Long wash cycle duration as a potential for saving energy in laundry washing

Reducing water temperatures in the wash phase of a washing programme and increasing the overall cycle durations are the latest trends in decreasing energy consumption of washing programmes, particularly for the so-called Standard programmes. This paper discusses the importance of saving energy in laundry washing, reasonable cycle duration for consumers and the link between saving energy and the duration of the wash cycle from a consumer point of view. This enables manufacturers to design appliances which are appreciated by the users. Information on consumers’ washing behaviour, experiences, habits and opinions concerning wash cycle duration was collected through a semi-representative survey in 11 European countries in 2015, with more than 5000 participants. The primary outcome of the study is that European consumers are willing to save water and energy in a laundry washing but are reluctant to use long programme cycles since they do not believe that the long cycles could be energy-saving.