3 (Easy) Eco-Friendly Laundry Practices you can try Today!
1. Try detergent strips
When I ran out of my regular laundry detergent (I always recommend using up what you have), I went looking for a more eco-friendly alternative that didn’t leave me throwing away the bottle at the end. I found these Tru Earth Eco-Strips that advertise themselves as being both good for sensitive skin and the environment. The best part for me is that the completely dissolve in the washer and the packaging is very, very minimal—much less of a footprint than the detergent bottles I have used in the past.
There are plenty of other detergent strips out there, but I suggest trying to find ones that are free of parabens, dyes, and guarantee that they are biodegradable.
2. Hang your clothes to dry
I always knew dryers weren’t the best for the environment, but I also just learned that they actually emit a lot of carbon dioxide, and are one of the top energy-sucking appliances. As you can imagine, hanging your clothes to dry is by far a more eco-friendly option, but line drying also has other added benefits: hanging your clothes to dry also preserves your clothes longer, reduces static, and (bonus!) reduces your electricity bill.
If you don’t have easy access to a clothes line, you can just hang your clothes from the curtain rod in your shower.
3. If you do need to use your dryer, you can always get wool balls or make your own dryer sheets to help make your drying process more eco-friendly.
I used to hang dry all of our clothes when we lived in Belgium, but since I became a single mom and am not as organized as I was then, I often find myself throwing my wet clothes in the dryer and getting them out just in time to throw them on for work. Wool dryer balls are not only more affordable long-term, they also reduce drying time. A potential bonus is that they are said to reduce static. I don’t feel like the ones I have are helpful for static, so I made my own reusable dryer sheets that work better for me. You can read my post about it here