The laundry at the University of Illinois has gone green.

No, the Illini haven't changed their colors. If you put in orange and blue clothes in the campus' new washing machines, they should come out the same way.

But Assistant Housing Director Kirsten Ruby said the new machines will save the UI $60,000 a year in electricity, gas, water and sewer fees.

"We hope in a small way, we're saving the environment. These machines use a lot less water and a lot less detergent," she said.

Altogether, 610 new low-flow machines were installed recently.

The university doesn't own the washers and dryers, housing's associate director Mark Stanley said. The hardware belongs to Jetz, the winner of laundry contract that runs about $300,000 a year, he said. The UI gets a percentage of laundry fees back.

The new machines use 12.8 gallons of water per cycle, compared with the previous 31 gallons, Ruby said, and work best with high-efficiency detergents.

Labeled "HE", the new detergents are recommended for these machines. The high-efficiency soap is for sale in university facilities, as well as some local stores.

If you're still stuck with the old-formula soap, Ruby said, you can use less – much less – in the new machines, saving students money.

A decal on the machines gives full instructions.

"These new high-efficiency machines will improve sustainability on campus by consuming fewer resources. Our hall and apartment residents have told us that they're interested in conserving natural resources, too, so making these changes should increase their satisfaction as well," Stanley said.

Laundry prices for 2010-2011 are $1.25 for washers, $1 for dryers.

Ruby said housing division is still watching over the transition, given that classes only began last week, and most students come with a few weeks' worth of clean clothes.

"The machines haven't had their toughest testing yet," Ruby said.