Washers Dryers

Plus, other laundry settings you need to know.

Wash your washing workhorse.

These are the formulas that work like magic.

The surprising backstory for this washing machine tune.

Washing and drying clothes uses a lot of energy and water in a typical house. Here are 10 ways you can reduce your consumption of water and energy while doing laundry.Move the dryer closer to an outside wall The farther exhaust air has to travel from your dryer to get outside, the more energy your dryer will use on every cycle. If you can, move the dryer as close to its exhaust port as possible. Can you reduce the number of elbow bends in the exhaust pipe?

Here’s a quick tip I learned from friends who regularly go car camping: they always bring a large size salad spinner with them, just in case they find themselves needing to wash, then dry a t-shirt, socks, or intimates… I’ve got several technical synthetic material athletic shirts, socks, and tights/sleeves I prefer to hand wash and hang dry throughout the week immediately after workouts (they can accumulate a funk quickly, the sweat hog I am).

If you’re lucky enough to have your own, your washer and dryer are probably among your most expensive household appliances. But it’s easy to just crank the laundry through them without giving them much care. They are sophisticated machines, though, that need proper maintenance if you want to keep them working their best and for a long time. This weekend, familiarize yourself with how to properly take care of these very handy workhorses.