Step Three, Cleaning at Thirty Degrees

A simple way of reducing your energy demand is to cut down on the energy needed for washing clothes. Thirty degrees Celsius is generally warm enough to clean your washing thoroughly, unless you have a very soiled wash. Getting rid of the tumble dryer is another simple way of reducing energy requirements.

There are a lot of detergents now available that go gently on the environment. There’s no great need for optical brighteners unless you want to look like emulate the man from Del Monte. Read the instructions so that you can minimize the amount to what’s absolutely necessary.

A drying rack or two can dry most of your wash within 24 hours, and if you have a balcony or a garden, air drying works well for most of the year, and the clothes feel fresher too. There’s a certain smugness about bring in a wash that’s dried quickly on a windy sunny day.