Faced with increasingly exorbitant electricity bills, many people are beginning to rationalize the use of their appliances. And to save some money, it’s time to tackle one of your biggest energy hogs: the washing machine. Therefore, to reduce your electricity bill, here is an essential tip that will allow you to avoid unnecessary expenses.
Using your washing machine intelligently will not only allow you to have properly clean and scented clothes, but it will also save you a few extra euros.
Limit the consumption of your washing machine
Did you know thata poorly maintained and clogged washing machine can quickly lose efficiency become more energy intensive because of the mold and scale deposits that build up there?
To overcome this problem, all you have to do is adopt a very simple reflection: clean the detergent and fabric softener drawers, to prevent deposit build-up due to dirt or detergent. Yes, this part of your washing machine requires your full attention! And it is not because it is always in contact with water and detergents that it does not need maintenance. On the contrary, after each wash, there is water as well as traces of fabric softener and soap in the drawer of the washing machine.
Washing machine cleaning. source: spm
How to clean the detergent drawer of your washing machine from traces of mold, detergent residue and limescale?
- Remove the detergent dispenser: open it as if you were going to do a round of washing and pull it hard towards you as far as you can (be careful not to force too much so as not to break it). On some models, the lock must be inside the tray, just press the button to remove it.
- Remove the top of the compartment for easy cleaning.
- Soak the dispenser in a container 3/4 full of vinegar and 1/4 full of water for 30 minutes.
- Don’t forget to also clean the tray with a toothbrush to remove any residual residue.
- Finally, clean the detergent drawer with a damp cloth before putting it back.
For more convincing results, consider also cleaning regularly drum, rubber stampsas much as The filters of your washing machine. To do this, run a high temperature vacuum machine, 60°C minimum, during 1-2 minutes. Do not hesitate to perform this operation, at least once a month. This will remove bacteria, powder detergent residue as much as bad smells.
Cleaning a dirty detergent drawer. source: spm
Are you paying too much for your electricity? Your washing machine could be to blame!
Since you have to heat water to wash clothes, the washing machine is one of the appliances that consumes the most energy. You may not realize it, but as you do your math, you’ll soon discover that it can cost you a lot of money at the end of each month. Combined with misuse, the bill will only go up.
The energy consumption of a washing machine.
What you need to know is thatIn France, a washing machine can consume an average of 191 kWh per year (ie approximately 16 kWh per month and 0.5 kWh per day).
In fact, depending on the program you choose, a wash cycle can consume 80-90% electricity, and this, just for heat the water. Also, your washing machine may be on several times a day, especially in the case of a large family.
How to calculate the energy consumption of your washing machine?
If you want to know more about the annual electricity consumption of your washing machine, simply perform the following calculation: Power of the washing machine (W) x number of hours per week x 52 weeks (that is, one year) / 1,000 = Consumption in kWh.
With the purpose of convert kWh to euroyou need to know the price per kWh of electricity and multiply it by the number of kWh consumed by your washing machine.
What is the average electricity consumption of a washing machine?
- 1.33 kWh for class A;
- 0.95 kWh for class A+;
- 0.87 kWh for class A++;
- 0.82 kWh for class A+++.
As you may have seen throughout this article, sometimes it is enough to descale and thoroughly clean the detergent drawer of your washing machine to reduce the electricity bill.
read also What is the little door at the bottom of the washing machine for?
