Tips for an Eco-Friendly Wash Day
By: Karen Jackman On:31 October 2016
Eco-goals in the home Laundry & Your Eco-footprint
Almost everything we do has an eco-footprint so we need to look at how we can give back to the environment and work towards becoming more sustainable. It's HARD!
Every gadget or appliance we use accounts for energy costs, and like refrigerators and Air conditioners, the washing machine is another appliance that accounts for major electricity consumption at home.
If you take proper care and show some diligence when you do your laundry, you will experience a big fall in your energy bills and it would have a positive impact on the environment.
Here's a few pointers to help you reach your eco-goals in the home!:
Fill up the machine!
A washing machine uses same amount of power whether you stuff it as full as you can it or you fill it partially. So it is better to load it fully than to load it partially every other day. If you go for multiple partial loads, they will cost you more energy, more efforts, more money, and more water wastage.
The full load saves your times, money, efforts, water, and energy!
Wash in cold water
Gone are the times when people had to use warm water to wash clothes because the detergents only used to work well and with utmost efficiency in warm water. Today, the soaps and detergents are perfectly fine with the cold water; in fact, one should avoid washing with warm water because it fades clothes makes them wear out more quickly.
Buy an energy efficient washing machine - don't bother with a dryer
If your old machine is working fine then you should try some other eco-friendly tips to make your laundry green but if you are on a lookout for a new washing machine then you must consider this point. Owing to the advancement of technology and innovations, there are ample of washing machine brands offering latest energy efficient washing machines that are big time energy savers. They are so efficient that they are capable to do a full load in a lesser amount of time than the traditional machines, consumes fewer amounts of electricity and water. Therefore, such upgraded forms of washing machines do not only save your money but give an eco-friendly wash every time.
Leave chemical detergents and pick the natural ones
Natural detergents and stain removers are any day a better pick than the chemical ones because they are bad for the clothes and for you because it tends to harm your skin. The chemical detergents consist of chlorine bleach, dyes, synthetic fragrance, and some chemicals that give a temporary brightness to a cloth and but harm it in the long run. On the other hand, the natural detergents contain plant extracts, biodegradable surfactants and work very well in cold water as well. As a stain remover, you can choose non-chlorine bleach that is not harmful.
The drying method
After washing comes the drying of clothes. Many people dry their clothes in the machine dryer just because they are too lazy to take their clothes out in the sun. If you want to add up to the green quotient of your laundry then try to dry your clothes out in the sun and not in the machine all the time. You can arrange for some wires on which you could hang clothes in a line, if not then you can settle for drying racks you get in market. Just start doing this and experience a major fall in your electricity bill, and the happiness that one gets after doing their own bit to sustain the environment.
A few more efforts can help people make their laundry green and eco-friendly every time, which is not only in the interest of the environment but is in their interest as well.
