

How Green is Your Laundry Room?
There are many easy changes you can make.
You may not realize it, but your
laundry room is a great place to reduce your environmental footprint. Depending on your current habits, you may be
able to make a few changes that will reduce the trash you create, the water,
petroleum, and electricity you use, AND the toxins you release into your local
watershed. Who knew you could make such
a difference in one room!
Start with your Appliances
The first thing to check is that
you are using a high efficiency energy star washer and dryer. Energy Star appliances use advanced
technology that can use anywhere from 10 to 50% less energy than a traditional
washer and dryer. If you don’t already
have one, go to www.energystar.gov/ to
look at models, then go to your local appliance store to purchase one.
Since heating the water accounts
for 90% of the energy that your washer uses, choose the ‘cold’ water option and
cut your electricity usage with each load.
Most plant based laundry detergents (more on these later) are formulated
to work well in cold water, so if this is not your current practice, give it a
try and see if you notice any difference in how clean your clothes get. Also remember to only wash with a full load
of clothes. Energy Star estimates that
families will save 3400 gallons of water a year when they do this.
Choose Your Detergent Wisely
Go grab your laundry detergent and
bleach. Read through the ingredients
closely. Check for petroleum and water
in your detergent and for chlorine in your bleach. An easy change is to purchase a plant based
detergent such as one from Seventh Generation or Ecover. By using this type of detergent you are
taking a small step to reduce our dependence on oil. Every step is an important one!
Both Seventh Generation and Ecover
can be found in local grocery stores or they can be purchased online. You should buy the highly concentrated
versions so you will get more out of each bottle. And then remember to throw the bottle in your
recycling bin when it is empty.
When choosing a bleach product,
you should pick one that is oxygen or hydro based. Chlorine is toxic to marine life and creates
a by-product called dioxin which is a known carcinogean. It is a bit harder to find oxygen or hydro
based bleaches from Ecover or Earth Friendly Products in your grocery store,
but they are sold at Target and can be purchased online.
Another option is to purchase a
dry laundry detergent which will eliminate the water in each bottle you use
annually. Water typically makes up 80%
of a laundry detergent. Often these
products are sold in paper containers which can be broken down flat and
therefore take up less space in your recycling bin. We are investigating if it is environmentally
better to use a recycled plastic or paper container. When we get a definitive answer we will
update this article.
A final recommended change is to
purchase a laundry ball which can be reused for over 1000 loads. Instead of using a detergent, just toss a laundry
ball in your wash load and get the same cleaning power for a fraction of the
cost and waste. The ball contains dozens
of smaller ceramic balls that agitate your wash and keep your laundry water's
ph level neutral. They sanitize, soften
fabric, use non-toxic earth-friendly materials, and save hundreds of dollars on
detergent in the long run. Since no
detergents, perfumes, dyes or oils are used, no rinse cycle is necessary thus
shortening your wash time and electricity used.
It takes a bit of a leap of faith
to initially try a laundry ball, but take it from me, they do work and it is very
nice to not need to purchase laundry detergent!
We recommend the Super Wash Ball+ from www.reuseit.com.
Ditch your Dryer
Another great way to save
electricity and money is to line dry your clothes. This option has the biggest hit to your
lifestyle as it is so much quicker to throw your clothes in the dryer than to
hang them on a line or on a drying rack.
But, this change will result in a significant reduction in electricity
usage and will reduce your monthly utility bill.
Niagra Conservation estimates that
the average American family dries 5 loads of laundry each week which uses 100
kWh of electricity. That usage results
in 5200 kWh of electricity in a year.
Take a look at your utility bill and see how this compares to what you
pay each month and what your personal savings might be.
Not ready to put up a clothes line
in your backyard (or if due to neighborhood/ building restrictions you cannot)?
Start smaller with at least two drying
racks. If you have several loads to do you
can use the drying rack for smaller items like underwear and socks. These will dry quickly even when inside. Larger items like pants and towels can stay
in the dryer. Hang the small items on
your drying rack and leave the bigger items in the dryer until you have
finished a second load of laundry so you can fill up the dryer.
When you do use your dryer,
remember to clean out the lint filter after each load to maximize the dryer’s
efficiency. And if you use dryer sheets,
look for ‘green’ options from Seventh Generation or other similar companies. Or better yet, purchase reusable dryer
balls. Besides helping to soften clothes,
these also help speed the drying time by lifting and separating clothes.
Things to remember:
- Use an Energy Star (www.energystar.gov) washer and dryer.
- Use the ‘Cold’ water option on your washer.
- Purchase a laundry ball and get rid of your laundry detergent. If you are not ready to do this, buy a plant based detergent.
- Ditch your dryer and line-dry your clothes.
Recommended products:
Here some links to some great laundry products which will help reduce the trash you create, the water, petroleum, and electricity you use, AND the toxins you release into your local watershed: