Washing machines are obviously incredibly convenient. They are more effective than hand washing and avoid you needing to take your clothes down to the nearest stream or launderette. However, they also use a lot of water, energy and chemicals. If you are looking for ways to make greener use of your washing machine, you’ve come to the right place. Check out the six great tips we have provided below.

Always Wash a Full Load

As a rule of thumb, it is best to only use your washing machine when it has a full load in the drum. It should go without saying that while you want it to be full, you don’t want to overfill it or not all the items will wash as thoroughly.

Pick the Right Washer

It is important to choose, if you are in the process of buying a new washing machine, the right one. That is one that is rated for water efficiency and energy efficiency. This helpful guide at Repair Aid gives further suggestions worth considering.

Avoid Using Prewash Cycles

Although it can be very tempting to use those prewash cycles if you have clothes that are particularly dirty. You know the kind we mean – the kids have been to football practice or are home from a weekend at Glastonbury. That kind of muck. However, you could increase the efficiency of your machine by avoiding them all together and instead using laundry balls, these help to mix the laundry up much better and improve the overall effectiveness of the wash cycle.

Always Wash at 30-Degrees Where Possible

It is possible that you have heard many advertisements proclaiming about how effective washing your dirty laundry at just 30-degrees can be. This is not a sales pitch. The truth is that most washing machines are now efficient and effective enough to wash clothes thoroughly, even if the temperature is set to 30-degrees. This obviously saves on the energy required to warm the water and it also is a gentler way to get your clothes clean. An important tip though would be to use a liquid detergent, rather than a powder if you are washing at lower temperatures as these are already dissolved.

Avoid Overusing Detergent

Try to follow the guidelines on the back of the bottle or box of detergent. If you want to prevent your machine from working inefficiently or being more polluting, measure it carefully. Besides, using too much each wash will increase the amount of money you are having to pay out for washing machine detergent.

Choose the Time of Day You Wash Your Clothes Carefully

This only applies if you have a dual day/night meter. If you do, avoid using your machine during the day and try to use it more at nighttime or even at the weekends to enjoy a reduced tariff. If power is sourced from photovoltaic solar paneling, you are best using your washing machine during the day to get the full benefit from all that free electricity generated from the panels.