All about water for washing

Less water, more satisfaction
Not all washing machines are made equal. Two appliances with the same drum size can have different water consumption levels. For instance, Amica washing machines set to the Cotton programme use just 39 litres of water at 40 and 60 °C, whereas older models use as much as 50 litres. The average annual water consumption in Amica washing machines is 9,000 to 10,000 litres, while older models used 2-2.5 times as much. This can reduce your water bill by hundreds of pounds per year.

Savings come out in the wash
After buying a modern, water-saving model, it is important we pay attention to our washing “behaviour”. Rule number one: run the washing machine only when we have enough load. Overloading, however, may result in increased water and energy use, and unsatisfactory washing results. It's also one of the most common causes of machines failures. Avoid adding too many or too few clothes. To cut our costs even more, we can hand-wash some of the more challenging stains beforehand and set the wash cycle at a lower temperature..

Should we worry about hard water?
The water used for washing affects both the washing machine and the washing results. Hard water can result in higher detergent consumption and less-than-clean laundry. It can also damage washing machine components, including the discharge hose, the heater or even the drum. We can test the hardness of water using home testing kits. Special descaling agents might be useful for hard and medium-hard water. Another good solution is installing a hose filter.