use only as much water as needed.
• Choose cleaning products that won't harm the environment.

Clothes dryer

Keep it clean

• Clean your lint filter after each load. Wash the lint screen once a year to remove film left by fabric softeners.
• Vacuum your exhaust duct periodically to ensure air moves freely through the dryer vents.

Load efficiently

• Dry thin, quick-drying items together in a short cycle, rather than mixing with items that take longer to dry.
• Avoid over-drying clothes to preserve colours, prevent wrinkles and save energy.
• Choose a drying cycle with a "cool down" function to dry without heat for the last few minutes.
• Dry loads one after another to take advantage of an already warm dryer.
• Use an indoor or outdoor clothesline for some of your drying.
• Make sure the water is completely wrung out of your clothes to minimize drying time.
• Use a sensor cycle instead of a timed cycle so your dryer stops when clothes are dry.

Vent properly

• Follow the manufacturer's recommendations as to the size and length of dryer ducting.
• Install an automatic bypass vent to allow the warm air from the dryer to circulate into the laundry room during winter months. Be sure to set it to summer mode when the weather warms up so you don't increase your cooling costs.