Short or Eco program of the washing machine: How to save more electricity
Created: 08/02/2022, 07:10
By: Andrea Stettner
Eco programs should consume particularly little electricity, but take longer.
Isn't a short program more advisable?
In times of rising energy prices, many people are currently trying to save electricity.
Especially when doing laundry, it makes sense to pay close attention to the settings.
Not only does the washing temperature play a decisive role in power consumption, but also the washing program itself.
Power consumption varies depending on the washing program
The number of washing programs can be quite confusing, be it the easy-care, denim or short cycle.
They are all tailored to the respective type of laundry in terms of washing time, temperature and spin speed.
Therefore, the differences in power consumption are sometimes enormous.
Many choose the quick wash cycle in the washing machine in the hope of using less electricity.
© Joko/Imago
Eco program saves electricity when doing laundry
If you want to save a lot of electricity, you should rely on the Eco program.
According to
Ökostest
, the Eco program uses around half as much energy as a normal program.
And that despite the fact that the running time in the Eco program is often more than three hours.
The reason is relatively simple: "If the washing time is longer, the machine only works at a high temperature for a short time.
The rest of the time, it hardly uses any energy,” explains Claudia Oberascher from the Hausgeräte+ initiative to the
Energie-tipp.de portal.
Even a short program can't keep up with that.
These washing tips from grandma are a thing of the past
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Short programs require more energy to heat up
Although short programs often only take 30 minutes for a wash cycle, the quick program uses more electricity than the slow eco mode.
The short program has to use up a lot of energy within a very short time in order to reach the required washing temperature.
It's like driving a car: "If you drive your car fast, you use more fuel."
Energie-tipp.de
explains the principle.
The short program is not suitable for heavily soiled items of clothing anyway - there is simply not enough time for the detergent to develop its full cleaning power.
In eco mode, on the other hand, the detergent has an extra long time to get rid of stains.
Power can also be saved in other places in the household.
For example, check your fridge for the right settings and location.
The latter can be crucial for power consumption.
You can find secret power guzzlers in the home with the right method.
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