Green Laundry Tips

Green Laundry Tips


1. Choose a natural, yuck free detergent.

My personal favorite is Charlies Soap.
Charlie's has a nice fresh smell, but no scent. I hope that makes sense. Your clothes will smell clean, but not like roses or any other yucky, fake smells. Charlie's is suitable for HE washers. It requires only a tablespoon for a large load. Charlie provides the measuring device in the bag. I like to buy my Charlie's from Amazon because it is like a dollar cheaper. You can also find it at Whole Foods.

I have tried making my own detergent with Borax, washing soda, and castile soap. It works pretty well, but Charlie's seems to have more stain removing power. An important feature when you have boys.

2. Consider Line Drying

There are many benefits to drying your clothes on a clothes line. It saves energy and gives you the opportunity to get some fresh air. It also reduces the wear on your clothes so that they last longer, thereby reducing the need to buy new. See, line drying is awesome! I have been line drying everything (including undies) for the past month. I am anxious to see how it effects our electric bill. I will let you know in a later post.

I will warn you that clothes are a little stiffer. Towels are a lot stiffer, but it is a small price to pay.

3. Wear something more than once.

This one is hard for me. I practically rip the clothes of our children to wash. I follow my husband around waiting for clothing to drop and I like a nice, fresh crisp outfit each day. However, this is really silly. If you are not running marathons or living in 100 degree Nashville, then wearing an outfit twice is a good idea.

4. If you really must use your dryer, when there is a perfectly hot sun outside then please nix the dryer sheet.

Dryer sheets are gross. I know, they smell "nice". All you need to soften your clothes is a bit of white vinegar in the softener section of your washer. Your clothes will not smell like vinegar, I promise.