There are multiple ways to go green at home and running an eco friendly laundry is one of them. Making changes in the way you wash and dry clothes is a few simple steps in terms of your lifestyle, but if we all adopt eco friendly laundry practices, it will be some rather large steps in helping the health of our planet. From using the Best Laundry Detergent Sheets to optimizing your laundry cycles, the following practices will help you greatly in your effort to run an eco friendly home.
Gone are the days when we can use the dryer as part of everyday washing without thinking about the impact on the environment. You can do eco friendly laundry by leaving the dryer door closed and instead, opt to hang your clothes up to dry on an indoor or outdoor washing line. If you do find yourself having to use the dryer due to a number of rainy days in a row, ensure that the dryer’s vents and lint traps are clean so that the dryer can operate efficiently. Also, ensure you do load after load. This way the dryer will maintain temperature and less energy will be used.
There are a few forces that affect the environment when you do laundry: the electricity you use; the water; and the chemicals in your detergents and softeners. Most energy is used for heating up the water for your washing load. By turning the dial to a cooler temperature, you will save a lot of electricity and help the planet and as an added bonus, it makes your clothing last longer. To ensure that your switch to eco-friendly laundry is optimum, choose a detergent suited to wash clothing in cool/cold water.
Even some of the most efficient of washing machines uses a full tub of water no matter the size of the load. Try reducing the number of loads you do each week to save water, electricity and money. If you don’t have one of the clever machines that senses how much water to use according to weight, or is programmable to set to a half load, wait until you have a full load or hand wash a small number of items to do environmentally friendly laundry.
Now, I am not suggesting that you start walking around in the same clothes day after day, but there are a number of items of clothing that can withstand being worn two or three times; for instance scarves, hats, jeans, blazers and pyjamas. Make sure you hang these items up when you are done with them so that they do not end up with your clothing in the washing basket or on your bedroom floor.
Detergent contains chlorine bleach, synthetic fragrances and other chemicals which are not good for the environment. Luckily there are a number of things you can do. One option is to switch to natural detergents and stain removers. Another is to make use of concentrated detergent because there is less wastage on packaging. More and more people concerned about doing eco friendly laundry are turning to making their own detergent where the main ingredient is baking soda or you can follow this recipe wellnessmama.com .
Ironing has a place in life, but it should not be your life. When shopping choose clothing items that do not crease easily after a wash, then when you are doing your laundry ensure that you hang your clothing up on hangers or peg them on seams. If you hang your clothing up properly you could reduce your time spent ironing so that you can do the things you really want to do. I can tell you quite honestly, my ironing board lives in hibernation in its cupboard. It has been used maybe 4 times in 5 years, and then only for 2 or 3 items at a time.
New technology has allowed for upgraded appliances in the laundry, so if you are in the market for a new washing machine, iron or dryer, opt for an energy efficient model which will lower your bills and help the planet. A load of extra features and programmes and a more efficient machine is obviously going to be more expensive, but it should pay for itself in the reduced energy and water it uses. And the planet will thank you too!
How do you feel about laundry? Is it something you include in your green ethic or do you not give it much thought? Is eco friendly laundry on your too hard pile or will you make some changes to be greener?