Let's face it. Unless you are joining a nudist colony, doing laundry is here to stay. :) So let's chat today about ways to save money and resources, while in turn helping save the planet!

The current way most of the world is doing laundry is making people and the planet sick. And, plastic and microplastic pollution is getting out of hand.

Let me preface this by saying, using up what you have FIRST is always the most eco solution.

But when it comes time to replenish your stock of any product in the laundry room, or buy new (such a new machine or laundry basket), consider these facts:

The Dirty Facts About Doing Laundry

• BILLIONS of plastic laundry jugs end up in landfills and oceans worldwide, every year.

• Microplastics in laundry strips, laundry pods and dryer sheets are entering water and soil - and travelling back up the food chain into our bodies.

• Toxic chemicals in laundry products are harming people and threatening the well-being of all life on earth.

• Water, electricity and energy are getting wasted from washing incorrectly, from inefficient older machines and from washing too frequently.

• Washing clothing made from synthetic fibers releases microplastic particles - hundreds of thousands of them, each time you wash, into the water.

PLASTIC: it's not just about turtles anymore. It's actually travelling back up the food chain and into human bodies. 

Microplastics are now being found in human fetuses and newborn babies.

Microplastic exposure bioaccumulation in the human body is linked to autism [1], ADHD [2] [3], and a myriad of developmental, neurological and general health issues.  

Laundry is responsible for 35% of microplastic pollution.

And billions of laundry jugs worldwide end up in landfills and the ocean each year, which break down to create microplastics.

Microplastics are harming aquatic life and threatening our natural water systems.

Did you know that hundreds of thousands of microplastic particles are released into the water each time when washing synthetic garments made from polyester, acrylic, and nylon and plastics?

Laundry detergent strips and detergent pods, although originally thought to be a good alternative to laundry in jugs, are made with Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA), which is a microplastic.

In 2021, Forbes reported that 75% of PVA does not break down easily and bioaccumulates in the environment [4].

The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health confirmed PVA is a "threat to our ecosystems". [5]

In addition to entering the food chain through fish and the soil, PVA disrupts the balance and also increases the absorption of heavy metals, chemicals and pharmaceuticals in high concentrations. We need to keep PVA out of our oceans, rivers, drinking water, soil and ultimately, the food chain.

In addition, dryer sheets are a single-use plastic, made from polyester and fibers of petrochemical origin. You may use them once and toss them out, but they persist in the environment for hundreds (if not thousands) of years. No one knows for sure how long exactly. Scary stuff! 

So now, let's do our part. Here are 10 eco-friendly laundry tips to "green up" your laundry routine!  

🌿TIP 1: Green Up Your Laundry Detergent

My first tip is to keep plastic jugs, microplastics and chemicals out of the environment by switching to a refillable natural detergent, such as a 100% biodegradable and toxic chemical-free liquid or powder. I do not recommend laundry strips or pods due to them containing microplastics and PVA.

Elva's All Naturals' Lovely Laundry Wash is a top eco detergent choice, starting at $0.33 per average load. 

It's made in Canada from the native herb Soapwort, toxic chemical-free and packaged in a refillable glass bottle.

You will find this laundry soap recommended as a top eco choice by veteran Environmental Journalist and author Candice Batista, in her 2024 book "Sustained":

Chemicals from laundry detergents with artificial fragrances and harmful ingredients are proven to make us really sick and can cause cancer, asthma, diabetes, skin rashes, and headaches. [6]  When those chemicals go down the drain, many of them wreak absolute havoc on the environment and harm aquatic life and wildlife. 

💡Buying an eco laundry detergent in bulk and refilling your containers is the cheapest option per load.

Use less laundry detergent than you think, and measure accurately. You can save money and cheat by using less detergent and adding a natural laundry booster to the cycle, like a bit of washing soda or baking soda.

FYI: "washing soda" is just a heat-processed and more powerful form of baking soda and excellent for laundry applications, which can also be made at home in your oven.

🌿TIP 2: Choose Natural Fiber Garments, and Consider a Microplastic Filter

It's tempting to buy mass-produced clothing made of synthetic fibers as they are often much cheaper. The price tag however, is much more rich in the long-term as microplastic particles are flooding our waters worldwide every time a synthetic garment is washed.

Polyesters and plastics release hundreds of thousands of microplastic particles into the water every time you do the wash. These particles are now showing up in human bodies and are linked to countless health issues.

Instead, opt for clothing, linen and towels made from natural fibers like organic cotton, silk, wool, linen and bamboo. 

💡Don't forget to shop gently used at thrift shops! I've found many beautiful, quality natural fiber pieces at second hand stores, for a fraction of the cost of new. 

💡Because it's impossible for most of us to eliminate all the synthetics from every wash, you can use a microplastic laundry water filter and attach it to your washing machine. Several countries are in fact now working on legislation to make this a mandatory component of all new washing machines.

🌿TIP 3: Give Dryer Sheets the Boot

Did you know that laundry dryer sheets are a single-use plastic? Don't let their soft fabric appearance fool you!

Most dryer sheets are made from plastic fibers, such as polyester.

So you use them once and throw them out afterwards, but they persist somewhere in nature afterwards for possibly...forever.

Most dryer sheets also contain harmful chemicals and artificial fragrance, which can cause a myriad of skin sensitivities, allergic skin reactions, headaches and other health issues. Artificial fragrance is an ingredient to avoid, more on that here.

💡 Instead, try using vinegar as a fabric softener. I promise, it won't smell at ALL like vinegar afterwards, and your laundry will be super soft! Clothes will just smell...CLEAN.

You can also add baking soda to the wash cycle. 1/4 cup per average load works great to help soften clothes. Bonus: it deodorizes and helps whiten.

And, wool dryer balls. That's next. :)

🌿TIP 4: Save Energy, Money and Soften Clothes with Wool Dryer Balls 

I cannot lie - I was skeptical at first about ditching the dryer sheets years ago and using dryer balls instead. Now, I would never use anything else and don't know how I lived without them. They are awesome!!

💡Wool dryer balls save 30-40% on energy from the dryer.

Yes, that's right. These bouncy wonders fluff up your clothes and make them soft, while really shortening drying time. The science behind it is (and why tennis balls also work): they create air pockets between clothes as they bounce around, allowing better air flow and speeding up dry time. They also absorb water as they bounce, distributing the air better while speeding up the drying process, sort of like a convection bake setting on an oven. Cool.

And yes, we sell dryer balls! They are made from 100% Organic New Zealand wool, and you can view those here.

🌿TIP 5:  Skip the Dryer and Rack Dry, Air Dry, Line Dry - All Year Round!

The MOST eco-friendly way to dry your clothes is to skip the dryer altogether. It saves a ton of energy from the dryer. Bonus? Air drying your clothes makes them last longer, and saves a lot of money over the course of a year.

If you didn't already know this, you can line dry clothes even during the winter. It sometimes takes a bit longer as there is no heat. But hey, that's what our great grandparents did, before they had dryers!

Dry winter days can actually dry clothes faster than in the summer when it is humid. Humidity plays a big part.

💡If you don't have an outdoor clothesline, you can get an indoor rack. For a hybrid approach, you can at least partially dry the thickest items that hold the most water and take the longest to dry, like towels and blankets. Then, finish them off in the dryer to get the fluffiness. So many items in fact -  like bras and thin tops, dry in no time flat on a rack!

What I really like about air drying is that my clothes last way longer, and elastics don't break down. 

🌿TIP 6: Save Water by Washing Less Often  (and Use the Right Cycle)

One to re-use often is jeans. And definitely, bathroom towels. I mean, you're pretty clean when you get out of the shower, no? Both towels and jeans weigh more and take up more space in the machine, and use more water to wash. Bonus from re-using them a few times? You'll save on your water bill, and energy.

💡When you wash clothes, make sure it's the right setting. If it's a small load, make sure you select a smaller size cycle. Luckily, many of the higher-efficiency machines automatically add water according to the weight of the load.

Whenever you can, try to run a full load because of the energy used in a cycle. 

🌿TIP 7: Avoid the "Hot" Cycle by Pre-Treating Stains

Washing in cold water uses the least energy, preserves clothes and colour dyes AND saves you money. Using the hot cycle on your machine uses the most energy as it heats the water. Warm water is sometimes necessary for very dirty items like kitchen cloths, but avoiding the hot cycle unless absolutely necessary is key here!

💡Pre-treating stains prior to washing in a cold cycle will help them come out better.

It's important to pre-treat stains prior to washing, for best results. This is because different stains will "set" in different water temperatures. For example: washing a blood stain (especially if already dry) in hot water will cause it to "set" and often cause permanent staining.

A bit of detergent (either laundry soap or dish soap) applied directly to the stain with water, a bit of friction and a good soak, is often enough to really loosen up ground-in dirt and many stain types, prior to washing in the machine. However: pay attention to the fabric type and be sure to check what water temperature to use according to the stain type, to avoid "setting" the stain in further.

For example: cold to tepid water works best for blood, paint, coffee and wine. Whereas very warm to hot water is needed to remove stains such as grease, tomato, dirt, grass and magic marker. 

You will find many DIY natural recipes online for natural stain removers that use different ingredients for different applications like 3% hydrogen peroxide (a natural whitener), baking soda, vinegar (removes sweat stains), citric acid, dish soap, salt, washing soda and lemon juice. 

🌿TIP 8: Ditch the Bleach 

Many of us grew up associating the smell of bleach with the ultimate feeling of "clean and sterile". While bleach does sterilize, it is a scary thing to both people and the planet. And there are much safer and effective disinfecting alternatives you can use instead, including hydrogen peroxide or vinegar!

Read your household product labels carefully, because chlorine bleach is often an ingredient in toilet bowl cleaners, tile cleaners and stain removers, to name a few.

Here's why you should ditch the bleach:

• Bleach can harm your skin, lungs and eyes. Inhaling bleach fumes can cause permanent, cellular damage in your nostrils and lungs. This risk increases with long-term exposure. It is linked to asthma, allergies and respiratory illness.

• Bleach is unsafe for children and pets.

• Bleach should never be mixed with other household cleaners (a life-threatening chemical is produced when mixed with ammonia). People who use several cleaners when cleaning a room should be aware of this risk.

• Bleach is considered a serious environmental toxin. It damages whole ecosystems and kills both plants, fish and wildlife when it enters the water and soil. The same properties that make it effective at killing germs in the home make it destructive killer in nature, after it goes down the drain and gets released into water systems and soil.

• Bleach is contributing to air pollution and global warming through the release of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) into the atmosphere.

• Upon disposal into water and soil, bleach reacts with other chemicals and organic matter and forms hazardous by-products including cancer-causing dioxins, organochlorines and furans. These dangerous compounds can cause long-term damage to both human and environmental health. [7]

💡Luckily, on The Eco Hub website, I finally found a wonderful DIY recipe for a natural bleach alternative from Candice Batista! 😍

What I really love, is that she tells you exactly how to use it as well. It's made with hydrogen peroxide and a few other things. You can find that recipe here.

🌿TIP 9: Take the Time To Educate Your Household

I know this one seems obvious, but if you have teenagers especially, it may be worth a sit down for a little conversation. ;) And don't forget: they will be out on their own soon, doing their own laundry!

It's important to get all your household members on the same page.

Change always starts with knowledge and education. By sharing the benefits of why greening up your laundry routine is important with other members of your household, you can at least bring about change in your own home.

💡Start by setting simple rules about how many times they should use a towel and jeans, for example. And how much soap to use, what cycle to use/not use, etc.

🌿TIP 10: Measure Your Soap (No, Don't Trust the Dispenser)

It is very easy to use WAY too much laundry soap. More is not always more in this case. And: don't trust the compartment dispenser on your machine. Measure. Especially since, all detergents these days come in different concentrations, with different recommendations on how much to use!

Your washing machine has a dispenser, but filling this up won't necessarily line up at all with how much you are supposed to actually use.

It's important to follow the instructions and measure correctly to avoid using too much.

💡Too much laundry soap can leave behind an icky residue on your clothes. And, using more than the recommended amount costs more. Save money and have cleaner clothes by not using more than the recommended amount.

🌿BONUS TIP 11: Do the Math If You're Still Not Convinced (It May Shock You)

There is more than just eco reasons to green up your laundry routine. You could save hundreds of dollars per year.

According to Proctor & Gamble, the average American family spends $1,500+ per year on laundry.  

Averaging 300-390 loads, that's $160-$600 on detergents alone. The rest of the cost is from energy running the machines, water usage, dryer sheets and fabric softeners.

Here are some numbers to play with, adjusting for household size and washing frequency:

Concentrated eco detergent (2 x Elva's refillable boxes) = 300+ loads. Cost: $100-$118 

Annual savings per average household by switching to concentrated eco detergents alone: up to $500

1 bag of dryer balls = 1,000 ++ loads worth of dryer sheets. Cost: about $20

Air drying your clothes. Cost: FREE

Making your own DIY stain removers, softeners and bleach alternatives, enough ingredients to last a year (vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda etc). Cost: $15-30

Washing in cold. Cost: $ Savings of up to $66/yr, according to Energy Star

Energy saved with reusing towels and re-wearing clothes. Cost: $ less energy, water and detergent than washing every time.

So while I could not find exact data on comprehensive savings per year because of ALL the unique variables including machine types, household size, etc, it is certainly (at a minimum) a significant annual savings per average household when you add it up.

You could save so much on detergents and accessory laundry products alone. You would need to measure and track year over year, for full accuracy.

💡The take-away headline: You will save money by greening up your laundry routine.

🌿BONUS TIP 12: Choose Natural Materials for Laundry Baskets

If you already have a basket and it's plastic, please just use it and don't send it to landfill. But if you need another, or are buying a new one for someone else, consider materials like bamboo, wood, linen, jute and cotton. What I like about the wood ones is, they look really nice but also have a practical component because wood is naturally microbial (unlike plastic, which harbors germs). 

Conclusion:

Greening up your laundry routine doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. By making simple changes like choosing eco-friendly detergents, using cold water, and air drying your clothes, you can significantly reduce your environmental impact. And collectively, they add up to reducing your environmental footprint, while saving you money.

By choosing sustainable options and eliminating plastic and chemicals from your laundry habits, you’re contributing to a cleaner, healthier planet for future generations. Let’s all do our part to green up our laundry routines, one load of laundry at a time.💚

Lovely Laundry Wash by Elva's All Naturals, a Top Eco Choice for Greening Up Your Laundry Routine!

References:

[1] "Pre/post-natal exposure to microplastic as a potential risk factor for autism spectrum disorder", March 2022, National Library of Medicine, National Centre for Biotechnology Information

[2] "Common plastics chemicals -- phthalates -- linked to ADHD symptoms", Nov.2009, Science Daily

[3] "The Association between ADHD and Environmental Chemicals—A Scoping Review", March 2022, National Library of Medicine, National Centre for Biotechnology Information

[4]  "Study Says Up to 75% Of Plastics From Detergent Pods Enter The Environment, Industry Says They Safely Biodegrade", Aug 8, 2021, Forbes 

[5] "Degradation of Polyvinyl Alcohol in US Wastewater Treatment Plants and Subsequent Nationwide Emission Estimate", June 2021, The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

GREAT READ👉 [6] "Toxicities of Laundry Products - Review of the Evidence", Jan.2022, by Constantine Kaniklidis, ResearchGate.net

[7] "Is Bleach Bad for the Environment? Key Facts You Should Know", June 2024, by Inemesit Ukpanah, GreenMatch