1. Ninety percent of the energy your washer uses goes toward heating water. You can save energy dollars by using hot water only for heavily soiled laundry. Most laundry an be washed in warm water and slightly soiled loads can be washed in cold water. You can also save by using cold water rinses for each load, because the temperature of the water during the rinse cycle will not make your clothes any cleaner. 

2. Run the washer only when you have a full load of laundry to save energy and water. 

3. If you have more than one load of clothes to dry, try to do each load immediately after the one before to use the heat left over from the previous cycle and increase the efficiency of the dryer. 

4. If you’re in the market for a new clothes dryer, consider purchasing one with a “moisture sensing” device that shuts off automatically when your clothes are dry so the dryer doesn’t run longer than needed. 

5. You can reduce drying time and energy use by setting your timer carefully. Over-drying your clothes uses more energy than necessary, and shortens the life of the fabric. Other side effects include shrinkage and static cling. 

6. Drying heavy and light fabrics separately will also keep drying time to a minimum. Mixing different weight fabrics causes the dryer to run longer than necessary. 

7. Remember to check the lint filter before each load. Lint buildup blocks air flow and lengthens drying time, costing you energy dollars.