The Ultimate Sustainable Laundry Guide
Doing laundry can become an essentially meditative practice for many. Our clothes are treasures that we take care of. We schedule a certain amount of time in a week to take care of them. But sometimes things can get a little overwhelming with several different fabrics and styles. It can also become hard to keep track of every item and it’s washing instructions. Laundry can also become environmentally toxic because of all the chemicals used in the washing soaps we use. The amount of water we consume to do our laundry can also be harmful to the environment. But, don’t fret. We have put together a guide for you to understand how you can be more sustainable in the way you do your laundry.
Eco-friendly Dry Cleaning
If you live in an urban area, a quick search will lead you to your nearest non-toxic, eco-friendly dry cleaner. Luckily a lot of dry cleaning businesses have switched over to be more green in the USA, but if you don't live near one there are other options for you too. Try and urge your local try-cleaners to use eco-friendly methods for dry cleaning.
Avoid Dry Sheets
It is highly recommended for you to ditch your dryer. But if you really have materials that you need in the dryer, just say no to dry sheets! Dry sheets are completely unnecessary to washing garments. They are a waste for the environment as they are single-use products and don't add much to the drying process. An alternative to this could be to use Natural Wool Balls or throw in an old sweater to decrease the drying time and reduce wrinkles and also decrease static.
Air-Dry as much as possible
Want to know more tumble dryers? They are one of the most energy-intensive household appliances. They can emit up to 40 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents. It’s very difficult to make vented dryers energy efficient, and unfortunately, most of us end up using this type anyway. There are still many easy ways you can dry your clothes more sustainably. The first is to obviously air-dry or line-dry as much laundry as you can. You can pick up a drying rack for smaller spaces for when it gets cold.
Hand Wash
Hand washing has been our preferred method of washing when we can't get to the dry cleaners. This method might take much more time to do so, but it's well worth the effort to preserve the life of your clothes while being eco-friendly and conscious at the same time.
Make Your Own Laundry Soap
There are numerous reasons why natural soap is important to your wellbeing. You are living and breathing these components all day long. The best way to guarantee you have total control over the ingredients is to DIY. You can easily find a way to make natural soap if you google a recipe. It will turn out to be more environmentally conscious and will turn out to be better in the long run for you.
Wash on Cold
Ninety per cent of the energy utilised by washing machines works towards warming the water. And yes, according to Consumer Reports, modern laundry detergents contain enzymes that work best in cold water. Washing on cold is also better for your clothes: The cooler temperature will keep your fibres from shrinking and fading- a win-win situation for both you and the planet!
