With World Water Day coming up on March 22, now is a great time to start thinking about your household's water habits and some simple eco-friendly ways that you can look to save water.
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Established by UN-Water in 1993, World Water Day is a global initiative to raise awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water and taking action to tackle the global water crisis.
The theme for 2021's World Water Day is valuing water. This can be applied in all areas of your home, including the laundry.
Colin Jones is the category expert at Appliances Online, and given it's Australia's largest online appliance retailer, he knows a thing or two about washing machines. Here's Colin's advice on saving water in the hardest working room in the house.
When purchasing an appliance for your laundry, it's important to consider the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) rating, as it can show you how much water and money your household can save.
Be sure to find a machine that matches your household size, so that you can get the best wash results and minimise wasting unnecessary water. You should also consider:
1. Front loaders tend to be more water efficient
Front loaders use less water, less energy and have a higher spin speed extracting more water from the clothes, which means less time on the line or in the dryer.
2. Choose a model with auto dosing or auto load-sensing
Limiting the amount of detergent you use can save water and energy. Choosing a model with auto dosing technology, can save on detergent compared to manual dispensing and also produce great wash results, as it measures the weight of the clothes and therefore, how much water it will need to wash your clothes.
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3. Recycle the grey water from your washing machine for your garden
While collecting grey water from your washing machine won't directly affect your laundry's water efficiency, it can have a positive effect on your home's overall water consumption. Use a bucket at the machine's drain, or chat to your plumber about how to get a greywater treatment system installed in your home, to collect, clean and filter your recycled water so it can be safely used for gardening and more.
4. Pre soak heavily soiled items or choose an eco wash programs
To avoid having to wash the same thing twice, pre soak items that have tough stains and choose an eco wash program, when your washing items aren't heavily soiled.
