Editing Washing machine (section)

==Environmental impact==
Due to the increasing cost of repairs relative to the price of a washing machine, there has been a major increase in the yearly number of defective washing machines being discarded, to the detriment of the environment. The cost of repair and the expected life of a machine may make the purchase of a new machine seem like the better option.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washerhelp.co.uk/buying-advice-2.html |title=Are new washing machines only built to last 5 years? |publisher=Washerhelp.co.uk |access-date=2012-06-01}}</ref>

Different washing machine models vary widely in their use of water, detergent, and energy. The energy required for heating is large compared to that used by lighting, electric motors, and electronic devices. Because of their use of hot water, washing machines are among the largest overall consumers of energy in a typical modern home.{{Citation needed|date=June 2012|reason=this seems dubious. Compare to central heating, water for bathing and dishwashing?}}<ref>{{Cite journal |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225802892 |title=Electricity and water consumption for laundry washing by washing machine worldwide |journal=Energy Efficiency |doi=10.1007/s12053-009-9072-8|year=2010 |last1=Pakula |first1=Christiane |last2=Stamminger |first2=Rainer |volume=3 |issue=4 |pages=365–382 |bibcode=2010EnEff...3..365P |s2cid=154072195}}</ref>

Washing machines worldwide release around 62 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in a year.{{When|date=September 2024}}  However, modern improvements have been made aiming to lower these emission numbers, and it depends on the user's choice to fully determine their environmental impact.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-11-10 |title=Laundry: lightening the load |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/partner-content-laundry-lightening-the-load |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=Environment |language=en}}</ref>{{Better reference needed|date=September 2024}}