[SustainableTompkins] Clean up energy bill with cold-water laundry

[Katie Quinn-Jacobs]

As the article points out, laundry detergents designed for cold water 
work best if the water is at least 60 degrees, so here's another good 
reason to have an internal cistern installed. The excess heat generated 
in our basement utility room warms our well water sitting in the 300 
gallon plastic cistern.  We have used cold water to do the wash for over 
a year now (with three grimy laundry generating boys in the household) 
and haven't contracted anything nefarious from the microbial world as 
the warning in the article suggests. But going "cold laundry" did help 
us meet our family's commitment to reduce our household energy consumption.

Internal cisterns are also good for storing a fresh water supply.

-- Katie Quinn-Jacobs

/"According to the Environmental Science & Technology article, the big 
drawback to the new cold-water detergent is that live microbes in 
clothing are not killed by cold water and can spread to everything in 
the wash. Clothing could actually come out "dirtier" than when it went 
in, according to S. Kay Obendorf, a professor of textiles and apparel at 
Cornell University./

/She also points out that during the winter, water can come into the 
house at temperatures only slightly warmer than freezing. This water 
would have to be heated to at least 60 degrees before the cold-water 
detergent became effective."/
Source: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006608120372



Elan Shapiro wrote:

>
> "Clean up on your energy bill with cold-water laundry"
>
> The Detroit News Web
>
> http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006608120372
>
> I have been using only cold water to do my laundry and our soap does a 
> very good job. May I encourage everyone to read this article and act 
> appropriately to save energy and the environment. Please, also, if you 
> can, hang your towels, which take a long time to dry, in the dry room. 
> That saves a bundle!
> Sara Pines
>
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