9/29/10
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, "About 90 percent of the energy used for washing clothes in a conventional top-load washer is for heating the water." So if you want to preserve your clothes and save energy, all you have to do is choose cold water when washing them. Since most clothes don't need warm or hot water to get clean, they'll come out looking like new and you'll save on your energy costs.