Washing and Drying

This week, after our dryer broke down a couple of weeks ago (and I admit my weakness to this piece of machinery), I decided to take a close look at what I was doing and why.  This thought process can be applied to both your veterinary workplace and also to your home to improve your energy efficiency quite simply as well has having the effect of nice fresh smelling washing, that has been sanitised in the sun!

The new portable washing line

Firstly my washing line is in the wrong place - its too hard to get to and in autumn/winter its only in sun for 2-4 hours a day.  Initially I thought - I am just going to put a washing line across the top of our patio - one that can be hidden but NO - my husband was not having that, so we have compromised and I have purchased a portable collapsible washing line that mimics a "hills hoist".  Rather than using the stand supplied with it, which is a bit light weight, I put it in our heavy umbrella stand.  This can be dragged around the sunny patio as needed and gets sun nearly all day even in mid winter.  it can then be collapsed and easily put way.   It's not so great for sheets and towels, but if I stagger the washing of them it will work, or I can still put them on the original washing line.  The other thing I can do with this line is bring it inside overnight to finish nearly dry washing in front of the fire. 

Secondly I looked at the time of day I washed.  I was putting washing on at dinner time/kids bedtime and it finished at a time I was still up, so rather than wait until the morning, I'd just pop it in the dryer, so now  I put the wash to go on late at night, when the forecast is good the next day, then it can be hung out before work and ready to come in at days end.  

Thirdly I looked at the washing I was doing.   I am now far more careful to check over the kids clothes and not just put them in the wash for the sake of it, so less washing is building up.  I am also finding that the recent clothes that I have purchased from NZ clothing manufacturers actually don't seem to need washing as much.

Clothes dryer - now seldom used

Yes we did purchase another dryer - second hand, reconditioned but it has 2 features which make it a little more efficient.  One is that it sense the load for dryness and 2 is that it has reverse tumbling which improves the drying as the sheets especially do not get in a knot.  The good news is  that I haven't actually needed to use it yet!  And now we will not use it for totally wet washing.  We will now use it to finish off washing that is nearly dry and needed quickly, rather than for wet washing to get it completely dry.

In terms of your veterinary clinic situation some things to think about:

1. Look at the materials you are using for bedding and on surgery tables.  Change from towels for example which are heavy in the washing machine so you can't fit as much in and are hard to dry to something like polar fleece which is recycled, easy to wash, can get loads in the machine and it comes out nearly dry
2. Investigate where you are drying your clinic washing.  Could the washing line be moved to a more effective place?  Do you just need to install a washing line or replace it with one that is a better design?
3. If there is no space to dry it outside, could someone at work take a washed load home and hang it on their line?
4. If you are using a commercial firm to wash and dry your clinic bedding and so on investigate the company you use.   Are they energy and water efficient?  How far is it being transported?  Is there a more efficient,  local option?

I haven't really touched on the actual washing of the loads here -where oif course more efficiencies can be made by:

1. Using a water efficient washing machine - when you need a new machine make sure you select on water and power efficiency. 
2. Washing only full loads - even if your machine does half loads, it still takes the same amount of time so uses the same amount of electricity.  
3. Selection of the washing machine liquid or powder - beware of green-wash here.  You will probably need to dig deeper than what is on the packet to find out if it is truly safe and 100% biodegradable.  You should also look at the ethos of the company.  No point choosing a product that meets the criteria, but also produces other products that aren't, or one that produces a lot of toxic waste making the product.  Keep re-evaluating your choice here as other options become available. 
4. Collecting the waste grey water  - provided the washing powder/liquid you are using is environmentally friendly, this can be used on clinic gardens or used to run through your toilet system, saving water. 

Have a great weekend

Kind Regards
Francesca