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When we built our home, my husband and focused on features that would help lower our carbon footprint. Our old washing machine and dryer were old enough to get their driver’s license and on their last legs. Buying a set of ENERGY STAR® rated clothes washer and dryer was very important to us. The water used in our homes when we were children was provided by well water. Whenever there were long periods of drought, showers were time-restricted and everyone conserved water. It was important to us that we install low-flow shower heads and faucets and to make ENERGY STAR appliances a priority knowing they would not only save money, but that these steps would help protect precious natural resources.
Why ENERGY STAR?
ENERGY STAR certified products save money, reduce energy use, and protect the environment by meeting strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Two months before our home was finished my husband was traveling for work and our washing machine quit. I had been researching appliances and it was easy to go online and order the set I had been looking at from Best Buy at 11pm that night. My husband bought my first home appliances from Best Buy, so it was a no brainer to buy from them again as they ticked all of the boxes on what I needed not only for appliances, but for their sustainability practices. Best Buy is committed to positively impacting the environment and its communities. They also offer a wide assortment of sustainable products which includes a large selection of energy-efficient products, including ENERGY STAR certified electronics and appliances.
Why did I buy ENERGY STAR certified products?
It made sense. ENERGY STAR certified clothes washers and dryers save energy, which means savings on utility bills. Many are also equipped with advanced features that make cleaning and drying easier and more effective.
It’s better for the environment. Saving energy means that ENERGY STAR certified washes and dryers help protect the climate, which means that we’re benefitting now, as will future generations and the planet for years to come.
It’s better for your clothes. ENERGY STAR clothes washers use a variety of sophisticated cleaning methods that are gentler on your clothes, while ENERGY STAR clothes dryers use less heat and sensor drying which reduces wear and tear on clothes from over drying.
How has ENERGY STAR made my laundry better?
Before buying our machines I worried there would be issues with the cleanliness of our clothes. My Grandmother told me there was no way that my clothes would be clean because the machine didn’t use enough water to clean them and no agitator meant there would be nothing to “help move the dirt out.” It made sense as my entire family was used to a tub filled with water and a central agitator beating the soil out of our clothes with brute force. However, my mom stepped in and saved the day. She had switched to an ENERGY STAR rated clothes washer the year before and assured me that I would love my new appliances.
I’m one of those weird people who LOVES doing the laundry and my clothes washer and dryer made me feel like laundry star because I bought ENERGY STAR. The new clothes washer moved our clothes gently back and forth in what appeared to be 1/10th of the water from before. I soon found out that my clothes were not only clean, but I watched the water bill decrease and was greeted with a lower utility bill. Three years later, I still have serious high-five “YES! I’M SAVING ALL THE THINGS!” moments when I open my monthly utility bills.
Photo by Andy Fitzsimon on Unsplash
Clothes washers that have earned the ENERGY STAR use 25% less energy and approximately 45% less water than standard models. A new ENERGY STAR certified clothes washer will save you about $45 a year on your utility bills compared to a standard model. Over the lifetime of an ENERGY STAR clothes washer, it really adds up:
- 1,100 kWh and more than 2.5 million BTUs of natural gas,
- 33,000 gallons of water,
- $490 over the product’s lifetime.
If all clothes washers sold in the U.S. were ENERGY STAR certified, we would save more than $4 billion each year and prevent more than 19 billion pounds of carbon pollution annually. This is equal to the emissions from 1.7 million vehicles.
My new ENERGY STAR clothes washer and dryercame with new advanced features that helped with cleanliness, but also expanded on some of the bells and whistles I had enjoyed on my old set of laundry appliances. The only thing I didn’t buy at the time was the steam cycle — I’ll add that option the next time I purchase appliances.
- Multiple configurations– ENERGY STAR certified clothes washers are available in either front-load or redesigned top-load configurations which include technology innovations that help save energy and water.
- Sophisticated wash systems– ENERGY STAR certified top-load machines clean your clothing just like standard models without wasting water to fill up the tub. Instead, these machines use sophisticated wash systems to cycle clothes through a mixture of water and detergent, allowing the clothes to be cleaned without using excess water or detergent.
- No central agitator– Front-load machines tumble clothes through a small amount of water instead of rubbing clothes against an agitator, while advanced top-load machines lift and tumble clothes through a reduced stream of water. Both designs dramatically reduce the amount of hot water and energy used in the wash cycle.
- High spin speeds– Efficient motors spin clothes two to three times faster to extract more water. Less moisture in the clothes means less time in the dryer and less energy spent drying clothes.
- Long live your clothes– Front-load and advanced top-load clothes washers’ sophisticated wash systems use a variety of methods to lift and tumble your laundry, lengthening the life of often-washed items. Additionally, because they are so gentle, many models can safely clean silk, wool and other hand-washables.
ENERGY STAR Dryers:
- Clothes dryers that have earned the ENERGY STAR use approximately 20% less energy than standard models.
- If all clothes dryers sold in the U.S. were ENERGY STAR certified, the energy cost savings would grow to more than $1.5 billion each year and 22 billion pounds of annual carbon pollution would be prevented. This is equal to the emissions from 2 million vehicles.
- ENERGY STAR certified clothes dryers incorporate the following advanced features:
- Low Heat Setting– Longer drying cycles on a low heat setting use less energy. When you purchase an ENERGY STAR certified clothes dryer, look for the cycle that uses the least amount of energy, sometimes known as the “energy-saving” selection.
- Steam Cycles– Many ENERGY STAR dryers also include convenient features, such as a steam cycle that can help save time on ironing clothes by preventing wrinkles.
Want to learn more about ENERGY STAR appliances at Best Buy? Click here: https://corporate.bestbuy.com/youre-a-laundry-star-when-you-buy-energy-star/
Read about how we’ve been creating a connected home with Best Buy:
https://adailypinch.com/creating-a-connected-home-with-best-buy-canary-home-security-system-and-netgear-bbyconnectedhome
Laundry Room Fantasies — Where I was poetic over my idea laundry room: https://adailypinch.com/laundry-room-fantasies
Disclaimer: The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free
Lisa is a lifestyle blogger, writer and social media strategist living in Charlotte, NC. 
