Limiting the use of your clothes dryer can save energy and money.  According to Department of Energy figures from 2001, clothes dryers account for 5.8% of home energy use. 

Try drying your clothes on lines outside or use drying racks inside to save on energy use.  Find other energy saving tips for laundry on the Department of Energy website.

Recently a 9th District resident wrote with a tip on how their family has cut down on dryer use:

We hang much of our laundry on a line to dry rather than using the dryer.  A clothes dryer uses huge amounts of electricity.  Blue jeans, bath towels and other thick materials take especially long to dry in the dryer and therefore use up lots of electricity.  After the clothes, towels, etc have dried on the line, they can be put in the dryer with a few lighter weight wet items such as socks and underwear.  They will absorb dampness from the wet items and then become soft and wrinkle free.

Thanks for sharing this tip!  If you have any sustainability tips to share, please email Katie Holmes.