Washing machines should only be switched to 60C to wash 3 specific items
If you want to save money on your bills this winter, these laundry tips will help.
With winter approaching and energy bills rising again, many households across the UK are looking for ways to lower their costs. Washing machines are one household appliance that can be expensive to run.
However, this doesn’t mean there are no ways to lower costs. Deyan Dimitrov, CEO and co-founder at Laundryheap, has shared some top tips to help lower costs while still keeping your home clean. His first tip is to lower the temperature on your wash.
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Most laundry loads can be cleaned perfectly well at 30C, and this cuts the energy use in half. Save your 60C washes for things like bedding, towels, and sportswear, as these items are most likely to be housing bacteria.
If your machine has one, Deyan recommends people use the eco setting to save even more.
The same rule goes for the tumble dryer if you have one. Lowering the temperature may seem counter intuitive, but your clothes will still dry and your bills will be lower too.
Toasty clothes straight from the dryer might feel great, but if they’re warm to the touch, they’ve been in for too long.
Deyan also warns against cramming all your clothes into your washing machine hoping to minimise loads. Big loads might seem more efficient, but a full washing machine won’t wash your clothes thoroughly, so you may have to repeat it again. It’s the same story with dryers — if there’s too many items in them they won;’t rotate and dry properly.
A good way to check if you have packed too much into your washing machine or dryer is to put your hand in. If your hand doesn’t fit between the clothes and the drum, you have packed too much in.
Also ensure you always untangle your laundry before washing. Smaller items are prone to being ensnared by larger ones which can stop them being washed and dried properly. Do up all the buttons on shirts, duvet covers and pillow cases to stop things like socks and underwear getting trapped inside.
