Dry Cleaning and Laundry Tips

How to Go Green with Your Wardrobe

Going green doesn’t only involve taking sustainability into account for only one or two facets of your life. It means making the commitment to think of sustainability in every decision you make. This also includes your laundry. The easiest way to go green is to look for an eco-friendly laundry service and call it a day. In fact, you’re already on the right website if you’re looking for a laundromat in Danville.

But if you’re still doing some laundry on your own, it’s important to know how to do it in a way that’s friendly to the environment. Do your part and follow these tips:

Laundry Detergent

Many conventional laundry detergents contain ingredients that are not only harmful to the environment, they are also potentially harmful to you and your clothes. When the phosphates from these detergents wash down to aquatic ecosystems like seas and rivers, they can cause algal blooms that have long-lasting negative impacts on marine life according to the International Institute for Sustainable Development.

This is why it’s important that when you shop for laundry detergents, you look for those that are phosphate-free. You should also check whether the product is readily biodegradable and made from plant-based ingredients, instead of petroleum-based ones.

These green detergents are also usually gentler on your skin as well.

You can also use soap nuts made from certain tree seeds, which can be added to compost after being used.

If you’re worried about fabric softeners, there’s an alternative for them, too. By simply adding a cup of white vinegar to the washer during the rinse cycle, your clothes will come out soft and without chemical residue.

You can take it a step further by turning to concentrated detergents. These products require less resources to produce, package, and ship out. They can even be more cost-effective. Just make sure that you get the right formula to match your machine. Horizontal axis machines, for example, require a different formulation.

Washing Machines

Speaking of machines, according to Energy Star, by using their certified washers, the average family will use up to 25% less energy and 33% less water compared to the alternatives. This translates to around $370 worth of savings in the lifetime of the machine.

You conserve water even more when you use the front-loading or horizontal axis machines. In fact, according to Tree Hugger, the average lifetime of a washer can save you enough water for six people to drink in their entire lifetimes.

Other Green Tips

Although up to 80% of the carbon footprint of your clothes is influenced by how they're washed and dried, there are still other factors that affect the remaining 20%. Here are a few more tips to address those.

• Buy brands known to promote sustainable practices in manufacturing and distribution.
• Wear clothes more than once. Here’s our little guide to help you with laundry frequency.
• Use the clothesline. Hang your clothes out to dry instead of using the drier.
• Avoid ironing unless it’s necessary.

Conclusion

You can turn your entire wardrobe green by following these tips, especially those about eco-friendly laundry practices. Do your part in making the world a better place.

If you want to learn more about green laundry, feel free to contact us. We use biodegradable laundry bins and energy-efficient machines in our shops.