Washing & Laundry
Are you using harsh detergents that pollute the environment and have nasty side effects? Does your washing machine use gallons of water per wash and chew through energy?
There are many ways you can reduce the impact your washing and laundry has on the environment, most easily changing your laundry detergent and choosing an eco-friendly machine to reduce your water usage and energy consumption.
Energy Consumption
Washing machines and dryers can use up huge amounts of energy. People tend to use the dryer over hanging out washing due to convenience, but the sun is a much better clothes dryer.
- Wash your clothes in cold water using cold-water detergents whenever possible. Switching your temperature setting from hot to warm can cut a load's energy use in half.
- Wash and dry full loads. If you are washing a small load, use the appropriate water-level setting.
- Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes.
Front Loading vs Top Loading Washing Machines
Front loading machines use much less water than top loaders. Clothing needs to be fully immersed in water in top loading machines, while front loaders only need enough to moisten the fabric and they often require less detergent.
Tests comparing front and top loading machines have shown that front loaders tend to wash clothes more thoroughly, cause less wear and use less water and energy than top loaders.
Even though top loaders tend to have faster wash times, front loaders use less energy. And since government regulations have reduced the amount of energy washing machines can use, top loaders have had to reduce their washing cycles and are less effective at cleaning.
Unfortunately, in the United States, top loaders are more commonly used, but front loaders are the preferred style of machine in Europe. Hopefully this will soon change as more American homes choose front loading machines.
Clothes Dryers
Having a clothes dryer is extremely convenient, but we tend to rely on them all too much. Invest in a fold-up, portable clothes rack so you can hang your clothes on a balcony or inside when the weather isn't sunny.
You can potentially save hundreds of dollars on your yearly energy bill, not to mention you will help the environment! And it is better and more gentle for your clothes, which will make them last longer.
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Detergent
Although the synthetic detergents developed by industrial chemists are extremely efficient at cleaning clothes, the "soft chemistry" options have improved drastically in the past decade.
These vegetable-based cleaning products are derived from natural and renewable sources such as coconut, sugar cane, lemon, spices, chalk, sand and lime. They do not have harmful side effects, nor do they pollute the environment. And they are often packaged in recyclable packaging.
Home-made Detergent Tips
Add a 1/2 cup of baking soda to the wash when you add your regular liquid detergent. The baking soda has been known to give you whiter whites, brighter brights, and odor free clothing.
Baking soda is great for removing odors from laundry.
If you are interested in bleaching some of your clothing you can use a cup of lemon juice and a cup of baking soda added to your laundry and then hang dry for the sun to bleach them whiter.
Use 1/3 cup of white vinegar in the fabric softener section of your washing machine. Don't worry, it won't make the clothes smell of vinegar. It will make them feel very soft and luxurious. It will also help clean your washing machine.
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