Green Your Laundry Routine!

Laundry. It's an inevitability of life. Clean clothes, bedding, towels, etc. are important to our health and wellbeing. While the traditional laundry routine is energy-intensive and environmentally destructive, the process of cleaning our clothes and other linens does not have to contribute to the ongoing destruction of our one and only Earth. Instead, there are ways to "green" your laundry routine in order to make it more sustainable. That's what I tried to do this week as I took on the task of greening my laundry routine.  

 
 The first thing to consider when discussing the topic of greening your laundry routine, is the washing machine itself. Technology has come a long way, and modern washing machines use less energy and less water than their predecessors. Chances are you may already have a washer/dryer, but if you happen to be in the market for a new one, make sure to do your research in order to find the most energy efficient option. Washers and dryers are two of the highest energy-using appliances in a home.  High-efficiency Energy Star certified appliances can save you up to 40% on the cost of washing and drying clothes, according to Efficiency Vermont’s products and technologies assessment of washers and dryers.
      Energy Star is a program launched by the Environmental Protection Agency to identify certified energy efficient products, homes, commercial buildings, and industrial plants. Energy Star-designated washers use 25% less energy and 33% less water than standard models. Likewise, Energy Star-designated dryers use 20% less energy than standard models. Such energy savings can have significant positive environmental impacts. For example, according to Energy Star’s website, if all clothes dryers sold in the U.S. were Energy Star certified, we would save more than $1.5 billion each year and prevent 22 billion pounds of carbon pollution annually. This is equal to the emissions from more than 2 million vehicles!
     These energy efficient washer/dryer models also have the added benefit of being gentler on your clothes to prolong textile life and reduce wear and tear. If you’re considering purchasing energy-efficient laundry appliances, you can find additional information at Efficiency Vermont's website.

For those of us who aren’t going to purchase new laundry appliances any time soon—or for those who may use laundromats or communal laundry facilities rather than personal appliances—there are some low-cost and no-cost ways to maximize the efficiency of your laundry routine and to reduce our environmental impact along the way!

In addition to appliance efficiency, our journey toward a greener laundry routine should take into careful consideration the type of laundry detergent we use to clean our clothes. Conventional detergents contain a multitude of ingredients, like petrochemicals and synthetic fragrances, that are unhealthy both to us and to the environment.  A “green” detergent, on the other hand, should be biodegradable, phosphate free, and made from plant/vegetable based ingredients as opposed to petroleum-based ingredients. Environmentally-friendly laundry detergents are healthier for the planet and are gentler on our skin and clothing. It’s a win-win! And, from my experience attempting to green my laundry routine this week, such detergents are comparable in price and work just as well as conventional detergents. For example, my 100 oz bottle of ECOS liquid laundry detergent cost $11.99 at my local supermarket. Comparatively, a 100 oz bottle of Tide Free and Gentle detergent cost $14.99. The greener ECOS option was more affordable while also being free from dyes, optical brighteners, parabens, phosphates, and phthalates (all ingredients one should avoid when shopping for a detergent). It was made with plant-based ingredients, is readily biodegradable, was not tested on animals, and is EPA Safer-Choice Certified.

If you’re thinking, OMG, I had no idea there was so much to consider when choosing a laundry detergent, you’re not alone. I come from a household with strong brand loyalty to All laundry detergent. It’s what we’ve always used. It’s what I recognize in the stores, what I have long-since trusted to clean my clothes, my sheets, my blankets, my towels and whatever else I may be throwing into the wash. For years, I never questioned it. Never thought to seek a better, safer, more sustainable alternative. As I searched through the staggering multitude of laundry products available in the grocery store, I found myself being drawn toward All, Tide, and other brands I recognized. Many of these conventional detergents have “greenwashed” their products with images of leaves and prominent “Free and Clear” labeling to make their products appear to be green, sustainable, healthier options.

In reality, of the entire half-aisle devoted to detergent, I could find only three options that were truly green. These included ECOS, Seventh Generation, and Charlie’s Soap in liquid and powder form. The lack of biodegradable, plant-based, petrochemical-free detergent options, while disheartening, did make my purchasing decision much easier. Still, even with only three options to choose from, I spent at least twenty minutes in the aisle searching product reviews online and seeking to verify the credibility of these detergents claiming to be environmentally friendly. In the end, I decided on ECOS because it was the most economical option. You may also consider choosing concentrated laundry detergents, as these offer less packaging and a reduced carbon footprint.

This week, I not only washed my clothes using biodegradable, plant-based soap, but I also did so using cold water. Selecting the “Cold” water setting when washing your clothes can save up to ¾ the energy you would have used to wash the load on “Hot.” And, while you may have heard that laundry gets cleaner using warm or hot water, the fact of the matter is that with advances in appliance technology and detergents, a load washed in cold water is cleaned just as effectively as one washed in hot water. Additionally, washing in cold water can also extend the life of your bedding, towels, and clothes as hot water can weaken fibers, fade colors, reduce elasticity, and contribute to shrinkage.

Specifically, if your washing machine has a “Tap Cold” setting, as mine does, use it. Many washing machines have a set temperature range for the “Cold” setting. This means that if your water comes out of the tap colder than the set range, hot water will be added to adjust the water to the range, which uses energy. “Tap Cold” prevents any hot water from being added, thus saving precious energy.

At the risk of inundating you here, I also incorporated the use of a Cora Ball into my weekly laundry routine. The Cora Ball is an innovative microfiber-catching laundry ball. Microfibers are one facet of the complex microplastics issue. When synthetic textiles such as nylon, fleece, and polyester are washed, they release microscopic plastic fibers. A single synthetic garment can produce over 1900 microfibers per wash, and these fibers then pollute waterways through wastewater effluent. The ramifications of microplastic pollution are profound and vast. If you’d like to learn more, consider checking out mine and my fellow environmentalist sister Kim's extensive microplastic pollution report detailing the issue. A second shout out to Kim for purchasing the $30 Cora Ball. The product is touted as being easy to use—and it is! I just simply tossed the ball into the washing machine with my load of clothes, and that was it! So simple, so easy, and so worth it. Microplastics may be more or less invisible to us, but their compounding and ever-increasing impacts are gaining visibility and media attention. I urge you to consider incorporating a microfiber-capturing Cora Ball into your laundry routine.

After the wash, comes the drying. The most environmentally friendly option here is to not use a dryer at all. Simply allow your clothes to air dry using a clothesline, laundry rack, or hangers. 
Indoor drying racks are a great alternative to an outdoor clothesline for folks with sensitivity to pollen, space limitations, or in adverse (cold/rainy) weather. This week, I set up an old wooden drying rack I had used back in my college days. I laid my clothes out on the rack, and simply waited a day for them to dry. It was as simple as it sounds, and the best part was knowing that I had avoided unnecessary electricity use and subsequent greenhouse gas emissions.

Air drying your clothes can reduce the average household’s carbon footprint by 2400 pounds a year and can save you up to $200/year in electricity costs. Air drying your clothes is also more gentle on clothing than the tossing, tumbling, and heat utilized in a dryer.

However, if you do continue to use a dryer, there are some tips to maximize the efficiency and sustainability of the practice:
     -Utilize a faster spin setting in your washer, if available, to get more of the water out before even getting to the drying stage.
     -Clean lint filters and ducts so clothes will dry faster, using less energy.
     -Keep your dryer in a warm location (rather than a cold basement, for example) as the warmer the air coming in to the washer, the less energy will have to be used heating it up.
     -Dry only full loads (this goes for washing too) to maximize efficiency

Additionally, in seeking to green your laundry routine, you should do away with wasteful, chemical-laden dryer sheets. Dryer sheets prevent static and soften clothes by infiltrating warm textile fibers with chemicals that release over time. These chemicals can build up and clog a dryer’s lint screen, which reduces efficiency, and can be absorbed through our skin or inhaled through dryer vent emissions. With questionable and as-of-yet inadequately researched long-term health impacts, dryer sheets do not actually contribute to making our clothes any cleaner, and are therefore a completely unnecessary source of exposure to toxic chemicals. Additionally, dryer sheets are single-use, which means they are also a completely avoidable source of waste.

Alternatives to dryer sheets include reusable dryer balls made from plastic, rubber, or natural fibers like wool. These balls do not contain toxic chemicals, they last for thousands of loads,  they get rid of static cling and wrinkles, soften your clothes, and can save time and energy by decreasing drying time. If you’re chasing that chemical-induced softness that comes from utilizing dryer sheets, consider instead adding ½ cup of distilled white vinegar into your washer during the rinse cycle as a DIY fabric softener. Another alternative is to splash some vinegar on a rag or washcloth and toss that into your dryer as a natural, reusable, DIY dryer sheet. As I opted for air drying my clothes this week, I did not test out any dryer balls or DIY fabric softeners. However, you can access DIY ideas and additional alternatives to dryer sheets here. And, if like me, what you liked best about dryer sheets was the clean, fresh scent they left on your clothes, simply add some essential oils to your dryer balls and that will do the trick without any skin-irritating fragrance chemicals found in traditional single-use dryer sheets. 

Last but not least in this laundry adventure, there is the topic of dryer lint. First and foremost, consider keeping a rag or handkerchief readily available wherever you do your laundry. Use this to scrape out the lint rather than grabbing a disposable tissue or wasting toilet paper to do the job. And, when you clean the filter and remove the lint that has built up, don’t throw the lint away! Dryer lint is very flammable and can be put to great use as a fire starter. Additionally, lint from natural fibers like cotton and linen can be added to your compost or it can be used as pet bedding for hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, etc. Explore additional creative uses for dryer lint at home-improvement website The Spruce.

So, I hope you enjoyed reading about ways to green your laundry routine. Adopting such practices will not only help the environment, but will save you money and improve your health as well. A quick review on how to best green your routine:
     1. Use an Energy Star certified washing machine and dryer
     2. Use biodegradable laundry detergent and natural/ DIY fabric softeners
     3. Incorporate a Cora Ball to capture those pesky microfibers that would otherwise escape into our
         wastewater stream and subsequently pollute our waterways
     4.Wash your clothes in cold water
     5. Air dry your clothes
     6. If you do dry your clothes, etc. in a dryer, make sure the load is full, and do not use traditional,
         single-use dryer sheets
     7. Re-use or compost dryer lint

If you feel compelled to green your routine by adopting any or all of the aforementioned suggestions, let me know how it goes in the comments section below. And stay tuned for next week when I discuss the pervasive, seemingly unavoidable, and irksome reality of receipt waste. Until then, I wish you all a better life through greener living.

~Sam