Environmental Assessment of Domestic Laundering EPSRC Contract: EP/G00028X/1 .
TECHNICAL REPORT PROJECT MODULE 1:
PART A EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF FINDINGS OF MEARU HOUSING SURVEY

22 case studies monitored over 2 weeks, drawn from survey total of 100 households

PREFACE
The underlying aim of PM 1 was to explore the range of environmental impacts arising from domestic laundering, the initial survey of 100 households yielding at least 20 volunteers for more in-depth monitoring over a 2-week period, and both providing an adequate range of demography and house type, as well as facilities and habits relative to their washing, drying and ironing.
Parallel with PM 1, PM 2 has been conducting a series of laboratory tests on common existing finishing materials found within housing, specifically in order to define moisture buffering potential for passive drying (as well as other ‘wet’ activities), this information adding to the modelling capability of PM 3. PM 3 is also able to draw on typical laundering scenarios from PM1 using a limited range of house types, with iterative modelling to explore the influence of key variables for whole-house ‘as found’ and ‘improved’ situations, as well as for ‘quarantined’ drying cupboards.
The findings summarised below are elaborated in Parts C and D relative to the survey findings, in particular the in-depth data from the 22 specific case studies detailed in Part B.

This is the technical data which helped inform the publication:Design Guide: Healthy Low Energy Home Laundering, MEARU, 2011,ISBN: 978-0-9571595-0-1