by Ashley Raybourn

Created on: February 11, 2009   Last Updated: February 16, 2009

Green Your Laundry Routine

Much ado has been made over the last decade or so about the impact that humans are having on the environment. With our modern lifestyles based on convenience, we sometimes forget the long term implications. Global warming from the over-use of energy, and wasting water head the top of a long list that protectors of the environment are looking to reduce. There are many aspects of life that we can modify to kick off a green routine. Everyday things are the easiest to change, so laundry is a good place to begin.

Starting with an economical washer is a good first place to start. Energy Star ratings are a good marker to look for when searching for an energy-efficient machine. Dryers are not given this distinguishment because they vary so little that the difference is negligible. Using an Energy Star washer will help lower your power and water bills by up to $50 a year, and some can even help you earn a tax credit. What makes them so efficient? Unlike a traditional top-loading washer, most energy-efficient models load from the front and lack the agitator in the middle. This allows less water to be used and, therefore, less energy to heat the water will be consumed. A faster spin cycle in the washer will release more water from the clothing, drastically reducing the amount of time the dryer will be running. Use the shortest cycle appropriate for how dirty the laundry is. Two reliable manufacturers of Energy Star machines are LG Electronics and GE.

Detergents are the next major hurdle on the road to greening your laundry routine. Look for detergent that is chemical, dye, and/or fragrance free. Soap Nuts and Seventh Generation are a good place to start. Concentrated formulas of soap also help to reduce the amount of waste from packaging: Same cleaning power, smaller bottle. You may also want to consider making your own detergent:

1 cup grated Fels-Naptha Soap (by Dial)
1/2 cup Waking Soda (by Arm and Hammer)
1/2 cup Borax

Use one to two tablespoons of this detergent for your laundry, depending on how soiled it is.

Avoid going to the dry cleaner or laundromat. Driving back and forth will cost gas money, put more miles on your car, and emit more pollution into the atmosphere. Many dry cleaning businesses fail to dispose of their dry cleaning chemicals properly, resulting in damaged land and contaminated ground water. Try dry cleaning your clothes at home if you can. There are many home dry cleaning kits to help you out, the most recently publicized being Dryel, that utilize reusable dry cleaning bags.

Doing laundry with a green approach is a small step in what should be a lifestyle change by millions to impact the environment. Perhaps the upfront cost may be more expensive, but the long term cost evens out and involves more than just money. The future of the world is important and should not be taken lightly.

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