It’s Laundry Time!

I apologize for the time gap from my lasting posting. I did some traveling and had a nice adventure. Nothing like going to Maine when an ice storm hits and have no power, which actually gave me some great thoughts about future posts.  Anyhow, I am glad to be back.

Laundry – In a general sense, washing clothes is pretty ungreen from every angle. Laundry detergents are especially unhealthy for both you and the environment. They can contain phosphates, optical brighteners, perfumes, as wells as other serious chemicals. Remember that when you wash your clothes, the water that goes down the drain will eventually make its way to a much larger body of water. So think about what you are dumping into that water. Some suggestions would be to switch to detergents that are biodegradable or a natural green detergent. Particularly, look for detergents that have the words “free and clear” or contain no dyes, phosphates or other harmful chemicals. And remember to recycle your detergent containers.

And if you are considering using bleach on a load, then look at some alternatives, such as non-chlorine bleach. Chlorine bleach has a lot of nasty chemicals in it and can cause a lot of environmental damage. Remember, the water going down the drain has to eventually end up in a larger body of water.

When you go to wash your clothes, set you washer on the cold setting. Most detergents are designed to work in cold water, so there is no need to wash in hot. This will save you some money on your electric or gas bill, too.

The best way to dry your clothes is to go back to the old fashion clothes line like your grandmother use to have. But if it is rainy or to cold outside, then go ahead and use your dryer. But first, make sure you clean out your lint trap(s) as often as you can. To speed up the drying, you can throw in a dry towel. If you use fabric softner sheets, then you might want to try something like Nellie’s Dryer Balls.

And once or twice a year, clean out the dryer vent. This is the vent that is usually behind your dryer and runs the hot air outside. These do fill up with lint debris and can cause your dryer to work much harder.

And if you have to replace your washer, then look for one that has an energy star logo on it. Another option is to go with a front-loading washer, which uses less water and is actually gentler on your clothes.