Should You Be Using Cold Water to Wash Your Laundry? GE Appliances Says Consumers are Leaving Utility Bill and Energy Savings on the Table

April 26, 2023 at 08:05 AM EDT

New Top Load Washer Designed for Cold Water Wash Performance Aims to Help Consumers Save Up to 90% of Washer Energy Use

To help consumers cut costs and reduce energy dependency, GE Appliances is encouraging consumers to develop a new eco-habit—washing in cold water. More than 90% of the energy used by a washing machine to a clean a large load in hot water is used to heat the water¹. This is eliminated with cold water washing, reducing consumers’ carbon footprint, saving money on utility bills and washing clothing more gently.

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The GE® 4.5 cu. ft. Capacity Washer with Water Level Control makes cold water washing simpler and more effective than ever before, helping consumers to cut costs and reduce energy dependency. (Photo: GE Appliances, a Haier company)

Yet in a recent data analysis, GE Appliances found that just over 1 in 5 laundry cycles in top load machines are using cold water today² to clean clothes, leaving utility bill and energy savings on the table. In response, GE Appliances is launching a top load washer, the GE® 4.5 cu. ft. Capacity Washer with Water Level Control, that makes cold water washing simpler and more effective than ever before.

“Many consumers hesitate to use a dedicated cold water wash cycle because they don’t know when to use it or are worried their clothes won’t get as clean without the use of hot water,” said Michael Mattingly, executive director of product management for clothes care at GE Appliances. “This new washing machine addresses those concerns head-on with features designed to optimize cold water washing, removing the guesswork and delivering better wash performance so everyone can experience the benefits of cold water washing.”

The Eco Cold laundry setting allows consumers to turn every cycle (except sanitize) into a cold-water wash with the single touch of a button. Consumers can even save the Eco Cold setting as a custom “My Cycle,” so all cycles are preset and default to Eco Cold for future use.

Eco Cold also adjusts the agitation time to deliver optimal cleaning in cold water while increasing the spin time so less energy is needed to dry the load. In addition, the Dual Action Agitator provides better circulation and turnover of clothes to achieve a deep clean in cold water. The agitator is comprised of two pieces; the top half operates independently of the bottom to guide clothes through the water, while the bottom half gently agitates clothing along the bottom of the wash basket for a thorough, even cleaning.

GE Appliances also suggests that consumers look for high quality detergents, like Tide, that are formulated to provide greater cleaning results for any loads in cooler wash temperatures.

“As a longtime partner of GE Appliances, Tide is thrilled to see a washing machine that is engineered for energy-saving cold water cycles,” said Todd Cline, senior director of sustainability, Procter & Gamble, North America Fabric Care. “This brings Tide closer to its goal to turn 3 in 4 loads to cold by 2030—a move could help us avoid 27 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, which is enough electricity to power all of New York City and San Francisco for a year³. Washing in cold is a simple action with big impact, and we’re grateful to partners like GE Appliances for their role in helping to enable a new and meaningful eco-habit for our planet.”

Available in white with a black matte backsplash, the GE 4.5 cu. ft. Capacity Washer with Water Level Control also allows users to customize their water levels and wash settings. It offers convenient cycles such as Quick Wash, Soak Rinse and Auto Soak. It is available now at retailers nationwide for a suggested retail price of $849.

More information about GE Appliances and its range of products can be found at https://www.geappliances.com or @geappliances on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest or YouTube.

About GE Appliances

At GE Appliances we make the world a better place, and our team is committed to leading in the communities where we live and work. Today, our appliances are in 50 percent of all U.S. homes, and our business is committed to serving every family in the country. We are a purpose-rooted and passion-driven organization that believes there is always a better way. We manufacture and sell products under the Monogram®, Café™, GE Profile™, GE®, Haier, and Hotpoint brands. Our products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners and water filtration systems. For more information on our company, brands, and corporate citizenship, visit www.geappliancesco.com.

¹ Energy savings using cold water vs. hot water for the normal cycle with a max load using the DOE test procedure to measure machine and hot water energy.

² GE Appliances data from over 32 million cycles on top load washers from January 2021- April 2023.

³ Proctor and Gamble data of the cumulative impact of turning 3 out of 4 laundry loads to cold water by 2030 compared to a 2020 baseline would save enough electricity to power all of New York City and San Francisco for a year.