5 Ways To Make Your Laundry Routine More Sustainable While Staying on Budget
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Creating a more sustainable household comes in many different forms. One way to help make your home more sustainable while staying on budget is to focus on specific areas of your home. When it comes to your laundry routine we have created five ways to help you become more sustainable and eco-friendly while staying on budget.
1.Zero Waste Laundry Detergent
There are a ton of laundry detergents to choose from out there and oftentimes you will find detergents are packaged in plastic containers. Say it takes you three months to go through a bottle of detergent, that’s four large plastic bottles a year spread out over your lifetime equating to hundreds of plastic laundry detergent bottles just for your laundry routine.
The alternative here is to find laundry detergent not packaged in plastics. In our household we have been using Dropps Laundry Detergent. Dropps Detergent is packaged in glass containers and with your initial purchase a pump comes so that you can simply take the cap off, screw the pump on, and start washing your clothes.
When you finish a bottle of Dropps laundry detergent you simply take the pump out of the empty bottle and place it in your new bottle. I like to then wash out the empty glass bottle and save it, they’re really nice glass bottles.
Dropps has laundry detergent for normal washing machines as well as newer machines that need high concentrated laundry detergent. You have a handful of fresh scents to choose from. I personally am a huge fan of lavender so I enjoy getting lavender scented laundry detergent. If you or your loved ones have sensitive skin, they also have sensitive skin detergent for you too.
If you’re interested in trying out Dropps for the first time be sure to use this link and you will get 30% off your first purchase!
2. Plastic Free Stain Remover
If you have ever used stain remover before, it has likely come in a plastic spray bottle or plastic pen. And unfortunately these just add to landfills and take hundreds of years to break down. So to avoid adding more unnecessary plastics to the planet I recommend choosing a plastic free stain remover option.
I came across Kind Laundry’s plastic free stain remover and have been really enjoying it! This stain remover comes in a small rectangular block packaged in cardboard that can be recycled once you finish the block.
Simply wet your piece of clothing that has a stain, wet the stain remover block, and rub the stain remover block over your stain. I have always applied liberally. Then let it sit for a handful of minutes before rinsing out the fabric. Then simply throw in the wash with your clothing.
I have found the sooner you are able to start removing the stain the better and for touch stains I have repeated the process. I honestly don’t know if repeating the process actually helped or not, but on favorite clothing pieces I get nervous enough that doing the process twice gives me peace of mind.
I am extremely pleased with Kind Laundry’s plastic free stain remover. So far every time that I have used it, the stains have come out of my clothing.
3. Wool Dryer Balls
Growing up we always put a dryer sheet in the dryer with a load of wash. Dryer sheets help reduce static in clothing and if scented can add a nice fragrance to your clothing. However, dryer sheets are made from a polyester material (and have many other ingredients that have been debated on their safety across the internet) (1).
There are a few important things to know about Polyester.
Polyester is the most used fiber in the world nowadays (2)
Polyester is a synthetic material that is made from plastic (2)
A ton of energy is needed to make polyester (2)
The process of making polyester is highly polluting for both our water and air (2)
Because polyester is made from plastic, it can and does shed microplastics (2)
Reducing the production of polyester is important, so ditching classic dryer sheets is needed when possible. A super simple alternative are wool dryer balls. Simply toss your dryer balls, usually they come in a pack of 3, into your dryer with your wet clothes and let the dryer do its thing.
Wool dryer balls not only reduce static from the drying process but if you want a fragrance to your dried clothes you can simply add a few drops of pure essential oil to each dryer ball before tossing into your dryer.
We have used dryer balls instead of dryer sheets for a couple years now. About once a year I will notice the dryer balls lose their ability to keep the static down in the dryer. When this happens simply put the dryer balls in a sock, rinse under cold water for a minute or two, and then let the dryer balls dry completely before returning to the dryer.
Eventually the wool dryer balls will need to be replaced and when that happens because they are pure wool I can simply compost them. I don’t see needing to replace the set I have for years to come though.
I love these dryer balls on Amazon. They are from a small farm in North Carolina that uses 100% US wool with no chemicals or dyes to make their dryer balls. These dryer balls will also come in a cardboard box versus plastic packaging which is always a plus.
I also love that they save me money. A pack of dryer sheets costs about $10 and will likely last you a year or so. A pack of wool dryer balls costs you about $20 and will last you lets say extremely conservatively 5 years, which means you will save $30 over the course of five years. Granted they will likely save you even more money but this number is for a rough estimate.
4. Washing in Cold Water
When it comes to saving even more money while being sustainable, washing your clothes in cold water vs warm and hot water not only reduces the amount of energy needed but will save you money on your electric bill. Be sure to use cold or tap cold for best budget and eco results.
5. Hang Drying Clothing
While drying your clothes in a clothes dryer is great, if you have the ability to hang dry your clothes inside or outside that can save you money by reducing the amount of energy used which is also beneficial to the planet.
Some cities have rules about hang drying outside so be sure to follow local guidance when it comes to putting your clothes out in the sun to dry.
Making your laundry routine more sustainable and eco-friendly while staying on budget is possible. From purchasing plastic free detergents and stain removers, using wool dryer balls, and choosing to wash in cold and hang dry when able you will not only see potential savings roll in but also be able to make a positive impact on the planet.
Every little step towards becoming more sustainable helps the planet. When able choose more sustainable options, vote with your money by purchasing sustainably, and implement sustainable practices when possible. It’s not always easy but that’s why we’re here, to help get you solutions without the hassle.
Let us know what other sustainable items or practices you use in your own laundry routine!
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