Programs to make the most of the washing machine while saving money
As water crises progress one wonders what laundry program can save water and electricity, as well as eliminate stains.
Everyone has their favorite show. Some wash cold and some wash at 40 degrees and more. Now a French test has compared all these possibilities, including the efficiency against stains.
Machine wash that lasts longer
Sometimes we wondered which wash lasts the longest. According to the test there is not a big difference. A cold wash lasts as long as a 40 degree wash. The one at 60 degrees lasts only 15 minutes longer than the others.
An exception is washing at 90 degrees which lasts almost twice as long as the others, because the rinse lasts longer.
The program that consumes the most electricity and the most convenient
Washing at 90 degrees will thus be the most expensive for two reasons. It lasts longer and therefore consumes more electricity. In addition, the washing machine needs to heat the water to 90 degrees, which consumes a lot of electricity.
Naturally, the higher the washing temperature, the higher the energy consumption. For example, a 60-degree program consumes 2.7 times more electricity than a wash at 30°C. To save money, it is important to choose programs with low temperatures. But electricity isn’t the only factor in determining the best laundry schedule. Let’s also look at water consumption.
Washing machine: save water and electricity, the program that consumes the most water
Also in this case, the most expensive program of water turns out to be washing at 90 degrees. It consumes almost double the water required by a cold wash. This is because, as mentioned before, it performs one rinse more than the other programmes. For the other programs the water consumption is almost identical for each. If you want to save on water, just don’t wash at 90 degrees.
The most efficient programs against stains
This is where we encounter some surprises for the washing machine: saving water and electricity, but not only. The best wash that removes stains well is the one at 60 degrees. A little lower turned out to be the one at 90 degrees. However washing at 30 and 40 degrees are only about 30% less efficient than washing at 60 degrees.
The surprise is that the 30-degree one washes a little better than the 40-degree one. Not so however with washing at 20 degrees which is less effective in terms of stains.
The best program for water, electricity and stains
It only remains to know which program is best considering the 3 factors: consumption of electricity, water and effectiveness against stains. Well, the 30-degree program offers the best performance.
If, on the other hand, stains are the concern, the best washing is at 60 degrees. Cold washing saves money because it consumes less electricity. Finally, to consume less water, just do not use the 90 degree program.
Further savings can be made by choosing a washing machine or an appliance with a good energy class.
