5 Eco-friendly Laundry Tips

Whether you love or loathe doing the laundry, it's got to be done! I have a really simplified laundry routine and steer clear of all the artificially fragranced laundry additives that are readily available and heavily promoted across social media. I've put together a list of some eco-friendly tips that will not only help your environmental impact, but also save you some money!

1. SOAPNUTS

Soapnuts are a complete revelation! Do your research and decide for yourself if these are for you. I use these in almost every wash load in place of a conventional laundry detergent. I have a budget-friendly back-up detergent powder from the supermarket for washing dog bedding or heavily soiled laundry.

I feel the soapnuts wash laundry just as well as any conventional detergent. They have a neutral scent and I add a few drops of essential oil to the muslin bag which holds the soapnuts. I recommend purchasing your soapnuts from Living Naturally Soapnuts - you'll find all the information you need on their website.

2. SODA CRYSTALS

I add a scoop of soda crystals to every wash. Soda crystals help to remove stains and grease, whilst also softening the water and helping to maintain your washing machine. Soda crystals have so many other uses too!

3. STAIN REMOVER BAR

I use a stain remover bar from Living Naturally Soapnuts on any stains that don't come out in the first wash. The stain remover bar works really well, but I always suggest drying stained items in direct sunlight as this will help naturally bleach out the stain!

4. DITCH THE TUMBLE DRYER

As long as you have sufficient space and access to central heating, there's no reason you can't ditch the costly tumble dryer! Use wall-mounted, ceiling-mounted and radiator airers in a warm environment and you'll never look back! I didn't use our tumble dryer at all throughout this winter and have recently started hanging washing outside to dry again, finishing off indoors on cooler days. I generally do one load of washing per day, which helps prevent it piling up!

5. TEMPERATURE CONTROL

Not everything has to be washed at high temperatures! I tend to categorise my laundry into three temperature groups; 30⁰C for non-soiled/lightly soiled items, 40⁰C for moderately soiled/workwear items and 60⁰C for bedding, towels and pet bedding. I also use a quick wash option but ensure the highest spin speed is selected as this reduces drying time!

I hope you found these tips useful and please do let me know if you try any!

Emma x