[Petrochemicals (OP)]

From Ariel washing powder, a company selling biological powder

If everyone in the UK washed colder, we could save an amount of CO2 that’s equal to half a million cars off the road

Is this anywhere near the truth?

[Just thinking]

Is this anywhere near the truth?

There are 40 million engines burning fuel in Britain so if washing in cold water will reduce 1.2% of this emission problem that's good but is this the case maybe? It comes down to the consumption of the power station emissions it sounds like it may be true.

[Bored chemist]

It depends strongly on how much "colder" they wash stuff.
If everyone was boil-washing everything, and switched to a 35C programme that would save a lot of energy.

[alancalverd]

Worth noting that non-enzyme washing powders are sold on the basis of being hypoallergenic, and most of them work  pretty well at 40 deg C. Save the planet or save your skin? 

[Petrochemicals (OP)]

Is this anywhere near the truth?

There are 40 million engines burning fuel in Britain so if washing in cold water will reduce 1.2% of this emission problem that's good but is this the case maybe? It comes down to the consumption of the power station emissions it sounds like it may be true.

A washing machine uses about 50 l, but only 20 is heated in the wash cycle, people may do 3 loads a week each, that is 60 litres per week. A bath or shower is however is about 100L,  if you have one every day that is 700L a week, if we all regress our personal hygiene habits we could lower fossil fuel usage by a fair ammount.

[Petrochemicals (OP)]

 No takers?


If showers and washing machines are at an equal 40c, the 60L per week  washing machines is saving allegedly 500,000 cars worth of emissions by reducing water heating energy by approximately half. this means if we all showered once a week at 100L rather than 700L it equates to removing 10,000,000 cars from the roads.

If you care about co2 emissions you really have a duty to shower  once weekly. I wonder whether Gretna Hamburg  and extinction rebellion are aware of this?  Given transport makes up over 1/4 of UK energy usage, with 30 million cars in the uk, switching to weekly bathing would reduce UK co2 emission by about 20 percent.

[Petrochemicals (OP)]

I wonder whether Boris or  Ikea Cardboard  would like to be the first to make a manifesto commitment to showering once a week.

[alancalverd]

Queen Elizabeth I declared that she took a bath once a year "whether she needed it or not."  That's the way to build an empire!

[Petrochemicals (OP)]

Queen Elizabeth I declared that she took a bath once a year "whether she needed it or not."  That's the way to build an empire!

Or save the world from carbon dioxide emissions. Maybe her namesake will follow suit.

[Petrochemicals (OP)]

Queen Elizabeth I declared that she took a bath once a year "whether she needed it or not."  That's the way to build an empire!

I suppose Alan if everyone in the CO2 community stopped bathing they may begin to stink.