Throwing Cold Water on Hot Water Laundry Habits

The Procter & Gamble Company is forging a strategic partnership with the Alliance to Save Energy to publicize the environmental and energy savings benefits of washing laundry in cold water.

Through this agreement, the nonprofit organization will work with P&G’s natural resource education initiative, Future Friendly, to provide consumers with the information they need to convert from hot/warm water washing habits to cold water washing.

“Energy efficiency doesn’t always require huge investments or new equipment, but it often requires education,” said Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance.”If we can overcome consumer barriers to cold water washing, consumers would find it easy to be more energy efficient and to reduce their home energy bills. With just the switch of a dial, cold water washing is one of the simplest ways to save energy and money and benefit the environment.”

The heating of water is a major use of energy in a typical American household. When doing laundry, heating water can account for up to 80 percent of the energy used per wash load in the U.S. By moving to cold water, Americans could reduce CO2 emissions by up to 11 million metric tons annually. However, a major barrier to adopting cold water washing habits in the U.S. is the consumer worry that washing in cold will not clean as effectively as warm/hot water. To combat this notion, P&G’s Tide Coldwater detergent will be showcased as part of P&G’s ongoing efforts to convert consumers to cold water washing.

P&G Future Friendly will work with the Alliance as part of an Earth Day-focused campaign that encourages consumers to change their laundry habits for the better. Featuring a Facebook sweepstakes, pop-up events and media activities, the campaign will utilize Alliance-provided data and consumer-friendly language to illustrate the environmental benefits of cold water washing and drive consumer action.