Green Up Your Wash

No, I don't mean turn all your clothes green...Today's Green Living Blog is about how to save money and help the planet by the way you do your laundry.

- Wash in cold water. Most detergents are now formulated to work well in cold water, and this is a huge money and energy-saver, because about 90% of the energy used for washing clothes goes to heating the water.

- If you don't already have an Energy Star washer, look into getting one.

- Don't wash everything after each wear, it's not always necessary—and besides, you don't actually like doing laundry, do you?

- Always run full loads only, but not overfull, of course.

- Air-dry as many items as possible. It's easier on fabrics, and dryers can make your clothes look worn out much sooner.

- Avoid dry cleaning. It's expensive and terrible for the environment. Did you know that the dry-cleaning solvents are possibly carcinogenic and are in our groundwater and soil nationwide. Green dry cleaning is available—check for one near you.

- Always clean the dryer's lint screen before drying.

Any other ideas? Here's to a Greener Clean!