Laundry is a daunting household chore that you have to do frequently. Do you know as you wash your clothes often, you are damaging the planet? The plastic particles from the clothes fabric and the large consumption of water and energy significantly impact the environment. 

Reduce your environmental footprint. You will not only save the environment, but you can also save some money. If you are finding ways to make your routine laundry greener at home, this article is a good start. Make your laundry routine eco-friendly.

Observe this laundry routine, it is helpful for the wallet, fabric, and easy to follow.

Use Cold Water for Wash Cycles

Warm water cycles consume more energy. It accounts for 90% of the energy to run one load. With that, using cold water for wash cycles is a more eco-conscious way for laundry. You did not only save the environment, but you also saved your electricity bill.

However, not all garments or fabrics are compatible with cold water. Always check your clothes’ wash label to know you are washing them at the right water temperature. It’s nice that modern washing machines are designed to work best with cooler water.

There’s an exception for cold water wash cycles– if one of your family is sick or if you come into contact with a contaminated surface or environment. If this is the situation, you need to wash your clothes warm and dry them for up to 45 minutes to kill the bacteria or virus. 

Choose Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergent

You have to choose an excellent detergent to keep your clothes clean and fresh. However, you need to select the laundry detergent to use carefully. Many commercial laundry detergents contain harsh chemicals that can harm the environment, damage your clothes, and irritate your skin.

Although fabric softeners help your clothes smell fresh and smooth, it may contain various chemicals that can cause skin allergies and asthma. Instead of using a commercial fabric softener, you can fill the fabric softener compartment of your washing machine with white vinegar to soften your clothes.

Skip the Bleach

Although stubborn stain is everyone’s enemy, treating it with bleach is not the only option. It is a harmful chemical that can harm both health and the environment.

It can cause fumes that can irritate the eyes and airways of the users. Moreover, if bleach is released into the waterways, it can contaminate the drinking water and be introduced to the environment. Chlorine bleach has the most enduring compound. It will take several years to disappear.

If you wish to treat stubborn stains on your favorite clothes, you can use natural ingredients. Lemon juice provides natural bleaching. You only have to add a cup of lemon juice to the wash load to help your white garments clean and bright. 

Run Full Loads

A full-sized washing machine can handle around 20 gallons of water per load. Meanwhile, washing machines with energy-saving certificates only use about 14. However, the type of washer will not matter if you are only washing a few clothes.

It is a general rule in laundry to only use the washing machine in full loads. Although there are times when you have to wash certain clothes, do it less or you can hand wash your clothes. 

Air-Dry Clothes

There is no way the use of a dryer machine cut energy consumption. It consumes energy as much as a dishwasher, washer, and refrigerator combined. If you insist on drying your clothes in the machine, you can use the longer drying time, lowest heat setting method.

But, a much greener option to dry your clothes is air-drying them. It does not only help the environment, but air-drying is also suitable for your clothes. Dryer machines produce heat that can damage the fabric of your clothes.

Set up a clothesline or drying rack to hang dry your laundry. Do not place the clothesline or drying rack directly under the sunlight as it can damage the clothes. If you want to lessen your laundry load and save more time, you can hand wash small loads of undergarments and gym wears and then air dry them.  

Go to a Commercial Laundry Service

This might be an unpopular opinion, but commercial laundry service is more efficient than household laundry. Bringing your laundry to the local laundromat uses lesser energy. You can ask the cleaner to use green detergents. You can always ask the laundromat about the products they use and the services they offer. 

Going to a commercial laundry service not only cuts the use of water and energy consumption but also helps you save bills. Moreover, considering a commercial laundry service eliminates the need for you to buy extra appliances or maintenance. 

Wear More, Wash Less

How often do you wash your pair of hiking pants or your dog's beddings? Many of us are guilty of washing clothes immediately, even if they are not yet dirty. You can wear a pair of jeans to run an errand and not toss them into the laundry pile. Instead, you can wear them again.

Tossing your lightly worn clothes in the laundry is not a good habit. It will only create more laundry work than necessary. You have to be conscious of how you wear some of your clothes. Check your clothes, whether they smell or have any visible stains. If not, then you can still wear them.

You can wear your jeans or pajamas three to four times before washing them. Meanwhile, undergarments, socks, and clothes that you wear during sweaty activities should be cleaned regularly. If you can still wear your jeans or garments again, hang and air them out overnight.

Washing less does not only save water consumption, but it also saves you from water bills and time. Imagine how many days you will skip laundry days. 

Adapt these steps for a greener and more sustainable laundry routine. These changes in your laundry habits do not only reduce environmental impact. Using eco-friendly laundry habits helps you save more and maintain the condition of your clothes.