Whether managing one, ten, hundreds or thousands of units, all managers invest in laundry. Over time the energy and water used in the processes adds up in cost and environmental output, which begs the question - how green is your laundry?

I received an email the other day from the Sierra Club (an environmental group) asking this various question and I was intrigued. The survey focuses on individual laundry habits; however, it highlighted the use of Energy Star qualified washers, which we felt was applicable to the vacation rental industry.

Cited from the Sierra Club
Energy Star qualified washers use at least 40 percent less energy than standard washers and roughly half the water (www.energystar.gov). If you’re in the market for a new washer, look for an Energy Star qualified model with the highest possible MEF, or Modified Energy Factor. The upfront expense may be greater, but more efficient machines mean lower operating costs. Dryers, by the way, are not Energy Star rated because there’s so little variation in energy use among the models.

If your machine hails from the avocado/harvest gold era, obviously, it’s time to find a replacement. In general, newer washers are more efficient than ancient ones. Age alone, however, is not a good gauge of your washer’s efficiency. That’s because the Energy Star program highlights appliances more efficient than the average of current models, so there are plenty of washers that fall short of the standard. Remember, too, that Energy Star washers range in capacity from 1.6 to 3.8 cubic feet, so tailor your purchase to your household’s size.

If you’re using a laundromat, don’t beat up on yourself. Many laundromats already use energy-efficient washers since the water-heating bills for all those machines do add up. In general, the side-loading models commonly found in commercial laundries are more efficient than top loaders.

Food for thought if you’re in the process of replacing your current washers. If you are interesting in taking the free quiz to see how green your personal laundry habits are, click here.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 11th, 2008 at 9:46 am and is filed under Food for Thought. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.