Watch Your Wash

We all have to do it. Some love it, some hate it. But the laundry never goes away.

My daughter Marina would rather do just about anything besides sort dirty laundry or put away clean laundry. Her older sister, Sierra, has no problem with it. *parenting sigh*

Regardless of how you feel about doing laundry, you can go about doing it in a way that is smarter for the environment and smarter for your wallet.

Tip #1: Only wash full loads.

You use the same amount of electricity either way, so you’re paying less when you wash more in a cycle. And if you have an older washer that uses the same amount of water regardless of the amount inside, you use waaaaay more water washing half loads.

Tip #2: Cold water works well.

Save money on your water heating by running cold cycles instead of hot or warm. Most laundry detergents work fine with cold water - just check the label. Also, whether you have a natural gas or electric water heater, you’re saving on a non-renewable fuel that has to be burned to heat your water.

Tip #3: Try a different detergent

So, this year I wanted to reduce the amount of plastic that I bring into our lives, and one of the big offenders was the big bottles of laundry detergent or the plastic bag refills. I switched to Tru Earth after a recommendation from a friend, and LOVE them. They’re made of strips of detergent that you just tear apart and throw in the basin. Done. They come in a recycled/recyclable cardboard envelope. They’re safe for septic systems. And they work really well!

Let me know if you try any of these!