Laundry Tips to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
- Everyone can make simple changes to help save the planet.Teamwok concept with hands on globe image by .shock from Fotolia.com
Going green is way of life that helps preserve and give back to our planet. Each day more and more people are joining this movement. Your carbon footprint is the impact you leave behind on the Earth, from how much waste you produce to how many resources you consume and how much overall environmental damage you do. You can lessen this carbon footprint by changing your daily habits, conserving water and energy, and creating less waste in water and on land. A good place to start is your laundry room. - Some clothing cannot be worn more than once before washing (think socks and underwear). However, other items (blue jeans, dresses, even tops) can be worn at least twice before going into the washing machine. A good way to save water and use less energy is by doing less laundry. Wearing items of clothing more than one time is the first step to greening your laundry.
- Purchase eco-friendly laundry detergent and use it exclusively. Many mainstream laundry detergents offer green varieties in your local grocery store. These types of detergent are biodegradable and even gentler on your fabrics. You can also make your own laundry detergent using the recipe listed in the Resources section of this article. Finally, try using concentrated detergent, as you'll use less, save money and even have less packaging to toss out.
- Using cold water can save up to $100 in yearly electricity costs. Most of the energy used to wash laundry is used to heat the water for your load. Your whites can still get white by using a detergent for cold water washing or by adding a tbsp. or two of lemon juice to your final rinse.
- Top-loading machines are less energy efficient and use almost twice as much water as the newer, front-loading machines. Look for the Energy Star approval of any washing machine, as this guarantees that your new machine is energy efficient.
- A dryer uses lots of energy and is expensive to operate. The good news? Fresh air and sunshine are completely free of charge. Hang and line dry as much ot your laundry as you can. It saves money, energy, the environment, and makes your clothes smell great.
- Can't part with your dryer? Try drying your laundry for 40 minutes, then using the "air fluff" setting for the last 20 minutes. This setting uses no heat, so it saves energy. The heat remaining in your clothing from the regular setting is usually enough to finish drying the laundry on the fluff setting.
- Irons use energy, as you plug them into electrical outlets for power. The fact of the matter is that not everything needs to be pressed to look nice. Skip the iron on any articles of clothing that you can.
