People more concerned about doing their washing quickly than the environment.

[Starryskiesinthesky]

AIBU to think it is totally depressing that people arent willing to make even small changes to try and stop the environmental crisis that is here. For example, not wanting to use an eco programme on machines because it takes longer, not prepared to dry clothes outside rather than use a dryer, driving everywhere rather than walking. If people who could, made small changes, it would all add up and we might be able to halt some of the damage we are doing to the environment and childrens futures.

Our eco takes so long - I usually use my quick wash function which is 30 mins and 30 degrees.

Admit I haven’t checked to see which is better.

@AGreenerShadeofKale

Look at manufacturer information.

Mine shows the 20 minute at 30 degrees as lowest electrity use, not the eco. That's for the mucky stuff.

my manual also says that the 20min cycle should only be used for a quarter load. and many other cycles should also take less laundry. overfilling can reduce the lifespan of the machine.

it might use less energy for 1 set of school uniform for example, but if you were to wash 4 or 5 small loads compared with a big load on the eco setting then that's where the difference comes in.

Sorry, I do what's best, most convenient for me & that gives me the best quality of life - whether that's the setting I use on my washing machine or having a takeaway or driving my car.

I'm only in this life once - I intend to enjoy it!

Me too Decadently. 🏆 fabulous. I can't stand bloody preaching and there's lots on it on this thread.

I make sensible choices, but choices that work for me. Like having a soda stream for instance - I no longer put endless sparkling water bottles in my recycling - works for me, as does using my washing machine and dryer to get through the laundry.

@ElCaMum

I use my drier all year round but then I live somewhere that has over 95% of its electricity produced by renewable energy sources. Maybe that’s what the UK should be pushing for 🤷🏼‍♀️

Why can't you put it outside?

@GoWalkabout

Would add Do you live with a dated bathroom and kitchen rather than replace, forgo the extension, keep old furniture

My bathroom is 50 years old (not including the lino). Kitchen is around 35 years old. Both genuinely need replacing, but I can't afford it so I've not kept them for environmental reasons.

I do generally use the eco programme on my washing machine (unless it's on a delicates or wool wash), don't have a dryer, often eat vegetarian, don't drive (though DH does), we don't holiday abroad, we recycle, I buy the vast majority of my clothes second hand, and use heating & hot water as little as possible.

Only one child, but I'll admit he has way to much plastic tat.

Online quizzes suggested that our carbon footprint was below average for the UK. It must be lower now DH no longer drives to work and we sadly lost one of our cats. Any further reductions (apart from less plastic tat) would be prohibitively expensive - such as replacing the old gas boiler (and getting rid of the immersion heater), I've had quotes for the work and it is more than we can afford.

@ElCaMum

I use my drier all year round but then I live somewhere that has over 95% of its electricity produced by renewable energy sources. Maybe that’s what the UK should be pushing for 🤷🏼‍♀️

If you are on Orkney it's more like 120% of it's energy usage is generated from renewables. In which case your washing will be dry in a couple of hours if you hang it outside thanks to the wind.

I always use the 30min 30° cycle on my washing machine and then hang the washing on the clothes horse in the garage to dry (warm garage as boiler is in there) I recycle and always put out a full blue bag plus extras for cardboard and 3 black bins with glass, plastic and other recyclables. I do drive as I live in the country but work is only 15 minutes away. There is no alternative transport for me to get to work and I start at 5am.

As a family we do our best.

The only time I have ever used a boil wash on a machine was 3 weeks ago when I found my white jeans had some mould on them from the wardrobe.

I was able to rescue them on a long hot wash but with minimal detergent as we have a septic tank and are not on the mains sewers.

A good suggestion OP. We all need to do our part in reducing resource use.

Really don’t understand what your point is with this thread

We will all be using eco settings etc before too long because mains electricity will become much more expensive as the decade goes on. Might as well get used to it now.

I agree. We can all do something. At the start of this year I decided that we would do our bit. We now have a milkman and no more plastic milk bottles. We eat clean so I cook everything from scratch and I buy from local shops where I can, trying to reduce plastic waste by not buying prepacked. We use shampoo, conditioner and washing up bars, no more bottles. I use the washing line and not the dryer where possible. We walk to the local shops and to school on days when I don’t need the car for work. We only buy what we need, when we need it, and where possible - not in plastic. We rescue food using the too good to go app and I batch cook to make life easier and reduce waste, I also meal plan to reduce waste and ensure we only buy what we will use. I have eliminated disposable food storage / wrap and only use glass jars (reused from jam etc) for storage, and wax wraps. My household general waste (that cannot be recycled) has reduced from 1 black sack a week, to one every three weeks! When I notice other things I can do - I do! My kids also like to little pick in parks and on beaches so we do that for a little while
On our days out. Many of the things we do that harm the environment are there to make life easier but actually, when we go back to basics it is also those very things that made life hard!

My washing machine takes 42 minutes on normal or 3 hours on eco, why would i leave my clothes in a machine for so long, they would wear out quicker and i would have to replace them more often. Yes we eat meat which is reared or hunted by ourselves or neighbours, the fish and seafood are shared / swapped amongst neighbours too as are fruit and veg. I recycle where i can and don't buy anything unless i really need it. I do my bit as much as i can but i understand other people just don't have the time and to be honest until we rant at China and boycott their tat nothing we do will make any difference.

In my opinion eco cycles aren't very eco. That much time immersed in water is likely to be detrimental to clothes which will mean buying more over time as they wear out quicker. I do other things to be eco like limiting the amount of powder I use, almost always drying clothes outside or on a rack rather than tumble drying (I do have small one but I can't remember the last time I used it), walk rather than drive, don't buy stuff I don't need, especially plastic tat etc.
I think it's important to do our bit but as others have said that bit is almost nothing compared to other countries so I'm not going to beat myself up for putting my washing on the programme that suits me best.

I really can’t get worked up about people washing their clothes. We wash our cloth nappies at 60 daily on a 45 rinse wash. About 50% of the UK’s electricity is produced by renewable sources and it’s increasing all the time.

You are much better off to be directing your distain to other things that like eating local produce.

All of this is just pointless tokenism though. I use the eco cycle on my washing machine, use reusable nappies and wipes, get some milk from the milkman, air dry my clothes etc. It makes you feel better and gives you cool points in Babipur Hangout et al. It does precisely nothing for the planet.

Solving the climate crisis will take high level action and a lot of money. It’s solution lies in the hands of governments and big business not in the hands of individuals be they gas guzzling American stereotypes, urban Chinese or U.K. hippies. If you actually care about the climate, you need to take political action not stay at home washing your reusable nappies.

A lot of modern eco trends are just old fashioned capitalist consumerism repackaged. Look at the reusable nappy market for that. It’s a serious consumer obsession for so many. Huge stashes of fancy nappies, not a few prefolds and wraps. Reusable water bottles too. No repurposed bottle/jar/tin, no we have to have a Klean Kanteen.

Infighting among guilty Bob who flies on holiday five times a year and has six kids and Eco Edward who is childfree by choice and uses the eco cycle on his washing machine and has no car only a fancy bike does not help the planet, it just splits the population and reduces the pressure on people who could make a difference and that is exactly what they want.

@AgathaX

Is that you Meghan?

😁😁

I do my bit as much as i can but i understand other people just don't have the time and to be honest until we rant at China and boycott their tat nothing we do will make any difference.

To be fair to China, they’re not forcing “their” tat upon us, they’re supplying a demand. I really don’t like this attitude that those of us living in countries that manufacture very little but import everything have a moral high ground. We are huge consumers!

One word for you OP, China. They are the cause of global warming/environmental crisis. Not whether I wash at 30 degrees or 40.

Serious question for you OP because I do look at my washing machine cycles and I wash at 30 these days.
I haven’t used the eco cycle because it was longer. My brain saying to me ‘the longer the machine is in use, the more electricity it is using.’
Do you know how it works then? Because it doesn’t make sense to me!
I run my machine in the night anyway so the time taken is irrelevant.

@Watchingyouwazowski they are eco cycles because they use don’t heat water as warm but wash for longer to agitate the clothing more instead. The main electricity is used in heating, not spinning.

They aren’t really good on actually dirty clothes or things like towels or bedding because they don’t get hot enough to properly clean them.

[quote elbea]@Watchingyouwazowski they are eco cycles because they use don’t heat water as warm but wash for longer to agitate the clothing more instead. The main electricity is used in heating, not spinning.

They aren’t really good on actually dirty clothes or things like towels or bedding because they don’t get hot enough to properly clean them.[/quote]
Thanks for your reply. No good with kids then! Or pets! I may as well stick to what I’m doing.
I’m a massive hypocrite anyway, as this very day I have ordered a tumble dryer. I’ve tried to survive without one for months and summer has been fine but now it’s pouring with rain, I’ve got towels and uniforms to dry, nowhere to put them and had to put the heating on just to try to keep on top of it, which defeats the object.
When I had a tumble dryer before, I seldom had the heating on because the tumbler heated the house for me!

Are you vegan? If not, sit down please.

I have 4 dcs🤷‍♀️