Washing machines - most energy efficient cycle?

lizzyshep

I've got a Matsui MWM145W washing machine and the manual is rubbish - it doesn't tell you the length of each cycle, or which is the most energy efficient.

I've been using the Eco Wash setting (40 degree wash) which I assumed was the most energy efficient, but it seems to take ages (over an hour, maybe closer to two). I was wondering whether it would be better to use the Cotton 30 degree wash or the Quick Wash instead. There is also the option of the Cold washes.

Could anyone advise me which would be the best wash to use, in terms of saving energy? I tend to cut back on the amount of detergent I use so want something that will clean effectively, but my clothes don't get all that dirty.

Penelope_Penguin

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Cardew

An A rated washing machine on a 30C or 40C cycle will use very little electricty, probably in the region of 0.5kWh - so about 5p.

All modern machines do have a long cycle.

Optimisticpair

lizzyshep wrote: »

I've got a Matsui MWM145W washing machine and the manual is rubbish - it doesn't tell you the length of each cycle, or which is the most energy efficient.

I've been using the Eco Wash setting (40 degree wash) which I assumed was the most energy efficient, but it seems to take ages (over an hour, maybe closer to two). I was wondering whether it would be better to use the Cotton 30 degree wash or the Quick Wash instead. There is also the option of the Cold washes.

Could anyone advise me which would be the best wash to use, in terms of saving energy? I tend to cut back on the amount of detergent I use so want something that will clean effectively, but my clothes don't get all that dirty.

I'd think it would be least costly to choose a cold wash to save electricity on heating up the water if clothes aren't dirty and the shortest wash cycle at 30 degrees. If you are using as little detergent as really necessary you would need the minimum of rinses. I haven't worked out how to stop my Bosch from rinsing twice yet.

If you are in a hard water area a small amount of Soda Crystals softens water so you would need less detergent.

[FONT=&quot]If you aren't making the famous Laundry Gloop try :

1 dessert spoonful of stardrops and 1 of soda crystals [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]for a dirtier wash add 1 tbspn of washing detergent [/FONT]as well.

KimYeovil

The longer the wash cycle the cheaper the wash. Sometimes. It depends what it is doing.

It is much easier with a dish washer - then it is easy to see that a longer cycle is better. Quick splash of very hot water. Leave dishes to soak for a long time. Quick rinse off. Leave dishes to dry. -> a long time, a cheap wash. Or blast with hot water, rinse immediately, blast again, rinse again, blast of very hot air to dry dishes in five minutes - > a much shorter time but not as energy efficient.

With clothing it can be similar - the eco wash may just wet the clothes then leave them to soak for an hour before giving them a churn. So an eco wash that lasts two and a half hours may use less energy than a 30 minute quick wash.

And, of course, an eco wash may alternatively be more focused on using less water rather than using less energy.

dannymccann

The cheapest wash will be the 30deg wash, at the end of the day the hotter the water the more leccy it uses. For the average adult washing shirts and trousers from a clean office job this will be fine, you just need to wash the general dirt of the day out of them. Usually, these washes will be called an ECO wash and will have one less rinse cycle, saving on water on a meter as well. On my Beko this 30c wash is rated at 2.5kg because it uses less water so cant process as much clothing, I prefer to ram the washer pretty full and use the 40c ECO wash, which is 5kg and uses a bit more water but is a general purpose wash for everything. What I do is set it to come on 3 hours before we get home so its just finishing spinning as we walk in the door and it can go straight on hangers in the windows (no ironing ) or clothes horses until the warm evenings / weekends come round

Mrs_Thrify

Hi Liz, washing at 30C will be cheeper as the machine does not need to heat the water up to the hotter temp. It is not till you heat up to 60C that you kill the dust mites though! Some people wash bedding and towls at this temp.


I have an A rated Bosch and tend to wash mostly at 40C on easy care setting.It takes about 45 minutes to go through the wash.
Once a month a higher temp wash to clean through the machine.
Julie

Swipe

julie_d wrote: »

It is not till you heat up to 60C that you kill the dust mites though!

Really? I didn't realise dust mites could swim

Mrs_Thrify

30C is the lowest possible temperature for most machines, for best results you need to buy dergents that work at this cool temperature.

40C This temperature is what most poeple wash at for cotton, linen, or viscose, acrylics, wool and poly/cotton blends.

50C for poly/cotton mixtures and nylon, cotton and viscose.

60C wash is good for bed linen, towels and heavily soiled garments.

90C is the hottest wash, suitable for white linens and cottons.

Don't be tempted to try and save money by reducing the amount of detergent used as this can result in long term build up of slime, greese, and bacteria.
This a problem with mostly washing at 40C and will be worse at 30C . You should do regular maintenance washes at higher temperatures.
Otherwise over time, your washing machine may accumulate bacteria, mould and greesy smells inside which will shorten its life.

basmic

In all washes, add some soda crystals - not only will this reduce the amount of detergent you need to use, it will actually help clean the washing - and the machine itself when used at 60c+ temperatures.

For tea towels, towels or bedding, especially creams/whites, 60c with non-colour biological powder.

For tea towels, towels or coloured bedding, 60c with colour powder or liquid.

Colured clothing, colour liquid/powder at 40c.

Light/white clothing, non-coloured biological powder or liquid if the garments aren't white.

Basically, if it's hygenic or bedding I wash at 60c - sometimes I do a 90c, but only once every few months. Clothing goes through at 40c. Whites I use non-coloured biological powder (never liquid). Colours get what's nearest to hand.

markharding557

basmic wrote: »

In all washes, add some soda crystals - not only will this reduce the amount of detergent you need to use, it will actually help clean the washing - and the machine itself when used at 60c+ temperatures.

For tea towels, towels or bedding, especially creams/whites, 60c with non-colour biological powder.

For tea towels, towels or coloured bedding, 60c with colour powder or liquid.

Colured clothing, colour liquid/powder at 40c.

Light/white clothing, non-coloured biological powder or liquid if the garments aren't white.

Basically, if it's hygenic or bedding I wash at 60c - sometimes I do a 90c, but only once every few months. Clothing goes through at 40c. Whites I use non-coloured biological powder (never liquid). Colours get what's nearest to hand.

This is rather odd telling people to wash at 60c on a money saving forum
surely this will cost significantly more than washing at 30c or 40c.
there is no reason to wash at 60c a small amount of disinfectant will suffice for anything to be hygienically cleaned;)