Sustainability starts in daily life: it’s the small daily habits that, if done with the right care, allow to lead a more respectful lifestyle of the resources that surround us.
Do full loads
Avoid washing fewer garments at once: it is preferable to gather the right amount of dirty clothing for full loads in order to reduce the number of washes.
Use eco-friendly washing programs
The majority of washing machines are equipped with eco-friendly washing programs, defined by longer cycles and less water waste. In any case, even without an eco-friendly program, it is important to avoid washing at overly high temperatures: washing at 30° and 40° will allow to save up to 70% energy without having to compromise to a less efficient wash. Be aware of pre-wash and fast washing programs: these are the modes that waste the most water.
Choose better quality detergents
For eco-friendly laundry the best detergents are the biodegradable ones which do not contain phosphates and other polluting agents. Fabric softeners should be avoided: the ingredients of which they are made of are toxic and poorly biodegradable. Be also cautious of the quantity of detergent: more detergent does not equal cleaner laundry, sticking to the quantity recommended on the labels will be plenty and more
Be aware of micro plastic
With washing, the synthetic fibers of which many garments are made of are dispersed in water as micro plastic. To tackle the problem, there are some commercially available special bags that can retain the plastic micro fibers found in fabric and reduce the amount that is dispersed in water.
Use cloth dryers!
Tumble dryers are becoming more and more common but if your goal is a full eco-friendly approach, the best choice is to assign the drying to the good old cloth dryer. Besides avoiding an useless waste of energy, properly hanging garments and letting them air dry allows a thoroughly dry and crease free result.