Water-wise tip: Upgrade your clothes washer

Your clothes washer is the second biggest water user inside your home, behind only toilets. On average, 22 percent of our indoor water goes to cleaning clothes. The average top-loading washer uses 30 to 40 gallons per load. High-efficiency washers cut that by 35 percent or more, saving an estimated 15 gallons per load. Considering the average family does 300 loads a year, a high-efficiency washer could save 4,500 gallons. Save more than water with rebate programs, available from several local water providers including the City of Sacramento.

Debbie Arrington

This story was originally published August 14, 2015 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Water-wise tip: Upgrade your clothes washer."