5 Sustainable Laundry Room Tips

From the harsh detergents, to the amount of energy used per wash cycle, it can be hard to apply your sustainable practices on laundry days. So where to start? Making a few small changes will make a big difference! Below you will find 5 sustainable laundry day tips.

1. Wear it more than once

The first (and simplest) solution is to wear your clothes more than once! Be the judge of when your clothes need to be freshened up, but not everything needs a wash after one wear. 

2. Opt for hang drying

It may seem a little old-fashioned, but drying your clothing outside when it’s a nice windy sunny day, instead of running the dryer, is a massive help in making your laundry routine more sustainable. If you don't have a clothesline, no worries! An indoor drying rack can be used and is just as effective to drying your clothing! Air drying your clothing is much gentler on clothing, helping them to last longer.

3. Cold Wash Cycles

Another easy sustainable shift to make in the laundry room is setting your wash cycle to use cold water instead of warm or hot! Cold water cycles help to lower the amount of energy used, versus warm water. Washing your clothing in cold water also helps clothes to last longer, retain their shape, and prevent dyes from fading.

Image by The Simple Concept via The Simple Concept Facebook Page

4. Visit a local refillery station

We’ve been seeing lots of refillery stations setting up shop in local towns. These are a great sustainable option as you can bring your reusable containers to refill with new detergent! Many refillery stations also sell eco-friendly, safe-on-skin detergents that contain less harmful substances for you and the Earth. We spotted a refillery station just outside of the GTA in Bowmanville, called The Simple Concept - it’s located in the Markets downtown Bowmanville!

5. Avoid Small Wash Loads

Another easy solution to help make your laundry days more sustainable is to simply avoid smaller loads. Make sure you’re filling the wash cycle full to avoid multiple loads, and in turn, avoid wasting water and energy.