top green laundry tips to save u money

coupons are not the only way to save money. a lot of money-savers happen without leaving the house. here is an example of one of them:

1. Wear clothing more than once (except for undies). The United Nations Environment Programme did the math and found out that you can save energy (use up to 5x less) by washing clothes in cold water after wearing them at least three times, then line dry without using ironing.

2. Use a cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle instead of fabric softeners. The vinegar balances the pH of soap which leaves your clothes soft and chemical free. And vinegar is cheap.

3. Use concentrated eco-friendly laundry detergent to help save the earth.

4. Make your own laundry soap. It's cheap and actually easier to make than you think. Search the web for some awesome recipes. Most recipes use only 3 ingredients which you can get in the laundry section of any store.

5. Upgrade your washing machine to front-loading instead of top-loading; the front-loading uses less water. But if you can't upgrade machines, then try these tips: Wash with cold water. 90% of laundry energy costs comes from heating the water. You can even do whites in cold if you buy detergent for cold water. Wash only full loads of laundry or use the "load size" selector. The same tips apply for the dryer.

6. Air your clean laundry! Dryers use a lot of energy. Hang clothes on the line. Here is a tip on how to line dry while avoiding stiff clothes.

7. Help your dryer work better when you do use it. Frequently clean the lint filter to increase efficiency and shorten drying time. Use the moisture sensor if your dryer has one.

8. Avoid ironing. Heat destroys the fibers in fabrics. To help get rid of excess wrinkling, hang up clothing immediately after washing. Cut the final spin cycle on easily wrinkled fabrics such as linen. And fold dry clothes where you want your creases to be. Store them under other clothes so the weight can also remove some wrinkles.

9. Use your local laundry service. Those commercial grade washers and dryers in the laundry mat are more efficient than the ones in our homes. You can also use a laundry service and ask them to use green detergents.

10. Skip the dry cleaning. It is expensive and un-green. Not only that, but the chemicals have been linked to cancers and reduced fertility. Buy clothes that don't require dry-cleaning. For the items you already own, some can be hand laundered. For others, try to find a dry cleaner that uses wet cleaning process or that uses less harsh chemicals (see the EPAs list of CO2 Cleaners).

Source: PlanetGreen.Discovery.com