Saving water involves much more than teaching kids to turn the tap off while washing their hands or brushing their teeth. It extends to laundry day too!
There are many ways to save water, but today we’ll focus on wash-day only.
1. Set your sights on your settings
If your washing machine has an energy-efficiency label, make sure you understand it and put it to good use. You can check the litres of water you are using per kilogram of washing on the label. Obviously, the lower, the better. Water usage per kilogram can reportedly vary between six and 14 litres.
2. Treat stains beforehand
Get rid of stains by rubbing a new stain vigorously with Sunlight soap and water prior to washing the item. This will prevent you from having to rewash clothes in the event that the stain is not removed during the first wash – saving you water and effort.
3. Run a full load
Refrain from washing small loads, as they end up using more or less the same amount of water. Many older washing machines cannot tell how many items of clothing you have in a cycle. If you absolutely have to wash a smaller load, elect the ‘small load’ setting on your washing machine.
4. Wear clothes more than once
You do not have to wash jackets or jeans after every wear, unless they have visible stains. Many items of clothing can be worn more than once without compromise. If you have teenagers at home who chop and change their outfits regularly, instruct them to hang still-clean clothes back in their wardrobes – and make it a non-negotiable. Also, after using towels, let them hang the towels out to dry so that they can be reused, instead of being tossed in the laundry basket.
5. Opt for a cold wash
A lot of electricity is used to heat the water for a washing cycle. Choose the cold-water setting to save on your electricity bill. If you’re worried that cold water might not wash clothes properly, just make sure you use a good-quality washing powder that removes stains while maintaining the colour of your clothes. Use your favourite Sunlight detergent when washing to keep clothes smelling like a tropical ‘scentsation‘ – even while neatly packed in your wardrobe. Sunlight 2in1 Tropical Sensations Hand Wash Powder will leave your clothes clean and smelling as fragrant as a field of fresh roses so you smell fresh all day!
6. Hand-wash
Washing your clothes by hand uses much less water than an average washing-machine cycle. You will also use less laundry detergent. And a bonus is that your clothes maintain their shape and original appearance for longer.
Become part of our proud Water Smart Nation today, and encourage your children to do the same. Remember, it all starts with you!
Copy supplied by Sunlight
