Go green for your laundry and save money, save electricity, save water and save the planet.

Doing the laundry is one of those household chores we do on a daily or weekly basis.  It is a necessary part of life keeping our clothes clean and smelling fresh. We could choose not to wash our clothes but I think that wouldn’t go down well with friends, family, girlfriends and boyfriends.  Well, unless ‘al natural’ becomes a new trend!

With today’s modern washing machines and dryers things have become so easy.  We have come a long way from hand washing in the crocodile infested rivers or the cold aluminium basin. Either way hand washing or using the washing machine has an impact to our environment.

Each laundry load consumes a lot of energy and water.  Being environmentally conscious on your laundry day will save you money and ease the impact our household chores have on the planet.

On average each house does 400 loads of washing a year. This equates to about 61 372 litres a year. That amount is about six people’s drinking water in a lifetime.  If you are money conscious like I am, then trying to save every drop could save you a lot of pennies in the long haul. And of course using less water will mean more drinking water for more people.

In this post we explore some environmentally friendly tips to go green for your laundry.

6 Useful Tips – Go Green For Your Laundry:

1)   Wear it more than once

If you clothes don’t smell bad and if there are no visible stains or unsightly marks on your clothes, don’t just throw it in the wash. Wearing is once doesn’t mean it needs to go into the washing basket.  Ok, there are two exceptions socks and underwear-that can only be worn once. If you are unsure get a ‘good friend’ to have sniff or do a visible inspection of your clothes. Doing washing less often will save water.

2)   Go for the fully loaded wash!

Instead of washing more often with fewer items wait and do a full load. Washing a fewer times a week will save you a lot more money on energy and water bills. This helps our environment and puts more pennies back in your pocket. Heck! With those pennies you can perhaps buy more clothes!

3)   Take it outside

Go green for your laundry and take your wet clothes outside. A drying machine uses a lot of energy. This is one of the top power hungry devices in our homes. Drying clothes naturally has added benefits. The UV rays from the sun kills germs and makes your whites whiter.  Drying naturally also makes your clothes last longer.

4)   Wash on the coldest temperature possible

Unless you have stubborn stains try to wash your clothes on the coldest temperature possible.  It takes a lot of energy to heat the water for a ‘warm water wash’.  There are also of great cold-water detergents on the market that cleans clothes very well. (Gogreenforhomes will be stocking these soon ).  Engaging in this environmentally friendly habit will make your clothes last longer and save money on bills.

 5)   Choose the right machine

Choose a machine with an Energy Star label. These machines run more efficiently and consume less power. Choose a front-loading washing. These machines use 50% less electricity and 40% less water than a top-loader machine. A top-loader machine uses about 181 litres of water for every wash.  A front-loading machine uses approximately 113 litres of water. Its pretty obvious which one I would consider buying.

6)   Use Natural Detergents and Stain Removers

When shopping for detergents or stain removers read the fine print and buy items that support an environmental friendly way of living.  Some traditional detergents and stain removers may contain harmful toxins that are not good for your body or the environment. Try making your own natural detergents.

Get into an environmentally friendly habit and go green for your laundry!