Use appliance ECO settings
- Earth Points
- 5
- Ease
- Easy
Photo by Oli Woodman on Unsplash
Description
Ever wonder how to cut your utility bills and help our environment at the same time? If you have a dishwasher or washing machine, you may have seen an ECO or energy-saving option. This setting is a simple way to use the appliance while using fewer resources.
ECO modes are designed to reduce an appliance’s environmental impact and energy consumption. They typically do this by adjusting temperature, cycle length, power, or other settings. Common benefits include:
• Reduced Energy Use: Appliances may lower water temperatures, as with washing machines and dishwashers, or adjust features such as a television’s screen brightness. For example, dishwasher testing found that default and quick-wash programs used 20 - 30 percent more energy than ECO modes.
• Lower Water Use: ECO settings on washing machines and dishwashers typically use less water during washing and rinsing. Research found that ECO mode reduced water use by 36 percent on average compared with a normal laundry cycle.
• Gentler Cleaning: Cooler temperatures and gentler cycles can reduce wear on clothing and delicate dishes.
For particularly muddy laundry or dishes with stubborn baked-on grease, a more intensive setting may be more effective, so naturally do what is best for a particular situation. For more typical cases, try ECO mode and you will likely find you get the same results while saving a little money!
Tips
• Review your appliance’s user manual or research it online to understand the specific benefits and limitations of its ECO mode.
• Pre-treat heavily soiled laundry and scrape or soak dishes with stubborn grease when needed. This can help ECO mode clean effectively without requiring a second cycle.
