While we’re on the topic of water, I received this interesting email from Seventh Generation about their new campaign, “Get Out of Hot Water“. While Seventh Generation makes wonderful, naturally-derived cleaning products for your home, they also put out a great monthly newsletter. Their writing addresses education about keeping our families safe from chemicals; environmental implications of our home uses, and how we can improve them; and philanthropies Seventh Generation is involved with.

“Get Out of Hot Water” is a wake-up call to use cold water in your laundry instead of warm or hot water. They explain that heating water uses 90 percent of the energy when doing a wash - eliminating that step can save you plenty of money, especially if you do as much laundry as we do! There’s a calculator on the site where you can estimate how much money you can save - just plug in if you use hot or cold water; if you have a standard or energy efficient washing machine; and how many loads of laundry you wash per week. If you take their pledge, you can receive a free copy of their guide Naturally Clean: The Seventh Generation Guide to Safe and Healthy, Non-Toxic Cleaning! The offer is good while supplies last, so take the pledge today! What do you do to reduce energy costs for your laundry?

Personally, I do wash everything in cold water, except for sheets and towels. Cold water protects the color of clothes, making them wear out in less time. However, I do believe that sheets and towels, that take a beating from our bodies on a daily basis, need to get a warm (not hot) bath. I’ve found that warm water is usually hot enough - I can’t say I’ve ever used the “hot” water on the washing machine! But this is personal preference!