==Energy consumption==
If half of the Swedish households laundry is washed at 60 ° C with an energy consumption of 0.6 kWh / kg, and the other half is washed at 40 ° C with an energy consumption of 0.3 kWh / kg (approximate values from the Consumer Agency’s buying advice 1994), the total power consumption of the country would be 765 million kWh / year, which roughly represents 30 per cent of the electrical power from Oskarshamn 2 (Swedish nuclear plant, pared. note.). Note that these numbers are based on modern machines. The actual energy consumption is thus significantly higher. If the total laundry load size of 1.7 million tons is dried with an energy consumption of l kWh / kg, the total energy consumption of domestic washing would be about 2500 million kWh / year. The energy consumption for ironing and mangling is not included. The overall energy consumption of washing and drying would probably correspond well with the amount of energy produced at Oskarshamn 2 (modern washing and drying equipment). In the example, we expect the machines to be half filled but with highly efficient dewatering in the centrifuge. As stated earlier, we know very little about the average laundry load quantity in the washing machine. The same applies to water levels, which is important regarding energy consumption during heating. The dewatering efficiency of the washing machines is probably lower than the assumed, but on the other hand, it can be assumed that at least part of the laundry is dried without drying machines during the summer months, ie. it is dried outside.
==Water consumption==
==Detergent consumption==
The use of detergent is normally about 20 - 30 g / kg of laundry. This means that the total detergent consumption in Sweden is 34000-51000 tons / year. Sales should lie in this size range. In addition to this is the use of fabric softener which is estimated to about 10 000 tons (diluted solutions). In recent years, consumption of stain removers has increased, but the volume is difficult to estimate. The commercial detergents consist of surfactants, alkaline agents, sequestrants, corrosion inhibitors, protective colloids and different enzymes and bleaching for white goods and stain removal. Detergents have in recent years undergone a lot of changes regarding the chemical content by having certain environmentally hazardous components replaced. The voluntary environmental labeling of detergents has greatly accelerated this development. "Industrial washing", ie. larger laundries that wash for hospitals, government agencies, companies, etc., use - per kg laundry - less than half of the amount of water consumed when the washing is done in households. The same applies to the consumption of energy and detergent. This is due the equipment being better and more efficient.
== Suggestions for consumers & innovation ideas ==
• Encourage the use of "phosphate free," "no bleach," "SLE free" and "NPE free" detergents.
• Encourage the use of biodegradable detergents since these tend to not contain harmful ingredients.
• Encourage the use of plant- and animal-based ingredients, instead of petroleum-based.
• Encourage the use of concentrated detergents. These have reduced packaging.
• Encourage washing and rinsing in cold water.
• Encourage spot cleaning.
• Suggest alternatives to dry-cleaning with perc, including Solvon K4 and hydrocarbon solvents.
• Use fibres creatively and effectively to create garments or products that allow for less washing.
• Create a product where staining is intended as a design element, influencing the consumer to wash less.
• Create a garment that allows the consumer to detach and wash pieces of the garment that readily get soiled, saving on water.
• Design garments that utilize the natural wrinkling of the fabric as a design feature to influence reduced use of energy by customers to iron the garment.
==Sources==