Feb 11 2008
Washing clothes in cold water as a way to save energy and money is a hot topic in households across the country, but the switch from hot to cold often comes at the cost of so-so laundry results and residual stains. Answering America's call for high-performance cleaning in cold water washing, The Clorox Company announced today the nationwide availability of new Clorox(R) Plus(TM) Coldwater Bleach.
The first-ever bleach specifically formulated to enhance detergent's cleaning power in cold water, Clorox(R) Plus(TM) Coldwater Bleach boosts the cleaning power of a wash cycle to bring out whiter whites, while helping prolong the life of fabric and keeping energy costs down.
"The problem is that most detergents don't perform as well in cooler temperatures -- we have found that you need an extra boost," said Harold Baker, the associate research fellow from The Clorox Company, known as "Dr. Laundry," who helped develop the energy-conscious laundry technology. "We formulated Clorox(R) Plus(TM) Coldwater Bleach to keep your whites vibrant just like Clorox's original formula has done for millions of laundry loads throughout the years."
Washing in cold water not only helps conserve energy, it works to prolong the life of fabrics, Baker added. Fibers break down less quickly in cold water versus hot. For optimal cleaning when washing bleach-safe items in cold water, Baker stressed using bleach because it helps to lift soils better than detergent alone in cold water.
Clorox(R) Plus(TM) Coldwater Bleach Helps Conserve Energy
Simply cooling down from hot to cold water washing can save up to 14 percent on annual energy bills. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, more than 80 percent of energy used to wash clothes comes from heating water. Based on the national average heating costs (using a water heater at 140 degrees Fahrenheit) and estimating that households do seven loads of wash per week, switching from hot to cold can help save the average household $.17 a load, $1.19 a week, and more than $60 a year. With more than 105 million households in the country, that adds up to more than $6 billion in savings.
Considering the amount of laundry a family with two or three children living at home has to do during the week, the savings can be substantial over time. For example, if your son plays football and has practice six days a week, you tend to do 228 wash loads of dirty uniforms throughout the season. If all 8 million football families switched to washing their children's uniforms in cold water for the fall sports season, they could save more than $310 million nationwide. Another astounding statistic is that more than 21 percent of children in this country wear uniforms with white shirts to school. If their families switched to cold water washes, the savings could reach $371 million a year nationwide.
Baker says there are many ways families can save money and conserve energy in the laundry room, in addition to using new Clorox(R) Plus(TM) Coldwater Bleach. Some of his favorite energy saving laundry tips include:
- Only wash full loads of laundry to save water and heating costs
- Dry heavy and light fabrics separately to keep drying times down and set a timer to avoid over drying
- Switch the dryer load immediately to leverage the leftover heat and increase the efficiency of the dryer
- Clean the dryer lint filter every time to ensure nothing is blocking air flow and hampering heat efficiencies