A few months back, I read this book called Laundry Love by Patric Richardson. I never expected to really enjoy a book about laundry. I mean, who really reads a book about laundry? Well, I do. This book was written so well, it was quite humorous, but it was also very, very helpful.
When a friend recommended it to me, I was like, I bet this guy suggests using toxic products. I was blown away by how he really encourages washing less which is better for the environment and also better for your clothes. He also recommends using toxin free products and has some really interesting methods for getting out stains and smells. There were so many good tips in this book.
Simple Tips to Go More Eco Friendly, Green and Toxin Free When Doing Laundry
You don't need to wash your clothing as often as you are. Levi's, the oldest brand of denim, basically recommends not to wash your denim.I have adopted that and I don't wash my jeans very often. If you have a small stain or dirt you can spot clean them. If they smell you can spray them with a mixture of alcohol and water. I know it sounds funny, but I learned this from Laundry Love. Fill a bottle with half vodka and half water and spray it on any fabrics that have smells in them. It works really well and saves so much time, energy, and resources used for laundry. We really don’t need to be washing our clothes as often as we think we do.
Use the shortest cycle on your washing machine. It really will get your clothes plenty clean. And I know everyone, including me, always says to use cold water to save energy. But on the short cycle, you're actually using less energy because it's such a short cycle and the warmer water gets them cleaner. Less wash time also does less damage to your clothes. I've completely adapted using a short cycle in warm water and it's working out wonderfully.
Skip the dry cleaners. With the right method, you can clean anything at home from cashmere to suits. Dry cleaning is so bad for the environment and the employees using those harmful chemicals. Washing at home has a huge impact.
You’re probably using way too much detergent. When I used to use conventional detergents like Tide or whatever, it usually was a very large cup and I thought I needed to use all of this detergent to get my clothes clean. But I learned from the book that the detergent actually changes the water makeup and you don't need as much detergent than you think. If it's the right kind of detergent, it changes the composition of the water and that's what gets your clothes clean. So it's not like the detergent needs to get on all of your clothes. The water needs to be impacted by enough detergent to change the water so it can get your clothes clean.
And of course air drying. This is kind of a no brainer, right? First of all, the high temperature and tumbling in the dryer breaks down your clothes faster impacting the lifespan of your clothes. It's also not as earth friendly because it uses more energy. We live in the northwest and I have never done line drying outside because it's just too wet here. I can’t guarantee that my clothes won't get wet from the rain and it takes a long time for things to dry here, because the air is quite humid. But I still line dry. I have a setup in my guest bedroom and I line dry almost all of my clothes, mostly because I'm tall and I don't want anything to shrink. I'm pretty particular about line drying all of my clothing. I use a dehumidifier in the room where I line dry the clothes. It helps them dry faster and keeps the room from getting musty. It’s an easy, affordable system. Figure out what kind of drying rack will work for your space, and just start pulling out those clothes and line drying them instead of putting them in the dryer.
I was inspired to do this episode when a girlfriend of mine showed me the tag in her Levi's that said, care for our planet, wash less, wash cold, line dry, donate or recycle. And I love that Levi's is paying more attention to the amount of waste and the impact that clothing and laundry can have on the earth.
It’s really important to support companies that are doing the right thing. Which is one of the reasons I started my online store. So that there would be an easy place to shop for household essentials that you know are toxin-free, eco-friendly and made by companies trying to have a positive impact on their customers and our planet.
If you need toxin-free laundry products, you know I've got you. I have my favorites in my store, products I use in my home with my own family. I even have refills for laundry detergent so it's more economical and earth friendly. You use the same container that you originally bought. and then I just refill a bag for you and you dump that paper bag into your laundry canister, recycle or reuse it, and you're good to go.
I highly recommend you go out and grab that book Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore by Patric Richardson and Karin B. Miller
