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

 Impact: Low
 Effort: Easy
 Cost: This can save you money between water, energy, and detergent costs!

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

 Impact: Medium
 Effort: Easy
 Cost: Our eco-friendly laundry detergent sheets come in scented and unscented options for just $13.59 for a 64 load pack.

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

 Impact: Medium
 Effort: Somewhat Difficult
 Cost: Results in savings!

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

 Impact: Medium
 Effort: Somewhat Difficult
 Cost: Diapers can take 500 years or more to decompose and create toxins during this process. A set of washable and reusable diapers can be found for around $20, where a large pack of name brand diapers can cost upwards of $70! You'll save substantial money in addition to reducing waste.

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

 Impact: Medium
 Effort: Somewhat Difficult
 Cost: A new washing machine could cost around $500 - $750 or more depending on the model and style, but may result in savings in energy and water costs.

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.

Want to Live More Eco-Friendly?

Find more sustainable alternatives to your everyday products at our shop!

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Citations for This Article

APA

Plonkey, Jim. (December 6, 2022). Laundry: Eco-Friendly Checklist. Natural Replacements. Retrieved November 21, 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/

Jim Plonkey

Jim Plonkey is a Co-founder of Natural Replacements. A digital marketing professional with a passion for sustainability, Jim lives in Southeast Michigan and enjoys traveling to new places, spending time outdoors - kayaking, hiking, and gardening, and yoga.

Content on the Natural Replacements is produced under the guidance of our editorial standards.

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