6 Washing Tips: make it greener, cheaper and disaster-free
The way we wash clothes is highly wasteful and very harmful, both for the planet and for our clothes, but it doesn't need to be that way. From washing instructions to award-winning products, read on and I guarantee you will learn some very interesting tips.
The average household will do around 400 washes a year, using up around 51,000 litres of water. As well as using water, heating up water for the wash cycle takes up to 75-90% of the total energy consumed to power the wash. But here is the irony, heating water does more harm to clothes than good! As well as causing the colours to run and become dull, the micro-fibres get lost in the wash. In cheaper clothes, fibres contain micro-plastics which enter the waterways through the pipes, slip through the water filtration systems and are ingested by us as we drink. Micro-fibres aren't the only issue though, harsh chemicals from dyes and detergents also enter streams and render habitats harmful to their inhabitants. Let's fix this.
Tip 1: Wash using cold water.
In many cases using hot water is bad for your clothes. Blood and sweat actually set into fabrics on hot washes (ew) and colour fades faster. That being said this rule doesn't apply to every washable item so here is a comprehensive list/rudimentary table about what you can and cannot wash in cold water.
The most important thing with whites is washing them separately and they don't wash any differently in hot or cold water, so you can put your whites on a cold wash!
If you decide to wash more in cold water, to get the best results look for a detergent that does not need to be activated by warm water to create soapy suds (I talk about the Ecoegg later on).
When putting clothes on a rinse cycle do rinse them on cold, because not only will it reduce your energy consumption per load by 30% but it will also minimise wrinkling on synthetic and permanent presses.
I have said that synthetics don't fade on a 30 wash but they won't on a cold wash either. To minimise wrinkling as well as fading I would personally wash synthetics and permanent presses on cold. Test both and see what gives you the best results.
If you are still confused, you can always check the clothing label. One dot means wash on cold, two dots means 30 and three dots means high heat. This technique may not save you as much energy but it will at least protect your clothes so that you can keep them longer.
Tip 2: Wash clothes less regularly
For the most part we wash our clothes too much and certain items like denim shouldn't even be washed at all. So embrace your lazy side and if a close-one asks you why your wash basket is spilling over, say you're doing your bit for the planet!
This doesn't mean you should smell horrible and put your pants back on after a shower (don't, please don't) but do think twice about whether an item of clothing worn for an outing to the shops really needs to go in the wash just yet.
Tip 3: Pick up some balls.
Not just any balls though, micro-fibre collecting balls! They're called Cora Balls and they are mass micro-fibre collectors. They're also very easy to get your hands on, you can pick them up off Amazon and they are completely reusable!
The link below will take you directly to Amazon where you can have a look for yourself, I do highly recommend them.
Tip 4: Iron less #hateironing
Okay for work clothes I can understand that you don't want to look like a wrinkly frump. However, the way you wash your clothes, the way you hang your clothes and the way you fold them will determine how creased they become. By putting items on a horse rather than in a tumble-dryer, the weight of the water will iron the creases out for the most part, then by hanging them up or folding on the actual folds of the clothing, ironing could be cut out altogether!
Hot tip: hang up clothes while you shower and watch the steam iron the creases out for you.
Tip 5: Use less detergent
If you have a liquid detergent that you like and you aren't ready to look elsewhere then just use less of it and don't bother with fabric softeners. This tip applies especially when it comes to towels, dressing-gowns and other fluffy items but clothes can also benefit from this. Too much product will not fully wash out of washing and it will become hard and crispy. I'm sure we have all dried off with a crispy towel before and I personally would prefer my skin to stay on my body when I dry off...
Tip 6: Don't even bother with Tip 5, replace detergents instead!
Liquid detergents are, wait for it...60-90% water! This means trucks, cargo ships and planes are transporting chemically water to your local supermarket, then you are transporting it to your home.
What. A. Waste.
You could use soap nuts (although I don't recommend it and I will say why in a different post), more eco-detergents from Ecover or Method (again, I don't really recommend it but they are still options that may work well for you) or you could make your own if you have oodles of time on your hands.
I recommend the award-winning (no seriously!!) EcoEgg. I use them and think they wash just as well as any other top-brand detergent, the clothes smell delicious after a wash, and the egg and its pellets are reusable! The egg is refillable and everything is really affordable. You can buy it off Amazon and in big supermarkets (if you aren't in the UK I would buy them off Amazon)!
This is the link to the purchasable egg and this packet comes with enough pellets for 70 washes:
If you need no more persuading and want a really good deal, they also do an egg with enough pellets for 720 washes:
Another worthwhile (but not essential) step in order to ensure best results is to buy the ecoegg detox tablets. You should ideally put one tablet in the drum of your machine and put a rinse cycle on every month. These will clean your pipes of any dirt, fibre or residue that could affect the efficiency and lifespan of your machine.
Find it here (10% off): https://amzn.to/2vXqNHb
Bonus Tip: Tumble-dry less
Except for fluffy items, using all that extra energy and heat is very unnecessary.
So basically if you want to save money on your electricity bill and be a little bit less wasteful don't heat your water if not necessary, don't iron if not necessary and don't tumble-dry if not necessary. Simples!
And that is all I have for you! This was a very long post so if you've made it to the end, feel free to comment something which includes the words "stringy" and "socks" so I know you didn't miss out. These tips really will make big changes to the planet and to your bank balance so I can't recommend them enough, especially as they will definitely save you time.
See you soon for another post!
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