By Josette Keelor — Daily Staff Writer

As more and more people have begun practicing green living, technology has made it easier for homeowners to save energy in small ways. Though going completely environmentally friendly can really add up in time and money, living green does not have to be costly or force you to make over your entire life.

In fact, the first step to having a more energy efficient home can begin in the laundry room with energy saving washers and dryers. These good-for-the-earth appliances not only reduce the amount of water used to clean clothes, but they are also easy on the wallet — in the long run — helping to reduce monthly water and electric bills.

With growing options, it may be difficult to decide which machine to choose, but local appliance dealers say it all depends on what you are looking for, how you need it to fit your life and how much you are willing to spend.

Machines that offer the high efficiency Energy Star rating on the packaging most often cost more than their high energy counterparts, but they make up for the initial cost by saving money in other ways, says Terry Berry, manager of Schewels Furniture in Front Royal. The energy reduction pays for itself, he says, by saving money on electric and water bills.

Some of the washers that Schewels offers, he says, will spin at a faster rate during the final spin cycle in order to squeeze more water out of clothes. This means that the dryer will not need to work as hard or as long to dry the clothes, making for a quicker drying process and requiring less energy.

Front-loading washing machines spin at a rate of 1,000-1,200 rotations per minute in the final spin, says Doug Cowgill, manager of Spichers Appliance in Winchester. The average top loader, he says, spins at about 400-450 rpm.

He says that front-loading washer and dryer sets have also been timed so that they will finish in the same amount of time, which he has noticed is one of the dryers' key selling points.

"When the washer is done, the dryer is done," he says. "There is no more waiting for the dryer when the washer is done."

The washers and dryers will also fit more clothes per load, says Cowgill. The same two loads of clothes in a top loader will be one load in a front loader, he says, increasing the load in a front loader to between 14 and 15 full-sized towels as opposed to eight to 10 towels in most top load washers and only six to eight in an average stackable washer, the latter of which is made to fit in a small space with the dryer stacked on top of the washer.

The increased capacity cuts the amount of water consumption in half, he says. Because front-loading washers and dryers allow more clothes per load, they save on the number of loads of laundry that you will need to do, so less water will be needed overall.

"The most they will ever use is 22 gallons [of water] per wash," says Cowgill. A standard top load washer uses 50 to 54 gallons of water. He explains that water consumption is one of the biggest reasons that shoppers will have for buying a front-loading machine.

Any front loader will save money on water compared to a top loader, he says.

About 90 percent of the washers that Spichers Appliance sells now are front loaders, he says.

Although front loaders offer more space and quicker processing times than many standard washers and dryers, they are not the only energy-saving machines on the market.

Berry says that the Whirlpool Cabrio was the top-rated washing machine last year.

"It is an energy-saving machine," he says, even though it is a top loader. "It doesn't have an agitator, but it uses a lot less water than the other [top-loading washers] do."

The absence of an agitator, he says, will provide more room for clothes. The machine also differs from many other top-loading machines, because it offers various settings for the size of the load. A standard washing machine will use the same amount of water no matter how much laundry is being washed; the Cabrio allows the user to choose the amount of water needed, so as not to use more water than is necessary.

Schewels offers six different models of energy-saving machines, but customers can special order other models with various options from the store's catalog.

"It all comes down to which features you want in them," Berry says.

The machines come in a variety of colors, as well, some offering options such as pedestals to add height to a washer as well as some storage space for detergent and other laundry necessities.

A product new on the market this year is a laundry tower by Whirlpool's Duet model that can stand between or on either side of the washer and dryer. This offers the same storage space that a pedestal does, but it can also provide another work surface. Another option is the Duet Worksurface that rests across the top of the washer and dryer to provide a place for folding clothes or setting other items, says Cowgill.

The ability to work with dry-clean-only clothes is another feature that can be attractive in a washer or dryer.

Environmentally conscious consumers who do not want their clothes dry cleaned with the chemicals used in regular dry-cleaning methods, such as perchloroethylene, which can be left behind on clothes and then brought into the home, can opt for alternative dry-cleaning processes. Home dry-cleaning methods use other chemicals or none at all.

The Whirlpool energy saving dryers have a steam system that gets out more wrinkles, working on the same principle of dry cleaning, says Cowgill. If used in conjunction with Dryel, it will dry clean, he says.

Dryel, an at-home dry cleaning product, offers a dry cleaning kit, which works to remove stains and odors and helps to minimize wrinkles, according to its Web site, www.dryel.com. After using the Dryel Stain Remover, clothes such as wool, rayon, silk, linen, acetate and blends of those fabrics can go through the dryer in a Dryel bag with a pre-moistened Dryel cloth. The site claims that Dryel cleans with steam but without harsh chemicals.

The Duet Steam Washer and Steam Dryer both offer a steam process; the washer steams out tough stains and the dryer steams out wrinkles, says Cowgill. Used in conjunction with Dryel, these models will dry clean clothes that are marked "dry clean only," Cowgill says, adding that not all dryers will accommodate Dryel.

"It has to at least have the heat capability," he says, explaining that the Dryel bag will not work if the temperature in the dryer is too high. The Energy Star dryers offer selections to choose if being used with Dryel.

Other energy saving machines on the market offer the benefit of being portable.

The Web site www.laundry-alternative.com offers a portable, mini washing machine and a mini countertop spin dryer that clean and dry laundry in a minimal amount of time and use 90 percent less water and detergent than conventional washing machines, the site says. The washing machine also does not require electricity for use.

On average, energy saving washers and dryers are about $400 to $500 more expensive than traditional models, Cowgill says. The cheapest brand of front loaders on the market right now is GE, he says. Each brand that the store sells — GE, Maytag, Whirlpool and Boch — offers a variety of prices, depending on features.

"Over a period of time, it pays for itself," he says.

*Contact Josette Keelor at jkeelor@nvdaily.com.