Greener laundry - 6 easy ways to reduce your impact
Let’s come clean - it’s certainly not our favourite room of the house, but it is an essential one. Make it more sustainable (and dare we say, more enjoyable) by implementing these simple tips for a greener laundry!
Make these simple changes for a greener laundry today
Photo by Dimitri Houtteman on Unsplash
When creating your zero waste home, the kitchen and bathroom take centre stage as the biggest culprits of wastage and plastic use. This leaves the little old laundry to sneak under the radar! But if you stop to ponder this powerhouse, a few obvious areas of waste spring to mind.
There’s the single-use plastic bottles of washing liquid and cleaning products; the energy and water wastage that go hand in hand with just washing our clothes; not to mention the microplastics leaking into our waterways. Gosh, there’s a lot to tackle here!
So let’s get down to it – what’s the best approach to getting a greener laundry today?
There is something lovely about line-dried clothing.
Image by Katy Cao via Unsplash
Dry naturally
It’s common knowledge that dryers are a huge energy drainer – but how much do they really use?
Over 1 year (for average use), your dryer can emit around 1 ton of CO2! That’s equivalent to one passenger flying from Paris to New York return, or driving 6000 kms in a diesel car!
For this reason, it’s best to use them sparingly, or ideally not at all.
However, this may not be possible, especially if you live in a cooler climate.
Set up a wooden drying rack in a heated part of your home to dry clothes and towels, and small items like underwear and socks too.
Using a dryer ball can help your items dry a lot faster, reducing the amount of energy used. If you’re partial to using a dryer sheet, you could also try making your own plastic-free reusables ones.
Calculate your dryer’s energy usage here.
For more energy saving tips, read on.
What’s the best way to save water?
Photo by Andy Fitzsimon on Unsplash
Do you really need to wash me?
155 litres.
That’s the average amount of water used for 1 single load! Even if your washing machine is highly efficient, it may still use around 100 litres of water per wash. That’s like filling your bathtub up to the brim!
Of course, we can’t escape the need for washing our clothes, but can we change our approach to how we wash?
When our washing machine broke down recently, it provided us with a great wakeup call. Previously we had tended to wash many items after a single wear, now we really consider whether something can be worn again before washing it. (Aside from anything sweaty/unhygienic of course!) This new approach has reduced the number of washes we do by around one-third – which is definitely a material difference. (No pun intended!)
Unsure how often to wash certain items? Check out this handy list.
Wash, wash me do
When you do need to do a wash, save up your clothes and wash on a full load. Opt for the eco/energy saving and short wash cycles whenever possible.
Get to know the settings on your machine. Some settings may default to a warm wash. However, most washing powders work just as well in cold water. You can manually adjust the settings (look for the snowflake!) or simply turn your hot tap off at the wall!
Save water
The easiest way to save water is to do less washing (funny that!). You can also look for innovative ways such as collecting the greywater from your washing machine or sink and using it elsewhere. Your garden will thank you.
More water saving tips here.
If you’re in the market for a new washer, check the star rating and buy the best quality you can. Front loading machines can be gentler on clothes, which makes them last longer – an added bonus.
In the US, over 1 billion laundry jugs are discarded each year
Photo by Zinah Insignia on Unsplash
Micro plastics, macro problem
Most laundry products come in plastic bottles – you can probably picture them lined up on the shelf now! Liquid detergent, fabric softeners, stain removers, to name a few. Over 1 billion laundry jugs are discarded each year (in the US alone!). Did you know of all plastic items manufactured, only about 9% is actually recycled?
I recently learned that around 700,000 microscopic plastic fibres can be released from just one washing machine cycle! This depends on the type of fabric, with synthetic fibres (such as acrylic, polyester, viscose, polyamide, latex and rayon) being the worst culprits.
This is important to know because after they hit the greywater, a large percentage of microplastics will eventually end up in the ocean. Here they are eaten by fish and other marine life, making their way into the food chain. More on Microplastics here.
Opt for clothing made from natural fibres such as cotton or linen and be aware of clothing made from recycled plastics. As tempting as it is to think they are part of the solution, some say they could actually be adding to the plastic pollution problem.
If you already own a significant amount of clothing made from synthetic fibres, it may be worth using a microplastic filter in your washing machine. These may be helpful in preventing microfibres heading out to sea. Good for the fishies and good for us.
Go natural
If you’re concerned about the health risks of chemicals and other nasties in laundry products, you’re not alone. Why not try natural products?
Natural washing products we love:
Products containing soapberries, our favourite being Soapnut Republic, a brand from right here in Singapore. Their natural washing powder contains soapberries and essential oils making it a great option for those with sensitive skin. A box of their laundry powder lasts around 80 washes.
Want to go super low-waste? Opt for the soapberries themselves. The soapberry (which looks a bit like a date) froths up when shaken with water and cleans your clothes as well as a laundry detergent. It may take a little bit of getting your head around, but we think it’s worth it. Options available on iHerb here.
We love this make your own laundry powder with baking soda, and these innovative ideas for laundry detergent alternatives using products from the home.
Zero waste cleaning pro tip – go without washing detergent! These eco eggs are a replacement for laundry detergent and fabric softener! They clean clothes using (refillable) mineral pellets. The egg itself is guaranteed to last 10 years!
For more natural cleaning tips, check out our list of easy recipes with 3 ingredients or less here.
Over to you
So, there you have it – our tops tips on creating a greener laundry. Now, whether you’re an eco-expert or starting out on your green journey, I’m sure there’s at least one new idea for each of us.
Which one will you try today? Let us know in the comments!