
Environmental issues and the washing machine
Energy usage, water usage, and the environmental impact of throwaway washing machines.
9 topics in this forum
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This forum is to discuss environmental and green issues related to washing machines. I’m looking to get things into proper perspective though, and believe green issues shouldn't be blindly given top priority. We need balanced facts and a full picture. It’s perfectly possible for example to buy a more economical washing machine that costs the environment (and the buyer) much more in the long run because of other factors. I'm all for “green” washing machines” but wary of companies jumping on the bandwagon and selling poor quality washing machines as environmentally friendly. As far as I can see, the most environmentally friendly washing machine you could buy would be one t…
Last reply by Whitegoodshelp (Andy), -
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Hi All, How are the energy ratings of washing machines calculated? Are readings taken across a whole cycle? Are they based on consumption of energy per minute? It struck me that A rated appliances just might not be as efficient as people believe. Yes, they use less electricity at any particular point in time but if they take longer to wash the clothes....
Last reply by Whitegoodshelp (Andy), -
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What I'd like to know is - What planet do the idiots that design washing machine software come from? About the last 5 machines I've had have made me do two separate operations to do a quick wash because for some reason they think that if you only want a low temperature 30 minute wash you should only be able to spin half the water out of the clothes at the end of it. My current machine's 30' wash has a max spin of 800 rpm - Why?! It can't be to save energy or time because it just means that I have to wait for it to finish, select a separate 1400 rpm spin cycle, and then wait for that to complete... It'd probably be 'greener' if I could get hold of a good old fashioned …
Last reply by JetSystem, -
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I have a bosch washer dryer (10 years old). The dryer has broken, but have replaced with a new dryer. Our water is metered, our bills seem quite high. Hoping to see a reduction now that we have a new dryer (only use in wet weather!). I am told that our washing machine will still use lots of water compared to newer machines. Is this correct? Would it be worth considering buying a new washer to reduce water consumption? I have no idea how much water our current machine uses, but based on our bills, and the fact that we are not extravagant with water, I think the washer is the main culprit. Does anyone know roughly what the water consumption might be on our washer. A…
Last reply by NorwichGirl, -
I've been made aware of an important environmental issue related to how washing machines and dishwashers can be "misconnected" to the waste water plumbing and cause environmental damage by allowing detergents to be drained into local rivers. You could be unwittingly contributing to pollution in your local rivers and streams if someone has made a "mis-connection" at your house in the past. When checking my own connections I found I unfortunately had a misconnection with the washing machine in my garage utility room! A full article has been published on Washerhelp ( How to connect a washing machine properly ) I've also published a comprehensive article on my Whitegods…
Last reply by Whitegoodshelp (Andy), -
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I live in a hard water area so was wondering if I could use the water from my (condenser) tumble dryer in my washing machine-if so could I simply pour it into the soap tray as the machine fills?-how does my washing machine determine the water level?
Last reply by Whitegoodshelp (Andy), -
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I started this thread after my blog article why can't modern washing machines rinse properly? attracted so many comments (almost 600) that it became very slow to load for new users and would take a good few hours for anyone to read them. I'm hoping the hardcore of commenter's will be happy to continue on this topic in this more appropriate place - especially as most recent comments were between a small group of people helping each other. It's great that Washerhelp / Whitegoodshelp can facilitate a small community to discuss issues they have in common. Please feel free to use the forums accordingly. If you are new to to subject please join in too but try to at least read…
Last reply by Whitegoodshelp (Andy), -
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If you want to help reduce waste from household appliance and would prefer them not to just be scrapped then Find my Recycler is trying to reduce landfill by compiling a network of repairers to recycle old appliances and other unwanted items by repairing or refurbishing as many as possible. This is a much better solution than simply scrapping appliances for metal and it's run by a genuine eco warrior. Visit Find my Recycler to see if there's someone in your area that can re-use your old appliance. If you can't find someone to genuinely recycle your old appliances then you may need to try and find your local recycling centre by postcode Recyclenow where it will just be …
Last reply by Whitegoodshelp (Andy), -
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If you have a working washing machine (or other appliance) that you no longer need and would prefer to find someone who might get some use for it.. Then try this recycle scheme where you can try to find other people who want your unwanted things (no money changes hands). I used it to pass on a couple of bicycles my kids had stopped using when I didn't want to go to the trouble of trying to sell them and the thought of just dumping them was unacceptable. The couple who came and collected them were so grateful it made me feel all warm inside If you have an unwanted washing machine (or anything else for that matter) and you'd rather see someone else utilise it rather th…
Last reply by Whitegoodshelp (Andy),