Everyone loves the buy one get one free coupon. Who doesn’t like to save? Costs in our lives continue to rise, but many of us don’t have time for extreme couponing. Try these simple ways to save.
First, you could change up your dish washing technique. Using a dishwasher can be more efficient than hand washing. If possible, avoid pre-rinsing dishes (unless of course you let Fido do the pre-clean!). Instead, scrape off food and empty liquids before loading your dishwasher. If you need to pre-rinse, try to use cold water. When you fill the dishwasher racks, remember to fill them while still allowing for water circulation. It’s best to wash full loads to optimize water and energy use, and if your dishwasher has different wash cycle selections, select the lowest energy cycle for the job. If available, use the “no-heat” dry feature.
Impact: Double the savings! Save energy and water consumption.
Next, why not transform your laundry habits? Try to only wash full loads of clothes without overloading. For the wash cycle, use cold water unless washing clothes with greasy stains. Pre-soak heavily soiled clothes. For the rinse cycle, continue to use cold water with cold water detergent. In one wash cycle, heating the water uses about 90 percent of the energy. To take advantage of the heat, try to do multiple loads in a row. Skip the dryer by hanging your clothes to dry.
Impact: Washing full loads saves 3,400 gallons of water and about $30 to $40 a year when washing with cold water. If you hang your clothes to dry inside, you can increase the humidity in your home which is especially helpful in the winter when humidity can be low.
Remember, to avoid generating extra heat during the day, postpone laundry and dishwashing until nighttime.