These days, being environmentally conscious is important to all of us. Stare at piles and piles of laundry that your household accumulates; however, suddenly Kermit’s lyrical lament “It’s not easy being green” couldn’t seem to ring truer. Rest assured that there are some simple, yet impactful ways to reduce our planet’s valuable resources when doing laundry.
1. Look at your machinery
Newer front-loading machines, especially ones featuring the emblem of Energy Star (an EPA program dedicated to superior energy efficiency) use up to half the water than top-loading machines. Plus, they use gentler processes, which are better for your clothes. If investing in a new washer is currently out of the question, no worries, here are some other tips.
2. Stay cool
Opting for a cool water setting or even a warm one significantly reduces energy. Energy Star estimates nearly 90% of energy used by a washing machine comes from heating water to higher temps. Cold water also helps prevent stains from setting, reduces wrinkles, better maintains the integrity of the fabric, and avoids color bleeding of darker garments. We suggest reserving the hot setting for heavily soiled or germ-infested items.
3. Swipe Left
Before each drying cycle, wipe out any lint residue. Build-up reduces proper airflow, causing longer and more arduous dry times, thus using unnecessary energy.
4. Delete the sheet
While they may smell deliciously fresh, conventional dryer sheets contain a lot of chemicals and neurotoxins such as toluene and styrene that can slowly deteriorate your clothing and your health. Treehugger.com recommends an organic solution. Toss in a homemade satchel filled with dry lavender for that “ah” whiff without the toxins.
5. Manage your solutions
Conventional detergents not only leave chemical residue on your clothing but can have negative effects once drained and contaminated water makes its way into the ecosystem. Look for labels that say biodegradable and phosphate-free, as well as plant- and vegetable-based options. In addition, concentrated detergents require less for the same load size, which reduces packaging and excess physical waste. Do you have a suggestion? Treehugger.com cites Cot n’ Wash among its reader favorites.
6. And sometimes it’s OK to procrastinate
Laundry is an arduous chore, so why not save it for when you have a fuller hamper? According to Treehugger.com, each household would eliminate 99 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions if it ran fuller loads. This is not to say stuff your machine to the brim, but most can effectively clean when 3/4 full. Bonus: more guilt-free time for you!
7. Leave it to a professional
Don’t have the time or equipment for complete eco-friendly a laundry process? Sudsies offers a full-service wash and fold laundry by the pound service. We pick up your clothing directly from your home or location of choice, then it “carpools” to our facility. Our equipment is of maximum grade, providing water and energy efficiency coupled with eco-based solvents. In fact, our services are so environmentally-conscious, we are officially the number one eco-friendly cleaner in Florida, as designated by the Green Cleaners Council.
As Kermit concludes, being green isn’t so hard after all. We agree.
