Eco-friendly laundry tips to make your washing sustainable

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Something that we can all improve on is our use of the washing machine. Did you know that on average, one load of washing uses between 50 and 90 litres of water? (Credit: Defy). There are quite a few ways in which you can try to have an eco-friendly laundry routine. In this post, I’m sharing a few of my favourite ways.

Before washing

Wear your clothes more

One of the simplest solutions is to wear your clothes longer so that you do less frequent washes. Most items of clothing can be worn more than once (excluding underwear & socks!). In fact, most items of clothing can be worn a lot more than the average person chooses. A lot of people chuck their tops in the wash after only one use, but as long as it doesn’t smell or have a stain it should be good for another few wears.

Fluffy garments have been known to lose their fluffiness after a few washes. This can lead to people throwing clothes away and buying new pieces, promoting fast fashion. Less frequent washes mean you will get more use and won’t be throwing your money down the drain!

Washing machine tips

Use eco-friendly laundry sheets

When it comes to choosing your detergent, there are some important things to consider.

1. Is it vegan?
2. Is it plastic-free?
3. Is it cruelty-free?
4. Are they cost-effective?

I have an eco-friendly laundry detergent that answers yes to all of those questions!

Introducing The Green Company’s GreenSheets™

The Green Company was started in 2018 when the founders were just 16 years old. When the Covid pandemic hit, they continued in co-founder Emilio’s university room! Since then they have over 100,000 customers and have delivered to 150 countries.

A major part of the problem in having liquid detergents is the amount of water contained in them. Did you know water makes up 60-90% of the ingredients in most liquid laundry detergents/conditioners? (Credit: Net Zero Co). The Green Company have solved this problem by creating their laundry detergent and fabric conditioner GreenSheets™. Their laundry sheets are 1/10 of the weight that liquid detergents are.

There is a guide on the back of the box for how many sheets you will need. (Roughly 1 sheet for a half load or soft water, 2 sheets for a full load or hard water). Then put it at the bottom of your washing machine drum, and add your clothes on top. It is so simple! When the cycle starts and the water comes into contact with the sheets, they liquidise to clean our dirty clothes.

The laundry detergent sheets are non-bio and come in three fragrance options. There is lavender, fresh linen and fragrance-free. The fabric conditioner sheets come in lavender and fresh linen. I have sensitive skin, but I find that my skin is happy even with the fragrance options.

Benefits of using GreenSheets™:

• Plastic-free – The sheets come in a recyclable box.
• Cruelty-free
• Vegan
• Hypoallergenic approved
• Travel friendly – They take up no space so are perfect to take on holiday.
• Cost-effective – Only 19p per load with detergent and 12p with fabric conditioner!
• Free 48-hour delivery – UK addresses only.

Prices

Another great thing about The Green Company is that they offer a sample pack to try out the product before committing.

Laundry detergent sheet prices:

For the 4-load sample pack, it costs just 95p and you can choose which fragrance. For 64 loads, it is £14.95 or £12.56 if you subscribe and save. The final pack size is 128 loads for £28.95 or £24.32 if you subscribe and save.

Fabric conditioner sheet prices:

As with the laundry detergent, the fabric conditioner sample pack costs 95p. For 64 loads it costs £9.95 or £8.36 with subscribe and sive. For 128 loads it is £18.95 or £15.92 with subscribe and save.

Having an eco-friendly laundry detergent is not only kinder to the planet but also to your skin.

Cooler temperatures and shorter cycles

Another simple eco-friendly laundry tip is switching to a lower temperature. I now wash all my clothes at 30 degrees Celsius. Washing your laundry at a colder temperature extends the life of clothes and reduces the amount of microfibers released (University of Leeds, 2020). The longer a washing machine spins your clothes, the more microfibers and microplastics will be released. Opting for a shorter cycle will keep your clothes out of landfill. Garments washed with cooler temperatures and shorter cycles lost 74% less colour dyes.

By just turning down the temperature and using a quicker cycle, you can reduce the amount of microfibers that are released into the waterways. Not only will you be helping the planet, but also your purse! If the washing machine is on less, you will be using less energy and saving money. It’s a win-win situation.

Continue reading: Eco-friendly laundry tips

Wash full loads

Doing a couple of full loads a week is much better than multiple half loads (or less)! While it may be a bit annoying if you specifically need something, it is much more sustainable. Some washing machines, like dishwashers, have a half-load option. I’m not exactly sure how sustainable this is, but I’m assuming it is better than the machine thinking you are doing a full load!

After washing

Air-dry your clothes

Growing up, I never had a tumble dryer so I have never really known any different. But living in the UK, a lot of people have tumble dryers. In my second-year university house, we had a tumble dryer. At first, I thought it was great, but 5 people doing laundry AND tumble drying drastically put our energy bills up! I went straight back to using a clothes horse.

Reasons to air dry:

• It’s free – a dryer is one of the most expensive appliances, so reducing or going without will save you a lot of money!
• Clothes last longer – Heat damages your clothes and can shrink them.
• Reduce your energy bills
• Reduce the fire risk from the lint building up in a dryer.

The summer is brilliant as you can put up a washing line or just put your clothes horse outside. Free drying! In the winter, it can be a bit harder. Add an extra spin at the end of your laundry cycle to make sure the excess water has been squeezed out. This may sound contradictory to this post, but as the dryer is a very energy-dense appliance, it makes sense. Put your washing up in the hottest room of the house to accelerate the drying speed. While air-drying takes longer than a tumble dryer, it will dry, especially if you spread it out over radiators!

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These are my eco-friendly laundry tips, but I want to express how important it is to take things one swap at a time. If you are currently using a dryer twice a week, try once a week or once a fortnight. It can take time to adapt to a new routine.

Caroline ♡