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šŸ”“Hereā€™s how to save energy, money while doing laundry

Doing laundry isnā€™t a chore thatā€™s going to disappear anytime soon, and neither are the costs involved in doing it. But as Consumer Reports explains, a few simple, eco-friendly changes (and the right detergent) in the laundry room can help lower your energy bills.

Consumer Reports says using a high-efficiency washer and dryer is one of the most important things you can do in terms of reducing your energy bills.

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Front-load washers deliver when it comes to cleaning performance, and they use the least amount of water and energy. Among the best and most eco-friendly in CRā€™s tests is the LG WM3400CW. The matching dryer is the LG DLE3400W. They each cost about $800.

If you already own a high-efficiency washer and dryer and your set is working just fine, there are still ways to save. CRā€™s tests have found that laundry detergents have become much better at removing dirt and stains at lower water temperatures. The top two detergents in CRā€™s tests are Tide Plus Ultra Stain Release and Persil Pro Clean Stain Fighter. Both can tackle tough stains and can also be used as a pretreat stain remover.

If you canā€™t line-dry, you can lower the amount of energy your dryer uses by increasing your washerā€™s spin cycle. It reduces your dryerā€™s workload by extracting more water from the clothes, which means less work for your dryer. It might increase wrinkling, but CR says donā€™t let that stop you. Instead, simply untangle and shake your laundry out before you toss it in the dryer.

And to keep your dryer running as efficiently as possible, donā€™t forget to clean the lint screen before every load.

If you use dryer sheets, know that they can leave a film behind on your dryerā€™s filter that reduces airflow. They can also leave residue on your dryerā€™s moisture sensors. Check your ownerā€™s manual on how to clean those sensors. Better yet, skip dryer sheets altogether and reduce your waste!