Laundry: Eco-Friendly Checklist
One of the many ways that you can begin to make your home more sustainable is in how you wash your clothes!
Many common laundry supplies are inefficient in the energy and water they use, or they contain harsh and unnecessary chemicals.
Take a look at this short list of ideas to get you started thinking about a more eco-friendly laundry process!
Want to check out more than just this topic? See our full eco-friendly home checklist!
Checklist
- Maximize the use of each load of laundry
- Laundry detergent sheets
- Air dry your clothes
- Cloth diapers
- Replace your old washing machine with an energy and water efficient (5 star) washing machine
Download & Print
You can make a copy of this checklist in Google Sheets, allowing you to customize however you see fit. You can also print a copy from Google Sheets once it’s copied if desired.
View the sheet first and make a copy via File > Make a copy or simply click the “Make a Copy” button below.
Maximize the use of each load of laundry
Adjusting your washing machine's settings to use only the amount of water required and trying to do larger loads of laundry at a time can reduce the water and energy used significantly over the years.
Laundry detergent sheets
There are many problems with common laundry detergent products - plastic waste, overuse, harsh chemicals… the list goes on. Switching to all natural and organic laundry detergent sheets ensure you use a pre-portioned and sufficient amount of detergent, you avoid soaking your clothes in chemicals, and there is no non-biodegradable plastic waste created in the process.
Air dry your clothes
Depending on the season and your location, this may be easier for some people than others. Air drying your clothes on a line can save all of the energy used by your dryer.
Cloth diapers
Modern mass produced disposable diapers can take an extremely long time to break down and decompose. If you've had children, we're sure you know how many diapers a single baby can produce before they outgrow them! Though it might be a difficult transition to get used to, switching to washable cloth diapers can make a big impact.
Replace your old washing machine with an energy and water efficient (5 star) washing machine
In recent years, washing machines have continued to become more and more efficient in terms of energy and water use. Depending on your current model, you could see a tremendous improvement by upgrading to an Energy Star certified washer.
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Citations for This Article
APA
Plonkey, Jim. (December 6, 2022). Laundry: Eco-Friendly Checklist. Natural Replacements. Retrieved October 5, 2024, from https://naturalreplacements.com/learn/household/laundry-eco-friendly-checklist/
MLA
Plonkey, Jim. "Laundry: Eco-Friendly Checklist." Natural Replacements, https://naturalreplacements.com/learn/household/laundry-eco-friendly-checklist/
Chicago
Plonkey, Jim. "Laundry: Eco-Friendly Checklist." Natural Replacements, Last modified December 6, 2022. https://naturalreplacements.com/learn/household/laundry-eco-friendly-checklist/
