The US government updated how it washes clothes to test new washing machines
What happened
The US Department of Energy updated the specific type of cloth used to test how well clothes washers and dryers work. This change means manufacturers will use a slightly different standard cloth when measuring appliance performance.
Why it matters
The government sets rules for how much energy appliances can use. These rules depend on how well the appliances perform in tests. Changing the test cloth is a small technical detail, but it can subtly shift how new models are rated for energy efficiency. This could affect which models meet future energy standards.
The signal
Watch for any changes in the reported energy efficiency ratings of new clothes washers and dryers in the next year, especially if manufacturers start claiming slightly better or worse performance.