Hand washing versus machine washing? – Clothes

Should you wash your clothes by hand to be more green? Whilst it is fairly easy to find information on washing dishes versus using a dishwasher it seems that clothes washing is a different kettle of fish.

 

The general consensus (from Google links) is that washing clothes is too time consuming and hard work to do it by hand and a machine is preferable so long as some basic tips are followed. In the old days we used to have a washing “day” and now people fit it in when they can. Nowadays around 95% of households own a washing machine so the question would seem to be what is the greenest way to use a machine?

 

Washing machines use about 14 per cent of the water we use at home. New washing machines are much more water and energy efficient than they used to be. A new machine uses about half the water and energy of the average 10-year-old machine. Many of the most efficient washing machines now use less than 50 litres of water per wash. There is always the question of whether it is greener to replace a still working 10 year old machine with a new efficient one given the carbon footprint of manufacturing the new machine and disposal of the old machine. 

 

Many new machines now incorporate fuzzy logic to add a degree of "intelligence". Typically, the machine will add enough water to help match the size and absorbency of the load and some will check for suds to see if an extra rinse cycle is required. Future innovations may include ultrasonic agitation and reuse of rinse water.

 

When buying a washing machine you should try to:
• Choose a washing machine with an eco setting.
• Look at the water consumption figure at the bottom of the energy rating sticker. But remember, in order to compare it fairly with other machines, you need to divide this figure by the number of KGs of dry clothing the machine washes in one full load.

 

Waterwise has ranked washing machines according to water saving; this does not allow for the use of grey water in the machine or solar powered hot water. http://www.waterwise.org.uk/reducing_water_wastage_in_the_uk/house_and_garden/clothes_washing.html

 

In order to save the most water and energy always use a full load. Some machines have half-load settings but be careful because these settings often use more than half the water and energy of a full load.

 

Most experts recommend using a 30°C wash. The most significant issue with washing machines is the temperature, because hot washes use far more electricity than cold; washing at 90°C uses twice as much as washing at 40°C.  If you wash at 30°C you won’t need a hot fill machine as the hot water piped would be hotter than you need; the exception to this would be where that hot water was solar powered.

 

 

Green option

 

If you did want to wash without a machine for whatever reason one option is the Wonderwash (usually found at camping shops)

The Wonderwash is power-plug-free washing machine. Hand operated by rotating a handle on the side of the heavy duty plastic barrel. It works and looks like a small cement mixer. It has a volume of about 25 litres that will accept up to 2.2 kilograms (5lbs) of dirty laundry. (An average top loading washing machine takes about 5-6 kilograms, while a front loader will accept 4.5 with a push.) Usually suited for camping, small apartments or equally useful for those who do frequent laundry and can’t justify filling a traditional washing machine to maximise its energy usage. For example, it’s gentler on delicate clothes like underwear and lingerie.

The Wonderwash operates by stowing your dirty clothes in the barrel, with hot or warm water and a small amount of detergent and fixing the lid in place. A pressure screw in then tightened on the lid. It is this pressure which the key to the performance of the unit. The notion is that the hot water in the completely sealed and pressurised barrel heats up the air trapped inside. This pressure forces the water and the detergent through the fabrics and separates the dirt and grime rapidly. Rotating the barrel with the handle further agitates the mixture of water, detergent, fabric and dirt. About 2 minutes rotation is supposedly all that is required. The pressure screw is released and the dirty water emptied. The Wonderwash can also be used for rinsing laundry. It is not a mini tumble drier.

It can use 45,000 less litres of water per year, compared to a standard top load washing machine, a saving of nearly 80%. There is also a corresponding saving of roughly 65% in energy and 45% in detergent use.  If you consider this option do your research first though as there are some comments about the handle not being strong enough.

You will need something to “spin” the washing as it will be soaking wet, one suggestion is an old fashioned mangle unless you have somewhere to hang very wet clothes and you can also wring them out by hand if you are feeling strong (you might need rubber gloves though as it is hard on the hands).

Obviously drying clothes on the washing line is better than using an electric tumble dryer and the clothes smell better too. This practice uses readily free, renewable energy sources - wind and sunshine.