Tips for sustainable washing

Of course you’re doing a great job if you shop more sustainably, but you can make an even bigger difference by washing your not-so-sustainable clothing differently. How you do that? Well, let me give you some tips!

1. Do it less often

Well, you can throw your underwear and socks in the wash after every use. But is your blouse, dress or pants not that dirty? Rather hang it outside than throwing it in the wash right away. The less often you put that machine to work, the better.

2. Wash with the machine filled

That also helps to reduce the times you run the washing machine. Don’t stuff it so full that your clothes no longer have room to move – the goal is that your clothes come out clean – but from today on, don’t turn it on for three underpants and a T-shirt either.

3. Dose your detergent

Do you always add quite a lot of detergent without knowing how much you should use? Then the first step in washing more sustainably is to dose your detergent properly. If you use less detergent, fewer raw materials are needed for detergents and less detergent is flushed into the sewer. In addition, every pack of washing powder that you don’t buy saves packaging material. Is your laundry not very dirty? Then you can often use even less than the recommended amount.

4. Use sustainable detergent

When washing synthetic clothing, fibers become loose that contribute to the so-called plastic soup. With liquid detergent, fewer fibers are released than with washing powder, so you can take that into account. You can also use detergents with labels such as the European Ecolabel and Nordic Ecolabel, which guarantee that a detergent has the least possible impact on the environment.

5. Wash cold more often

Most clothes are fine if you wash at 30 degrees – or sometimes even colder – and that’s a lot better for the environment. To ensure that all bacteria are killed and that your soap residues don’t accumulate in the washing machine, it’s good to run your machine occasionally at 60 or even 95 degrees. This extends the life of your machine and that’s also better for the environment.

6. Use your dryer less

It’s great that your laundry comes out of your dryer nice and dry, but those bitches eat up energy. And that’s not only an attack on your wallet, but also on the environment. After all, quite a bit of energy has to be generated to dry your laundry, which causes the release of polluting substances and greenhouses. So hang your laundry outside or inside on a rack if possible. Do you want your laundry to be just as soft? Then use the dryer to get the first bit of moisture out – up to 10 minutes – and then hang it up to dry. Do you still want to use your dryer? Then invest in an A++ dryer and rather choose an automatic program than have the dryer run on time.

Love, Deem/Skye Lewis ❤

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