How to Make your Laundry Days Eco-Friendly

According to Reader’s Digest, around 35 years ago a load of laundry in a washing machine required upwards of 40 gallons of water per cycle. That’s almost 335 pounds of water! Since then, modern machines have begun using approximately 13 gallons per load, which means today’s washers use ⅔ less water than in previous years.

Despite new technology, doing the laundry still takes up a lot of time, energy and resources. With Earth Day right around the corner, what can you do to make cleaning your clothes a more efficient and eco-friendly process?

Making your laundry day eco-friendly isn’t as hard as you may think.

Just like with cars, clothing or cosmetics, there are ways to decrease the impact washing your clothes has on the environment. Try these five solutions to make your laundry days greener!

Option 1: Hang clothes to dry.

Traditional dryers have been known to provide a large amount of wear and tear to your clothing. Have you ever had some of your socks go missing after a routine wash? Not only does keeping your clothes out of a drying machine extend their life, it reduces energy use and cuts cost. Whether indoors or outside, line drying can be done at any point during the year. In fact, if you line dry your clothes inside during the winter, it doubles as a humidifier!

Option 2: Control the temperature.

When washing clothes, a majority of people normally use a relatively high-temperature water. About 90 percent of energy associated with doing laundry comes from heating it up! If you want to cut back on how many resources go into doing your laundry – and lower your gas bill – simply reduce the level of heat used while washing. Any amount helps!

Option 3: Switch to natural detergents and stain removers.

A lot of common detergents and stain removers are filled with artificial fragrances, dyes and brighteners, none of which benefit the human body or the ecosystem. Natural alternatives contain more biodegradable substances that are created with the purpose of performing well in colder water. Your skin may also not be nearly as irritated with this switch!

Option 4: Look for bleach that does not include chlorine.

Using chlorine in the home does not have nearly the environmental impact as it does in an industrial setting. However, it is still something that should be avoided. Chlorine can cause severe irritation to the eyes and skin while also being released into the environment. If every household in America replaced one 64–ounce bottle of chlorine bleach with a non-chlorine substitute, 11.6 million pounds of chlorine would be prevented from entering the environment. This protects the immune, respiratory and cardiovascular systems of animals in their natural habitat.

Option 5: Rethink the dryer sheet.

We all love the smell that a dryer sheet provides to our clothes after a nice spin. But how does this impact our health and the environment? The chemicals found in synthetic fragrances – like dryer sheets and fabric softeners – have been known to cause negative consequences to the human body and the ecosystem. They can’t even be recycled! Either cut them out entirely or look for specific eco-friendly alternatives.

Rather than use various resources to clean clothes in your home, let someone trained to be environmentally friendly handle it! Dry cleaning is an effective solution that removes stress from surrounding ecosystems when doing your laundry.

And luckily, there is a dry cleaner conveniently located near you.

Fabric Care Cleaners is your one-stop-shop for everything dry cleaning related. From bridal gown cleaning and alterations to tuxedo rental and household fabric repairs, we have what you need to make your laundry day as efficient as possible. Stop by one of our convenient Indianapolis dry cleaner locations, or call 317-224-3212 to schedule a free pick-up and delivery!