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that's extremely dirty, there really is no reason to use hot water. Clothing will get just as clean using cold water, and your energy savings will be significant.

Running a load of laundry to wash one or two items can be money down the drain. If you find yourself needing to wash an item, be sure to add other items to the load to make a complete load.

Washing clothes inside out will help colors stay true longer and help clothing wear better over time.

By far, you'll notice the biggest energy savings when you reduce the amount of time you run your dryer. Run several loads of laundry at one time so you're taking advantage of a hot dryer and not having to re-heat the dryer each time you use it. During winter months, hang clothes on a drying rack in your basement or on hangers in your bathtub. Not quite ready to ditch your dryer completely? Try line-drying a few items from each load, line-dry two or three loads of laundry a week, or line-dry your clothes completely and fluff them up in the dryer for 10 minutes.

YOUR MACHINE

Washing machines have come a long way in helping families be more environmentally-friendly. Most washing machines on the market are much more energy-efficient than their older counterparts. Does that mean you need to put your old machine out to the curb? Not necessarily. When the time is right, consider making a new energy-efficient washing machine a part of your family.

Laundry doesn't need to be a dirty word in your home. With a little conscious creativity, you can easily make your pink socks - well, green.

Learn more about this author, Starla Ross.
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