Laundry hacks to help save your clothes and the environment

Every small change we make to help protect our planet adds up. Especially when it comes to tasks we do on a daily or weekly basis. Creating a sustainable, eco-friendly laundry routine might sound small but can have a major impact when trying to reduce your carbon footprint. So to help you start making some changes, our Bon+Berg team have put together some simple laundry hacks to help save both your clothes and the environment.

Wash less often

It is important to remember that our washing machines use water and energy each time we use it to wash a load of laundry. We are all guilty of overwashing our clothes, and one of the easiest ways to develop a more sustainable routine is to run your machine less often.

Washing less frequently not only reduces energy use and water contamination, but it also makes our clothes last longer. Washing your jeans every six weeks is the recommended amount “Washing them more than that will wear them out faster, and you’ll have to buy a new pair within a year.” Regular washing slowly wears down our clothes, causing their quality to depreciate and loose their shape and colour. Once these clothes start to become damaged, we begin looking for replacements and throw broken items away. By extending the lifespan of our existing clothing, we can reduce unnecessary textile waste.

Try cooler washes

Constantly washing our clothes at a high temperature can lead to them becoming discoloured or shrinking. Why not turn your machine down to 30°C and save money and energy washing at a lower temperature, and you probably wont even notice the difference.

Colder water helps protect our clothing and if you have a washing load that isn't too dirty , washing in cold water can give your clothes the refresh they need whilst reducing environmental impact.

Choose eco-friendly detergent

Looking for laundry products that are kind to the environment and our clothes can be a daunting task. The water we wash our clothes in filters back out into local waterways. If we use harmful chemicals in our laundry, these chemicals will end up in our local waterways, potentially contaminating the water we drink and use to grow our crops. It is also important to consider if the packaging is recyclable and how long a product will last.

By using non-toxic chemicals in our washing, we can decrease the levels of toxic waste filtering into our food chain, saving animals and protecting the local environment.

Air dry your laundry

Let's be honest, a lot of us rely on our tumble dryers to dry our clothes. But did you know that it uses more energy than any other household appliance? It's true, it uses over 2.25 kWh, much more than the washing machine which uses on average only 0.25 kWh per use. This is why we suggest you try to air-dry your clothes as much as possible in order to reduce your energy consumption. We understand that not everyone has access to a garden to build a clothesline but most homes have space to fit even a small drying rack or clotheshorse to help with drying. Air drying our clothes is natural and eliminates the need for a tumble dryer which helps reduce our laundry-induced carbon footprint. It will also help protect garments being damaged from excess heat.

Optimise your laundry schedule

As mentioned above, washing your clothes less has a positive impact on the amount of energy and water you use in the home. Optimising each load will also create a more sustainable lifestyle. Instead of running your washing machine for a couple of items, plan what you need for the coming week and try to utilize each load. It will help you keep track of what needs to be cleaned and what is already done.

Laundry is a part of all of our modern lives that we take for granted. Unfortunately, as with most human activity, laundry does harm the environment and our local water systems. It is good to know that there are simple and effective ways we can reduce this environmental impact. By adopting these simple laundry hacks, you can extend the lifespan of your clothes and protect the environment too.

If you are serious about leading a more eco-friendly lifestyle and would like more tips on where to start then you might enjoy our blogpost on Microplastics and our laundry - What we can do to stop this pollution, or if you would like to keep up to date on what's happening here at Bon and Berg click here to join our mailing list.