I’m always striving to go greener around my house. And lately, I’ve been working on becoming more eco-friendly with my laundry. It hasn't been as difficult as I anticipated. Here are several really simple tips for green laundry.
Detergent
Your detergent choice has a major impact on the environment in two ways. First, the ingredients of your detergent can have negative impacts. Phosphates, PVA, surfactants and petroleum products are all ingredients to avoid as they damage the environment. For more information on detergents and the environment, visit Green Matters website.
Second, the packaging itself can be a problem. Avoid plastic bottles and containers. Eco friendly detergent sheets are becoming more readily available and are a great option for avoiding plastics. A couple of good options include Sheets Laundry Club or Dropps. I've been using Sheets for several months and my laundry is nice and clean. Just don't expect a lot of suds as these don't foam up like traditional detergents.
Washer Temperature
Tide’s recent Turn to Cold with Tide campaign has been touting the benefits of washing in cold water. This was a tough one for me as I was raised to wash everything in hot water. I've found that’s really not necessary. I’ve been washing in cold water and guess what, all my stuff comes out just as clean as before. And cold water is less damaging on fabrics so your clothes will last longer.
Dryer
The most eco friendly option here is to line dry your clothes. While this isn’t practical for everyone, even just hanging up a few items can make a difference. Use a drying rack or leave space between hangers for air flow.
If you must use your dryer, opt for a lower temperature setting. Even with a longer cycle, lower temps will use less energy. Also use the auto setting as the dryer will only use enough heat to adequately dry your clothes.
Wash Less
Try wearing your clothes more than once before washing. Levi’s recommends washing jeans every 10 wears. While this may be a stretch for those of us prone to dripping food everywhere, multiple wears reduce energy use, extend the life of fabrics and reduce costs. To keep your clothes fresh, spritz with Fabreeze or a spray hand sanitizer.
Skip the Add-Ons
Fabric boosters, dryer sheets, softeners and color enhancers are all a total waste of money and add unnecessary chemicals to the environment. There are only a few instances where these might be helpful. They are certainly not a necessity. Please, skip these products and opt for a good quality detergent.
It can sometimes feel like these little changes make little difference. But when we ALL do a little, it amounts to a lot.
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