Eco‑friendly tips for lower laundry bills and less waste

Sometimes, simple changes can make a huge difference. What can we do to wash economically and, at the same time, more ecologically? First, we should pay attention to one program that is particularly costly and harmful to the environment.

A washing machine's power is most often 650 W. Therefore, if an average laundry cycle lasts about 1 hour, the electricity consumption will be 0.65 kWh. Of course, this is an approximate value, as each washing machine has a different power consumption level.

Most importantly, we should carefully choose the washing program to wash economically. It is crucial to avoid choosing the delicate program, as it consumes significantly more water and is detrimental to the natural environment. Besides, significantly more microfibers are released during such washing.

Researchers from British Newcastle University calculated that the delicate program releases as many as 1.4 million microfibers, compared to about 800,000 in the standard cotton program.

Remember also to avoid doing laundry at 40 degrees Celsius. It will be more economical to wash at 30 degrees, and the effect will be the same. To heat water to 40 degrees, the washing machine will use almost twice as much energy as if washing at a lower temperature.

In addition, remember to fully fill the washing machine drum—just be careful not to overload it. A large amount of detergent is also not recommended. Do not overuse the prewash function; use it only when our clothes are heavily soiled.

Also, use the eco-program on the washing machine. It usually lasts the longest, but it uses less energy and water. This type of program can reduce energy consumption by up to 40 percent.

The build-up of limescale on the heater makes heating the water difficult, causing the washing machine to consume more energy. That's why regular descaling is so important. In addition, an excessive amount can lead to the device breaking down.