When it comes to saving the planet, every effort counts. In fact, you can make an impact just by making a few eco-friendly changes around the house. One such change concerns your laundry habits. You may not think much about it, but your regular laundry routine can take an unnecessary toll on the environment. Here are some eco-friendly laundry tips to help you manage your laundry while being nice to Mother Earth.
#1 – Do Less Laundry
Most people do more laundry than they need to. Sure, you want your clothes to be clean and smell great, but you may still be washing them too often. For instance, something like a pair of jeans probably doesn’t need to be washed after every use, unless you are wearing them for particularly physical work or get them visibly dirty or stained.
As a general rule of thumb, the only garments you need to wash after every use are the ones that are worn right up next to your skin—socks, underwear, and T-shirts or tank tops that are worn tight as base layers, for instance. Those items will pick up more of the sweat and oil coming off your skin and will need to be washed more frequently as a result. For other items, use your best judgement, and consider skipping some trips to the wash for pieces that seem to be in good condition after a wear or two.
#2 – Use an Eco-Friendly Detergent
At WIN Detergent, we are proud to offer WIN Green as a demonstration of our commitment to the environment. This product is dye-free and fragrance-free, and its ingredients are sourced in an environmentally friendly manner as well. WIN Green meets the EPA's Safer Choice standards, and is formulated to meet the YELLOW standard on the Whole Foods Eco-Scale rating system. Order a bottle today for clean laundry you can be proud of!
#3 – Keep the Temperature Down
By keeping the temperature down on both your washing machine and dryer, you’ll use less energy for the load as a whole—which is good for the environment. Then, beyond the eco-friendly benefits, using lower heat is good for your clothes, and you may find that your garments last longer as a result of this change. So, it’s a win-win!
#4 – Don’t Dry Clean
To reduce the environmental impact of your laundry, do your best to stay away from dry cleaning. Commercial dry cleaners are notoriously hard on the environment, as they use harsh chemicals as part of the cleaning process. If possible, simply don’t buy clothes that are marked “dry clean only.” That way, you can keep all laundry work inside your own home, where you can control how it is handled and what supplies are used.
#5 – Hang Clothes to Dry
This point goes along with our first point regarding doing less laundry. By using your machines less frequently, you will have less of an overall impact on the environment. And you can further reduce your energy consumption by hanging your clothes out to dry instead of tossing them in the dryer. Some clothes can’t (or shouldn’t) go in the dryer anyway, so once you get started hanging, just keep going! (After all, skipping the dryer—and its heat—can help preserve the life of your clothes, anyway.)
#6 – Get the Right Machine
Okay, so this probably isn’t a tip that you’re going to rush out and put into action tomorrow. However, when the time does come to shop for a new washing machine, you can help the planet by selecting an energy-efficient model. Generally speaking, front-loading machines are more efficient than top-loading machines; they use roughly half the amount of water to accomplish the same thing—which, if you pay for water, will help your pocketbook in the long run, too.
#7 – Put Down the Iron
The last tip on our list will probably be a welcome one, because it eliminates a pesky chore from your to-do list: ironing. As you might imagine, irons pull a significant amount of power to get as hot as they do. So, if at all possible, avoid ironing garments as part of your regular laundry process.
Instead, try to buy clothes that won’t need to be ironed. You might not be able to avoid ironing 100%, but cutting back as far as you can on this energy-thirsty laundry chore will be another win for the environment.
Try WIN Green Today!
Using the right detergent is an important part of managing an eco-friendly laundry room. WIN Green is free from dyes and fragrances, and it features ingredients that have been sourced responsibly. It is an environmentally conscious choice, and it is also great for people with sensitive skin or noses.
It’s quick and easy to make the switch to a “green” detergent like WIN Green, so order your bottle today!