CLEANING APPLIANCES

The document outlines strategies to lower utility bills and environmental impact by optimizing the use of cleaning appliances. It highlights the significant energy role of water heating, compares the efficiency of different machine types (such as horizontal-axis vs. vertical-axis washers), and suggests behavioral changes like cold-water washing and air-drying. It also introduces advanced technologies like Heat Pump Clothes Dryers and provides a comparison of high-efficiency dishwasher models.

• Water heating is the primary energy driver for cleaning appliances, accounting for 85–90 percent of the energy needed for clothes washing and approximately 80 percent for dishwashing.
• Horizontal-axis (H-axis) front-loading washing machines are significantly more efficient than traditional vertical-axis (V-axis) top-loading machines, using 50–70 percent less energy and 30–60 percent less water.
• Reducing the hot-water heater thermostat to 120°F can lower the cost of washing clothes by 20 percent.
• Heat Pump Clothes Dryers (HPCDs) are ventless and can be up to two times as efficient as conventional dryers by reusing heat from the exit air stream to help heat the home in winter.
• The most efficient dishwashers available in the report's data consume between 204 and 282 kilowatt-hours per year, with the Equator brand listed as the most efficient at 166 kWh/year.
• Using unheated-air drying instead of heated-air drying in a dishwasher can save 12 percent of the appliance's energy consumption.

APA

Goorskey, S., Smith, A., & Wang, K. (2004). CLEANING APPLIANCES. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_HEB6CleaningApps.pdf

Chicago

Goorskey, Sarah, Andy Smith, and Katherine Wang. CLEANING APPLIANCES. RMI, 2004. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_HEB6CleaningApps.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Goorskey |first1=Sarah |last2=Smith |first2=Andy |last3=Wang |first3=Katherine |title=CLEANING APPLIANCES |publisher=RMI |date=3 December 2004 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_HEB6CleaningApps.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{goorskey2004cleaning, author = {Goorskey, Sarah and Smith, Andy and Wang, Katherine}, title = {{CLEANING APPLIANCES}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2004}, month = dec, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_HEB6CleaningApps.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }