The experts of the cleaning are reinventing it forever, so we have paid special attention to help you make your laundry routine a little greener. One of her main tips is to opt for an ecological detergent, formulated in a natural way, free of unnecessary chemicals, such as chlorine and phosphates, and safe for delicate clothes.
In addition, high temperatures, long cycles, machine drying and toxic detergents in plastic containers are things that you must change. You need to realize that your love of clean laundry does, in fact, come with a high environmental price. The washed of the clothes, together with drying and ironing, produces regarding a quarter of the carbon footprint in the life cycle of clothing. Excessive cleaning is also not especially kind to clothes. It causes discoloration, shrinkage and color distortion. So, get ready to learn the best tips and tricks.
Tips for washing clothes without contaminating
After spending too many days in front of the washer and dryer, you may find yourself thinking of ways to make your laundry routine more manageable and a little more respectful with the environment. Fortunately, there are a number of easy and green changes that you can start incorporating right now, while making sure your clothes are as clean and soft as ever.
Use cold water when you can
When you turn on your washing machine, check what the default settings are. Machines often automatically select a hot water cycle. Water heating alone often accounts for up to 90 percent of the energy needed to run a cycle, so one of the easiest ways to be more environmentally conscious in the laundry room is to opt for cold water. Not only will you save a lot of energy, but your electricity bill will also be lower.
Choose an ecological detergent
A good detergent is key to fresh, clean clothes, but many commercial products contain harsh chemicals. Dyes, chlorine, phosphates, and harsh enzymes such as cellulase are common ingredients in laundry detergent and can not only be harmful to the environment, but they can also irritate sensitive skin and damage clothing. So the next time you’re shopping for detergent, consider switching to a more eco-friendly product.
air dry your clothes
Hot summer days are the perfect time to air dry clothes instead of using the tumble dryer. Retractable clotheslines are surprisingly inexpensive, and you can install them between trees, on your deck, or even on a small balcony. This method is much more sustainable and also leaves your clothes smelling incredibly fresh. Also, the sun can help to fade stubborn spots.
Only run full loads
No matter what kind of washing machine you have, you still need a lot of water. Inevitably, there will be times when you need to wash certain items before you have a full load, but as a general rule, try to run the washing machine only when it is full. For those times when you only need to wash one or two items of clothing, there are plenty of gadgets that make doing laundry by hand infinitely easier, from laundry wands to portable laundry bags.
Wash clothes when they are really dirty
Washing lightly used clothing creates more laundry and more work than necessary, so you may want to be a little more conscious of how often you clean certain items. You can wash jeans and pajamas following wearing them three or four times. before washing them. If in doubt, check the item for odors or visible stains. In both cases, sometimes all you need is a quick steam or spot remover to keep items fresh between use and washing.
Skip the Chlorine Bleach
Bleach may be the go-to choice for most people when it comes to removing tough stains, but this harsh chemical is not good for the environment. You may want to consider the use of alternative methods to treat stains on clothes. There are plenty of products on the market that are ready to use or you can go with something you already have on hand. For example, lemon juice has natural bleaching power, as do vinegar and baking soda.