8 tips for environmentally friendly washing
We use energy and water with every wash cycle. In addition, the environment is polluted by various substances in conventional detergents. Even with very small changes to our usual washing behaviour, we can wash more sustainably and save money at the same time.
- Fill your washing machine
Your washing machine requires the same amount of energy whether it is half empty or full. So please fill up your washing machine drum too.
- Does this really need to go in the wash?
Every wash cycle costs resources, microplastic fibres are released from synthetic clothing and wastewater also pollutes the environment. That's why we can only wash sustainably if we reduce the number of wash cycles.
Luckily, this is easier than expected and also protects our clothes. Instead of throwing the T-shirt we wore to the office in the washing basket as soon as we get home, we can hang it up and let it air out for a while. Then it could certainly still be worn for later shopping.
- Wash cool & save money
In the past, when washing machines were not as efficient as they are today, clothes were washed at high temperatures. This was necessary to remove stains and bacteria from the laundry. Thanks to technological advances in washing machines, this has changed and modern detergents are also developed enough to be able to wash without pre-washing and at lower temperatures. This not only saves energy costs, but is also good for the environment.
A 30°C programme is usually sufficient for everyday clothes. Stubborn stains can be removed.B can be easily pre-treated with a vegan Washo stain soap. Although low-temperature programmes are good for the environment, a 60°C+ wash should be done every now and then. This promotes the cleanliness of the washing machine and kills germs.
- Saving programme: longer but environmentally friendly
Washing machines have a lot of buttons. Hand on heart - how many of these do you use? Most households don't use different washing programmes or the additional functions. We can already save a lot of electricity with the energy-saving programme.
It seems like a contradiction that the economy programme with a much longer wash time requires less electricity and water than the standard programme. The reason for this is that the water is heated less with "Eco". A test by Stiftung Warentest showed that bacteria are also removed in the economy programme.
- Biodegradable detergents - always!
Conventional detergents still contain unnecessary additives and microplastics. Much of it can hardly be filtered out of the wastewater and thus ends up directly in our ecosystem. As a result, microplastics are littering the oceans - they are even found in the Antarctic. Other substances such as phosphates or chlorine bleach also unnecessarily pollute our waters and therefore our nature.
It therefore makes perfect sense to opt for detergents that are free from questionable ingredients and unnecessary chemical additives. Such asB the Washo washing strips. They are not only easier for you, but also better for the environment.
- Use wash bags and reduce microplastics
You can significantly reduce the amount of microplastics in water by using a washing bag or washing machine filter. This is because the microplastic particles that are released from clothing during washing, especially from synthetic fibres such as polyester or nylon, are collected and do not end up in the environment in the first place. Instead of putting the laundry straight into the drum, simply put it in the bag first and hop in the washing machine.
- How important is the tumbler to you?
The biggest energy guzzler when washing is the tumble dryer. So if you want to wash sustainably, you should use the familiar washing line or a clothes horse. If you can't manage without a tumble dryer after all, natural energy savers such asB the Washo Natur Tumbler Balls, the drying time can at least be significantly reduced, thus saving valuable resources. Simply put the natural sheep's wool balls in the tumble dryer with the laundry and you've already saved energy and money.
- Core soap against stubborn stains
Aggressive detergents can also remove stubborn stains, but the environment pays a high price for their use. The gentle alternative is a short pre-treatment of our laundry to remove stubborn stains before the wash cycle. This gets our laundry clean without us having to get behind it with the chemical mace. In addition, pre-treatment takes a maximum of a few minutes.
The Washo stain remover soap is biodegradable, microplastic-free and enriched with soapnut extract. This means it can also gently remove "nasty stains" from your favourite clothes.