Doing The Laundry – 8 Easy Ways To Reduce Environmental Impact

This is an article I wrote way back in 2019 for Living Quietly Magazine. I’ve updated it slightly but the message remains the same!

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An ethical wardrobe for many has become something to aspire to. New ethical brands are popping up and the second-hand market is booming. Fashion designer and activist Vivienne Westwood famously told us to “buy less, choose well, make it last.” The final part of her quote is unfortunately often glossed over and is arguably the most important aspect. Maybe one of the reasons that fast fashion is so prevalent is we have lost the skills to care for our clothing and make it last.

Looking after clothing in a more environmentally conscious way is simple with these laundry tips.

Washing clothing less. Washing clothes is the quickest way for them to appear faded, worn and past their best. Fabric sheds every time it is washed, causing it to weaken over time. The fewer clothes are washed, the longer they will last. For natural fibres like cotton – it’s just not necessary to wash them every time you wear them. Wool for example is antibacterial and retailers discourage washing it. An air out beside an open window is often sufficient. Jeans also don’t need to be washed very often. Karen from The Blue Suit suggests popping denim in the freezer to freshen it up instead of overwashing. For one-off stains, try spot cleaning instead of washing the whole garment every time. Ecover does a spot cleaner with a brush for effective stain removal.

Reduce the water temperature. Hot water wears out clothes quicker, fades fabric colours and can go as far as totally ruining a fragile garment in one wash. The recommended temperature is 30C but instead, try washing at 20C to prolong the wear of your clothes.

Air dry (if possible.) Six months ago, I sold my tumble dryer and haven’t missed it once.  For reference, I live in a city apartment. I’ll admit cotton towels aren’t as fluffy so consider switching to linen next time, they dry faster and are better for the environment. (I recommend these waffle linen towels, I’ve bought them in three different colours.) Using heat to dry fabrics causes shrinkage and the elastic to break down. Did you know that the lint you find in the tumble dryer is actually bits of your clothes? The fibres are literally breaking down while you dry them. If you really want to use the dryer, try using it to finish off the clothes at a low temperature.

Hanging out the washing is fun with a pretty peg bag like this one from Wearth.

Iron and steam. Pressing your clothing keeps them presentable for longer. So, unless you spill your dinner down the front then you will need to wash them less. Make sure the temperature is not too high. Ironing is the fastest way to ruin a garment if you go too hot. Clothing can be hung on a hanger straight from the washing machine and be fine to wear as soon as they are dry. For everything else, a quick press makes all the difference. It is also possible to steam clothes yourself to freshen them up, Philips does a foldable one that looks great for travel too. Failing that, hanging a garment outside the shower to catch the steam should do the trick.

Give the dry cleaner a break. Stopping dry cleaning will eliminate harsh chemicals which can break down the fabric over time. Recently there has been an influx of organic dry cleaners but they don’t have an industry-standard set for them yet. It is possible to gently handwash some ‘dry-clean only’ clothes – for example, a silk camisole or cashmere jumper. Often the laundry label will specify dry clean because the garment has not been tested for washing, not necessarily because it can’t be washed. But hand wash in cool water at your own discretion and watch out for any colour bleeding.

The washing machine. The better a washing machine functions, the longer it will last. If you live in a hard water area, don’t skip the water softening tablets or you can add a water softener to your machine to prevent limescale. Rinse off excess dirt from soiled clothing before washing and run an empty hot wash every month to clean the machine. This might seem counterintuitive to washing more sustainably but the total energy used to clean your machine is far less than replacing it earlier than you have to. And a well looked after washing machine will do a far superior job of cleaning clothes.

Ever heard of a guppy bag? Polyester, acrylic and nylon are all plastics and small pieces break away every time we wash them. Pop any synthetic clothes in a guppy bag and place them inside the drum, afterwards pick out the plastic fibres and stop them from filtering into our oceans.

This vegan natural fabric spray comes in a beautiful array of scents.

Eco laundry detergent. If you are lucky enough to have a zero-waste shop nearby, you can buy your laundry detergent with absolutely no packaging.  Online eco retailers are starting to look at ways to integrate package free detergent delivery to your home. Supermarkets are stocking more eco-products than ever and will often have eco detergent in cardboard boxes which are much easier to recycle than plastic. Ethical Superstore have a wide selection of eco laundry products, some are in plastic but they are without the harsh chemicals. As for fabric conditioner, just skip it. It coats your clothes in extra chemicals, dyes and fragrances that are just not necessary. The conditioner will build up over time, leading to colour fading and fibre breakdown.

Let the laundry pile build up. Gathering up your laundry once per week and sorting through it will result in fewer wash loads overall. I sort my washing into quite a few different piles, but I try to do it all on the same day. Rachel Velebny, a sustainable fashion writer, suggests investing in a large selection of underwear, to extend the time between laundry days. Even just an extra day can increase the load size for those with larger families.

It’s labelled as toy storage but would probably be the coolest laundry basket I’ve ever seen… from John Lewis.

What next? Next time you shop for clothing, stop and think about the laundry care each piece will need. For example, natural fibres are breathable and don’t attract smells the same as synthetic clothing, resulting in less washing.  And linen looks lovely with its natural texture. Dry it flat and it’s good to go – the ultimate ethical easy-care fabric.

Fancy more reading? What about linen dresses or yak wool sweaters?

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Images belong to the brands mentioned.