We live in a world facing many environmental issues, from climate change to pollution and habitat destruction. But fortunately, recent years have shown that our collective awareness of these problems continues to grow. The modern consumer is continually holding businesses to a standard of sustainable practices. You can find ways to reduce waste, lower your carbon footprint, and help save the environment.
It’s easy to overlook how we do our laundry; washing machines use 10% of your water each year. We all wear different sets of clothing for work or school, going out for exercise, or attending a social event downtown. Granted, if you’re very busy, you’ll probably drop off your clothes at the local Indianapolis dry cleaners, but making sure that they are committed to green cleaning will also help.
When you’re doing the laundry at home, these practices will help you make a difference and reduce your carbon footprint:
Machine efficiency
If you’re searching the market for a new machine, look for modern front-loading, eco-friendly models with a low water factor and the Energy Star logo. These features ensure that the device operates with as little water and energy consumption as possible. But don’t replace an older device if it’s still working; that only accelerates production demand and increases waste. Instead, make sure you’re operating it for maximum efficiency.
Reuse clothes and reduce your laundry
Doing laundry more often will increase your water and energy consumption; reusing certain clothes can significantly lower your utility bills as well as your environmental impact. Devise a system for re-wearing clothes. While you might not want to repeat the same statement outfit at an event, with effective layering and styling, it’s usually quite easy to mix and match clothes for work without anyone noticing.
Air dry
Do you have space in your house or apartment for an indoor rack or outdoor clothesline? Take this chance to eliminate the dryer from your laundry routine and use the wind and sunlight to dry your clothes. If you need to use the dryer (due to bad weather or strict homeowners’ association rules), maximize your loads instead of doing them separately. This takes advantage of the fact that the dryer has already been warmed up.
Iron on demand
Nobody wants to go to work looking messy or as though their clothes have been slept in, but some items don’t need ironing. Outdoor apparel or house clothes can be presentable enough to wear with proper folding. This also extends the lifespan of your clothes by sparing the fabric from the heat of the iron.
DIY cleaning agents
Your local grocery store sells a handful of items that you can use to make cleaning agents at home. Borax, washing soda, and natural soap bars can be mixed in a food processor to make detergent. A few drops of essential oils in white vinegar make a great fabric conditioner. These DIY tips let you save money on laundry ingredients while practicing better sustainability.
With these measures, you can go about your regular laundry chores with greater efficiency while knowing that you’re helping to save the environment.
