Our tips for using less electricity when looking after your clothes

Every action makes a difference to the planet! There is often a treasure trove of tricks hidden in everyday life that can help protect the environment while also saving you lots of money. And it doesn't involve rocket science either. How can we fight against energy waste while also reducing electricity costs? Here you can discover some simple eco-friendly tips for doing your laundry: a great way to change your habits and make immediate, long-lasting improvements.

Our tips for using less electricity when looking after your clothes

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Wash less, but wash better

First, there is no need to wash an item of clothing if it isn't stained. You can use Dry Microfine Steam to sanitise and freshen it up instead. The steam penetrates deep into the fibres and plumps them up in the blink of an eye. Any bad odours are also significantly reduced.

If washing is necessary, you should use a low-temperature setting. It's all about being cost-effective: washing at 60°C consumes 1.3 kWh, while washing at 40°C is about 0.7 kWh. But 30°C only uses 0.4 kWh! Today's washing machines and detergents are very efficient, even at 30°, which is the perfect temperature for everyday laundry that isn't very dirty. For clothes worn by someone who's been ill (e.g. after a stomach bug) and for fabrics that cannot be washed at 60°, a few seconds of hygienic steam is enough to eliminate pathogenic micro-organisms.

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Dry clothes in the open air

A tumble dryer is handy, but it uses up way too much energy! Drying clothes in the open air, in the garden or in front of wide-open windows is just as easy, but it's much more cost-effective and eco-friendly. The fibres become saturated with scents from their surroundings. When they blow in the breeze, they remain supple. The sun helps sanitise clothes and brighten up white fabrics while also reducing stains. When drying indoors, clean garments will fill the room with their scent. It also helps regulate the humidity level in a room, which is particularly useful in winter when rooms are dried out by heating and a lack of ventilation, which can lead to the irritation of your respiratory tract. By contrast, in summer, your house will feel pleasantly cool.

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Cost-effective ironing

First, only choose clothes that need to be ironed, which isn't the case for all fabrics. For some, drying them on a hanger is more than sufficient. Then, wait until you have a certain number of clothes to iron: this allows you to optimise the temperature increase of your iron rather than heating it up several times for small amounts.

Finally, prepare to iron by sorting out your laundry beforehand: start with the most delicate fabrics that require a moderate ironing temperature. Continue with the most resistant fabrics, such as denim, cotton or linen, which require a very hot iron and steam. Then, unplug your appliance for the remaining, lighter pieces that do not require any steam.

And one last tip: to shorten the time it takes to iron, place your ironed clothes on hangers and fold them after the iron has been turned off.

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Comment moins consommer en repassant avec votre appareil Laurastar ?

Use the heat of the iron and avoid pressing the steam button continuously.
Use steam when ironing forwards and without steam when ironing backwards.
Set the iron temperature to the minimum setting when appropriate for the fabric being ironed.
Only use the protective soleplate when necessary.
Descale your appliance regularly, as a limescale build-up leads to higher electricity consumption. This good habit will also extend the life of your appliances.
Make sure that your appliance has an automatic shut-off function if it remains inactive for too long.

Our tips for using less electricity when looking after your clothes