When we wash and dry clothes, it requires both electricity and water, and the purification plants are burdened with chemicals from detergents. But we still want clean clothes – and it’s actually possible to get fresh textiles with less environmental impact.
7 tips for cleaner laundry and conscience
- The most sustainable wash is the one that is not done at all. Studies show that only one-tenth of what we wash is truly dirty enough to need washing. Often, just letting a garment hang to air out for a while is enough. This also makes clothes last longer.
- Oops, did you spill something on your shirt? Remove the stain immediately with a little water instead of washing the whole garment.
- Don’t buy clothes that require dry cleaning or must be washed separately – check the tags and avoid such garments already in the store.
- Wash cold unless it is about sanitizing bacteria after stomach illness. 30 degrees is often enough, especially for synthetic clothes.
- Choose environmentally labeled detergent and skip the fabric softener.
- Don’t use more detergent than what’s on the package – the effect can actually be worse if you overdose.
- Always wash with a full machine load.