Where would we be without water? It’s an integral part of our day-to-day yet so easy to take for granted. This World Water Day, we’re focused on simple ways to cut back and conserve whenever we can. Like, say, laundry day. Our pals at Common Good, makers of all-natural household essentials, gave us some must-know info for keeping your clothes clean and keeping mama earth happy.
1. WASH LESS. PERIOD. Yep, you can wear many clothes—especially denim—multiple times without needing a wash (it’ll both save water and help preserve the color). To keep things fresh in between, try using a linen spray and hanging clothes instead of folding to keep the air flowing. Also, pre-treat stains as soon as they happen so you won’t need to wash multiple times to get ’em out later.
2. EVALUATE YOUR EFFICIENCY Go for high-efficiency machines rather than traditional top-loading models when possible; they use around 40% less water. Not an option? Make sure you’re always washing a full load rather than just a few items to save on H2O and energy—that goes for any kind of washer or dryer. Oh, and air-drying is always ideal for dialing down that carbon footprint.
3. CHOOSE (DETERGENTS) WISELY Low-sudsing detergent is your best bet—it means that less is being used/going down the drain and into our water systems with each wash. Read the instructions to make sure you’re putting in just the right amount—more detergent doesn’t always equal cleaner clothes. And don’t forget to keep an eye out for products with easy-to-break-down, plant-based ingredients, like amylase or lipase enzyme blends (don’t ask us how to pronounce ’em, but trust us, they’re gentler).
Thanks again to our friends at Common Good for the tips. Wanna keep the water-saving action going? Our friends at charity: water are total experts. Support their mission of providing clean, safe drinking water to people who don’t have access here.
