You already reduce, reuse and recycle, but there are more ways to lessen your impact on the planet. One good place to start is in the laundry room: Studies show the average American family does some 300 loads of laundry each year, which can soak up a whole lot of water and energy.
Yet making your laundry routine more sustainable can feel harder than tracking down all those missing socks. So we asked experts to share some simple swaps that can lighten the load on the environment and they offered up, well, a laundry list. Care to take their tips for a spin?
Lower the temperature.
“About 90 percent of the energy used by washing machines during a cycle goes toward heating the water, so washing in cold water saves energy,” explains Natalie D’Apolito, communications and outreach coordinator for the American Cleaning Institute. “Additionally, cold-water washing helps reduce shrinkage in fabrics, protect delicate items and slows the fading of colors.” There are a few exceptions here, however: If someone in your household has contaminated work clothes or is feeling ill, their duds should be washed separately in hot water.
Lighten the load.
While it may be tempting to stuff in as many items as you can to have fewer loads, that’s not a good idea, because garments need room to circulate in the machine. A good rule of thumb, says D’Apolito, is to leave several inches at the top “for the washing machine to properly agitate the items inside.” This helps balance efficiency with effectiveness.
Pros also recommend taking a second look before tossing clothes in the hamper in the first place. Provided you’re washing effectively, you can generally get several wears out of items like pajamas, jeans and even dress shirts. And don’t forget that spot-treating can handle a lot of life’s messes without your having to wash an entire garment.
Try out the express cycle.
For lightly soiled items, your machine’s quick-wash option (a shortened wash cycle with a high-speed spin) is a great way to make the process more sustainable.
Use a sustainable laundry detergent.
To truly lighten the load on Mother Earth, consider swapping traditional liquid detergents for an option like Earth Breeze Eco Sheets. Paraben-, bleach-, dye-, phosphate- and phthalate-free, they tackle stains yet are gentle on skin — and since there’s no need to measure out a required dose, nothing is spilled or wasted. Plus, the sheets come wrapped in 100 percent-recyclable cardboard, and proceeds from each purchase funds ocean clean ups and gives laundry detergent to shelters and disaster relief organizations. Carolyn Forté, executive director of the Good Housekeeping home care & cleaning lab, tested the Eco Sheets, which earned the Good Housekeeping Seal, and noted that they dissolved well and were neat and convenient to use.
Swap out your machine.
Okay, this isn’t exactly a small tweak, but if you happen to be in the market for a new machine, our Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab recommends a front-loading version model as the way to go, as they use the least amount of water. And if not, using the coldest setting on any machine is as sustainable as you can get.
Skip the dryer cycle.
Conserve energy by running fewer loads through the dryer. Air-dry what you can—an added benefit is you’ll avoid associated abrasion from the dryer that can wear out your clothes more quickly. And when you do tumble-dry pieces, be sure not to overdry them, which can damage fabrics and waste energy. Choose your dryer’s automatic cycles (instead of just timed dry), so the sensors kick in and stop the cycle when the load is dry to prevent this issue.
And as a last reminder, you really do need to clean out the lint trap after every load. Yes, this step can feel tedious, but it’s a must. Not only is lint highly flammable, notes D’Apolito, but “lint in the vent, ducts and lint trap can reduce airflow, causing longer drying times and making your dryer work harder on the same amount of clothing.”
