Tips For Green Washing
While you're awaiting the arrival of the waterless washing machine, make a few adjustments to your laundry routine to save energy. Wash a full load, opt for a cold rinse, and hang clothes on the line to dry. For dry-clean-only clothes, choose greener options like wet cleaning or liquid CO2 dry cleaning.
--D.W.
Most of us in drought stricken areas are doing the full load wash anyway and for environmental reasons are using cold water. However, the line dry option is not available for many people since neighborhood association codes forbid clothes lines. Maybe that is something that could be changed in these days of increased environmental awareness. How well I recall the wonderful smell of sheets dried on the line back in my days of small town living.
Posted by: Lois A | June 12, 2008 at 08:52 AM
i am lucky to live in a city that does not forbid a clothesline. however i am in the midwest and finding a green dry cleaner is difficult. there is finally ONE and only one, but not at all close to where to i live. i'd love to see more of them crop up soon!
Posted by: marcy | June 12, 2008 at 10:14 AM
don't cops have better things to do than write citations for clotheslines? even if city codes forbid them, i wonder if officers would actually go out of their way to make an environmentally-mindful person miserable with a ticket.
Posted by: Kaptain Klimate | June 12, 2008 at 10:24 AM
Neighbourhood association or not, mine is drying outside! I haven't had any complaints. In the winter drying your laundry inside the bedroom prevents the air from getting too dry.
There are a lot of (mainly) foreign (read european) laundry machines on the market that use a lot less water then the regular top loaders AND they do a better job cleaning your cloths without the huge amount of detergents and/or bleach. And then there is the use of environmentally friendly laundry detergents. You can use the used laundry water to flush your toilets. Grey water can be used for irrigation purposes http://www.oasisdesign.net/greywater
Posted by: ccsoleil | June 12, 2008 at 10:34 AM
If you need to replace your washer, I highly recommend high efficiency machines, which are available and use little water. We purchased a Bosch and are very happy with it. I have a dryer, but line-drying's the preference here. A warning - HE front loaders allow you to view the process. There's no sloshing! Like Zippy, you may find this so intriguing you're tempted to put in viewing seats.
Posted by: Jill in KC | June 12, 2008 at 10:47 AM
and don't forget to do your wash (and drying, if you're not doing the clothes line thing) in the evenings. energy rates that you have to pay may not differ by time of day, but what it really costs to produce energy during peak demand times does.
why care? because those additional energy plants that come online to produce those extra kilowatts are some of the most inefficient and polluting.
Posted by: james owen | June 12, 2008 at 02:26 PM
In Japan, an inventor made a combination clothes/dish washer.
It does not use any cleaning products.
It uses ultrasonics. The washer is filled with 2 or 3 gallons of water and the ultrasonics break down the dirty, food, etc, which is collected in a pan at the bottom of the washer. Thus washer has very few parts and should last for decades.
The water is so clean, you can drink it.
This was invented in the late 1980s to early 1990s.
But the chemical company want to sell us detergents and other cleaning products which we really do not need.
THIS IS WHAT WE NEED AND IT SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE IN AMERICA.
Posted by: James Verry | June 12, 2008 at 04:48 PM
I wash full loads when possible; use warm or cold wash and cold rinse all the time; and use my solar clothes dryer (clothesline) when it isn't raining.
Posted by: Edith Montgomery | June 12, 2008 at 05:24 PM
Clotheslines can be aesthetically pleasing. It is silly and wasteful to ban clotheslines.
See this clothesline photo album:
http://entertainment.webshots.com/album/38341753XUwuFJ
Posted by: David | June 12, 2008 at 07:18 PM
The combination washine machine/dishwasher is perfect for those who tend to drop their dinner on their lap while they eat...
Posted by: Kaptain Klimate | June 13, 2008 at 08:42 AM
okay, but I'm old enough to remember the problems that go with clotheslines-i.e., they fall down with the weight of the wet wash, they drag, they take a strong person to build (the poles that hold up the line have to be secure). So someone should build a better clothesline and I'll buy one.
Posted by: Nancy Wright | June 15, 2008 at 06:56 PM
Regarding the comment about "problems with clotheslines," I have a circular clothesline I bought at Lowe's seven years ago for $30, which holds nearly two loads of clothes, never had a problem with it, it's still 'good as new..." It also collapses if you want while not using it, this is the one you'd want!
Posted by: Michele | July 01, 2008 at 02:02 PM
Correction: it holds over two loads of clothes!
Posted by: Michele | July 01, 2008 at 02:04 PM
For the really staunch - consider a washer that uses no electricity - The Wonder Wash from the Laundry Alternative.
http://www.laundry-aternative.com/products/Wonderwash.html
Posted by: Lorraine | September 03, 2008 at 07:10 AM
My homeowners assoc. doesn't allow clotheslines either. So I use a collapsable rack and put it on my front porch just to irritate those few in the neighborhood that actually care about foolish rules. There are no rules prohibiting temporary drying racks.
Posted by: Joyce | September 05, 2008 at 05:50 AM
I appreciate that people starts to think more about energy saving because till a few years before it was no them. The gas prices encourage us. Greetings, Niki
Posted by: Niki Buchen | September 16, 2008 at 04:04 AM