When you think of laundry, typically you’re after the whitest whites, and no shrinkage. How about we think outside the box and “green” our laundry practices by shrinking their footprint? This episode answers your questions and offers advice on how to minimize the environmental impact of washing your clothes. Also an often forgotten, but important aspect, of making recycling work.

Did you know 75 to 90 percent of the energy your washer uses goes to warming up the water? You can save $60 or more per year on your energy bill by washing in cold water, according to Consumer Reports. But not all laundry detergents work well in cold water. We address that in this episode and offer additional information in the links below.

LINKS:

Heidi Bischof’s Earth Ethic blog at Medium

 

After recording this podcast, Heidi found this indicating laundry pods are probably safe for people and planet:

Detergent Pods are Handy, but Can I Use Them With a Clean Conscience? – Grist’s Ask Umbra

 

Also, here’s a related tip not discussed in the podcast: Washing your dishes by hand probably wastes water!

Why You Should Never Wash Dishes by Hand

 

Two products designed to capture plastic microfibers in our washing machines:

The Cora Ball

Guppyfriend Washing Bag

 

Essential Working Group Guide to Laundry Detergents

Why Are You Still Washing Your Clothes In Warm Water?

6 Reasons to Cold-Water Wash

9 Ways to Save Energy Doing Laundry

The Best Laundry Detergent