30 Steps to Energy Efficiency – Step 9: Wash In Cold Water

Reader Contribution by Comly Wilson
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This series of energy-saving tips is brought to you by CleanEdison.

More than the electricity needed to run these machines, the “rinse hold” hot water setting that many households use is the biggest energy drain associated with dishwashers – as much as 80 percent of the energy your dishwasher uses goes to heat water.

If you think about it, hot tap water isn’t really hot enough to kill germs — the detergent does that — so unless you have a new, high-tech model that brings the water temp to over 140 degrees Fahrenheit, there’s no reason not to wash with cold water. The same goes for washing clothes. You’ll also preserve fabrics longer by washing in cold.

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