Household washing now accounts for about 15% of the water used in our homes [6], and missing one wash a week could reduce water usage by 5,000 litres a year [4], as well as reduce electricity consumption and CO2 emissions. Which also means savings on household bills, particularly if you’re on a water meter. It’s quite complicated to work out how much energy and money you could actually save because this will vary depending on your machine, the temperature you wash at, how much you pay for water and electricity, and so on. However, there is some standard information available that can be used to get an idea:
- Energy ratings for washing machines are based on kWh of electricity consumed for a cotton cycle at 60oC with a full load [7].
- Using the UK average electricity tariff for June 2011of 13.18 p per unit, the cost per cycle for 320 currently available washing machines is 15.09-32.01 p based on electricity usage and water consumption [5]. The more expensive cycles tend to be from machines with higher load capacities which can work out cheaper per kg of washing, but if you have one of these it’s likely you need it because you have more people in your household and therefore more to wash!
- Using these costs, cutting out one cycle per week would save between £7.85 and £16.65 a year. The most expensive (per cycle) of the listed machines has an energy efficiency rating of A – bear in mind older or less efficient machines are likely to cost more.
- If you add a tumble dryer cycle to that, which for cotton cycles cost between 17.79 p and 85.67 p per cycle for currently available models [5], missing one a week would save another £9.25 to £44.55 each year. Cutting out a 60oC wash and a tumble dryer cycle each week could save at least 62-183 kg of CO2 per year based on electricity usage [3].
- Using figures for the average electricity used per cycle for machines rated A-F at average load capacity [2], even if you’re already washing at a more environmentally friendly 40oC (they didn’t give values for washes at 30oC) and drying your washing naturally, you could still potentially save a further £3-7 and 15-25 kg of CO2 [3] a year on electricity alone, which all helps!
- Add in the cost of washing detergents (and water depending on where you live and how you are billed), less efficient older machines, and rising energy bills, and savings start to add up. Plus it saves you time and effort and is good for the environment…
But everyone needs to wash their clothes, so other than follow tips such as washing at lower temperatures, using energy efficient cycles and always filling the machine, which many people may already do, how else can washing loads be reduced? One way could be to minimise how often you need to wash your towels.
Damp towels need to be washed regularly, so the only way to limit how often they need washing is to stop them getting so wet. The Bodyflik, a “hand-held squeegee that is used to sweep the water from your body before you use a towel” made in the UK from recyclable plastics [1], makes this possible. Despite the fact that its inventor Wendy Brodie, who now runs a small company whilst working as a special needs teacher, has never actively advertised her products, they have been sold on every continent including Antarctica. Her concern for the environment prompted her to invent the Bodyflik to try and reduce the number of towels she had to wash for her family, and they were first sold in 2005. You do still need a towel, as the Bodyflik removes about 75% of the water from your body, but getting rid of such a large proportion of the water means that instead of the towel ending up as a nice warm breeding ground for bacteria that needs drying out and probably washing too, most of the water that would have gone onto it goes back down the drain instead.
The Bodyflik website lists other advantages, such as cutting down on condensation and mould caused by wet towels hanging in bathrooms, especially if you have limited drying space. It also points out that reducing towel usage is very useful whilst travelling, when you might only have one towel and limited access to a washing machine and drying facilities. Getting wet towels home after going to the swimming pool can be messy and awkward, and even on holiday when a hotel supplies beach towels, if you only get one a day you don’t really want it getting soaked after the first time you get out of the pool or sea. Making them last longer also reduces the number of towels that hotels need to wash. All of these are good points, and your towels really do end up less wet if you use the Bodyflik first!
There are two types of Bodyflik, one that is 25 cm long and 8 cm wide, and a smaller sports version that is 15 cm long and 7 cm wide, and both come in a range of colours. They’re priced at £5.95 and £4.95 respectively, plus a small postage and packaging fee which stays the same no matter how many you buy. The main part of the Bodyflik is solid (and very durable) while the curved gel blades that are used to move the water are flexible and gentle on the skin. You can hang them up and they dry very quickly. You can also use it on your hair, which if you have long hair makes a big difference – you end up with a slightly damp towel instead of a soaking wet one! You can even use it on smooth-haired dogs. It only takes a few seconds to use and over time could make a big difference to the amount of water, electricity and time you spend on washing towels.
[1] Bodyflik, 2007a. http://www.bodyflick.co.uk/thebodyflik.htm
[2] Defra, 2008. http://efficient-products.defra.gov.uk/spm/download/document/id/569
[3] National Energy Foundation, 2011. http://www.nef.org.uk/greencompany/co2calculator.htm
[4] Southern Water. http://www.southernwater.co.uk/homeAndLeisure/waterEfficiency/atHome/default.asp
[5] Sust-it.net, 2006-2011. http://www.sust-it.net/energy_saving.php?id=1
[6] Waterwise, 2011. http://www.waterwise.org.uk/reducing_water_wastage_in_the_uk/house_and_garden/washing_clothes.html
[7] Wikipedia, 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union_energy_label#Washing_machines.2C_tumble_dryers_and_combined_appliances
