Although everyone needs to wear clean, great-smelling clothes, washing them regularly has several environmental implications that you need to be more mindful of when you do your laundry.

When you do your laundry, you use plenty of water and electricity. Additionally, the detergents you use may contain harmful substances that seep into the ground and waterways, which contribute to pollution.

With various problems already plaguing the environment, it’s time to rethink your laundry routine to make it more sustainable and eco-friendlier.

This means looking for ways to start saving more water and energy when you do your laundry, making recycling in Dubai a priority, and implementing other tips and practices to reduce the use of products that harm the environment.

Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Ways to Do Your Laundry

Below are some of the best ways to do your laundry sustainably and with less harm to the environment:

1. Opt for laundry services.

Commercial washers and dryers, which laundry service providers and laundromats use, tend to be more energy-efficient.

Larger companies even use large continuous batch washers or CBWs and industrial dryers, which use less water and energy to heat the water for washing.

Modern industrial dryers also have more sophisticated drum designs that circulate heat more efficiently to dry garments yet prevent them from over-drying.

These machines save significant amounts of energy and water while ensuring you have clean, great-smelling laundry.

To be more proactive, look for a laundry service provider that follows environment-friendly practices. Ask them about the types of machines they have and if they use eco-friendly detergents.

Also, ask the company if they have other sustainable programs or environmental initiatives you can support so that you can do more to protect the environment.

2. Follow the 3Rs.

Whether you do your laundry at home or use a laundry service, be more conscientious about following the 3Rs: reduce, recycle, and reuse.

You can do this by following these tips:

• Reuse laundry bags until they are no longer usable.
• Purchase detergents in big volumes whenever possible. Doing so will help you buy less, which means you’ll reduce the items you have to throw, recycle, or reuse.  
• Refill bottles and other containers with liquid detergent. Several stores and hubs allow customers to refill their laundry detergent bottles in place of buying new ones.
• Repurpose liquid detergent bottles. There are various ways to turn them into other functional or decorative items, which you can read about or watch online.

3. Invest in high-efficiency washing machines.

If you need to buy a new washing machine, choose a high-efficiency or HE one.

HE washing machines use less energy and water than traditional washers. They also require less soap, helping you reduce your carbon footprint further.

Before buying a new washer, go online to read the energy ratings and overall kilowatt hours different models use to run and compare them.

Make sure you choose the most energy-efficient machine that you can purchase within your budget.

4. Always wash full loads.

Every time you use your washing machine for small or heavy loads, it uses water and electricity.

You can be more environmentally friendly whenever you do your laundry with a full load since you’ll use each wash cycle more efficiently.

However, this doesn’t mean you have to stuff your washing machine every time you need to do your laundry. This is because over-filling your washer can make it harder to clean your garments.

If you have a top-loading machine, a full load means filling the drum no more than two-thirds full.

On the other hand, a full load for a front-loading machine entails filling it close to about 80% of the drum.

If you need to wash only one or two items, consider hand-washing them or using a portable wash bag. 

If you have a few items that need to be washed immediately but are not enough for a full load, consider having a laundry service provider handle them.

Keep in mind that when you wash full loads, you don’t just save water and electricity; you also save a lot of time and effort.

5. Use an eco-friendly laundry detergent.

Many commercial detergents contain harsh chemicals that are harmful to the environment, damage garments, and irritate sensitive skin.

Examples of these substances include chlorine, formaldehyde, phosphates, dyes, and harsh enzymes.

For a more sustainable laundry routine, use an eco-friendly detergent. Look for a product that doesn’t contain the mentioned harsh chemicals and others, such as sodium lauryl sulfate, dioxane, and dichlorobenzene.

Try to look for a detergent labeled organic or biobased and comes in biodegradable and recyclable packaging and labeling. These products are most likely the safest for the environment and your health.  

6. Air-dry washed clothes.

Dryers are huge consumers of energy, more than the actual washer. Skipping the dryer, therefore, can help you save a lot on your electricity bills.

If you have a large yard and you’re allowed to hang your clothes outdoors, air-dry them when the weather is pleasant.

This method is more energy-efficient and sustainable. It also leaves your garments, linens, and other clothing items smelling fresh.

Your clothes will also maintain their good condition when you air-dry them because there's less wear and tear than when you put them in the dryer.

To start air-drying your garments, buy retractable clotheslines and set them up between trees in your yard, on your deck, or even on your balcony.

Another option is to use drying racks indoors or outdoors. They are also great for delicate garments since they won’t get stretched too much.

7. Make your dryer more energy-efficient.

If you can’t skip the dryer, the best thing you can do is to make it more energy-efficient.

One way of doing this is using dryer balls.

Dryer balls are wool balls that absorb moisture from the wet garments. Because of this, you can put the dryer on a lower heat setting, allowing you to reduce the total drying time as well as your energy consumption.

Another bonus of using dryer balls is that they can help soften clothes and reduce wrinkles.

Also, if your dryer has a moisture sensor, use it. This feature automatically reduces the amount of drying time or turns off the machine when it senses that garments are dry.

Aside from allowing you to save money, this feature also helps reduce wear and tear on your clothes.  

There are many ways for you to protect the environment whenever you do your laundry. Be more mindful and you can do more to preserve and avoid harming the planet even more.

AUTHOR BIO:

Rami Shaar is co-founder and CEO of Washmen, a top-notch online dry cleaning and laundry service in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.