Your Clean Clothes Have Some Dirty Laundry
Given the way this decade began, it’s clear people don’t agree on much. But we bet we can all agree on this one little truth: Doing laundry is a total pain.
Assuming you actually put on different clothing at least occasionally (an admittedly large assumption during COVID-19), laundry is the chore that never, ever, ever, ever ends. It’s almost as bad as having to figure out what to make for dinner. Again.
But here’s the thing: Laundry isn’t just an inconvenience for us humans. It’s also doing a real number on the environment.
FREEBIE ALERT! Keep reading…(we know it’s a LOT of words, but it’ll be worth it).
5 Ways Our Laundry Habits are Wrecking the Planet
First, let’s be absolutely clear: Clean underthings are good and lovely and right, so we’re definitely not trying to guilt anyone into skipping the suds altogether. We just need to do laundry better (which we’ll get to in a sec) because our current approach is really problematic:
Doing laundry wastes water. Most families do about 400 loads of laundry per year, and each load uses 14-25 gallons of water. (It’s worse for top-loading machines, which use 40-45 gallons per wash!) Multiply that out and you get… a really big number.
Doing laundry pollutes our ecosystem. You know all those microscopic, stain-fighting warriors touted by your favorite detergent? Those little guys are called surfactants, and they don’t magically disappear when your washer drains. Instead, they get dumped into our waterways and poison our aquatic life.
Doing laundry harms our health. Chemical detergents eventually work their way through our ecosystem and get into our food supply—which isn’t great for our health, obviously. But even before those toxins cycle through the food chain, we absorb them through our skin. No good. Some of the synthetic dyes and fragrances found in many soaps and softeners have been linked to allergies, cancer, and worse. (At this point, wearing “dirty” clothes almost seems more appealing, right?)
Doing laundry leaves a huge carbon footprint. In case you need a quick review, our carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases (like carbon dioxide and methane) our day-to-day activities release into the atmosphere, where they contribute to climate change. The average American’s carbon footprint is 16 tons per year (about four times higher than the global average!) and doing 3-4 loads of laundry each week is responsible for nearly a half-ton of it.
Doing laundry contributes to plastic waste. Most detergents come in plastic bottles, very few of which get recycled. But the bigger problem is actually all those microplastics created by washing synthetic materials. You can learn more about that over here: You Can Have Your Plastic (But You Have to Eat It Too).
Well, that was depressing.
The good news is there are lots of ways you can reduce the environmental impact of your laundry habits.
Consider your machine. We realize not everyone can just go out and buy a new washer or dryer. But if you have the option, high-efficiency washers really do make a huge difference. Front-loading models can save about 7,000 gallons of water per year over traditional top-loaders. That’s equivalent to a lifetime supply of clean water for six people!
Be a little lazy. There’s no rule that mandates we have to wash an item of clothing every single time we wear it. If your favorite hoodie isn’t noticeably dirty or smelly, opt to wear it again before washing. Bonus: That’s less laundry you have to sort and fold.
Hang to dry. The dryer causes 75% of laundry’s carbon footprint. You can make a significant difference simply by hanging your clothing to dry, or at least using a low-heat setting to conserve energy. Air drying will also help your clothes last longer, since the dryer creates micro-tears in the fabric. Plus, you’ll decrease your electric bill!
Be picky about fabrics. Avoid buying clothing made of synthetic fabrics like nylon, spandex, and acrylics, which will break down into microplastics every time you wash them. Instead, opt for natural fibers like cotton, wool, and hemp.
Wash on cold. About 90% of the energy consumed during a wash cycle is used for heating the water. But unless you need to get a particularly nasty bug out of the fabric (for instance, if someone in your house was sick), cold water works just fine. Cold water also prevents shrinking and color bleeding, so your favorite outfit will stay looking great, longer.
Switch detergents. These days, you’ll find lots of options for natural, organic, and biodegradable detergents, which are way better for our health and our environment. The packaging usually makes it clear if a detergent is earth-friendly, but if you’re not sure, look for powdered or plant-based options. You get bonus points if you buy detergent packaged in a cardboard box instead of a plastic container.
FREEBIE ALERT! Congrats! You made it!
We want to help you clean up your laundry routine.
We care about our planet almost as much as we care about you. That’s why we want to help you get started with some earth-friendly laundry practices by sending you a starter pack from Public Goods. Just tell us where to send it, and it’s yours. (SERIOUSLY!)
PLEASE SEND ME A STARTER PACK!
Now, about that pesky habit of having to rewash that load of towels you started two days ago and forgot about? Sorry, we can’t do much more than sympathize with that. But if you dislike doing laundry as much as you love our planet, then you’re our kind of people. And we’d love to get to know you better.
