How Can We Do Our Laundry in an Eco-Friendly Way?

When we do our laundry without an eco-friendly routine, we have a high risk of sending out micro-plastics into our waterways. Instead of buying regular laundry detergent and dryer sheets, I’m going to be discussing a few simple things we can do to eliminate our laundry waste.

When we buy liquid detergent, we increase the demand for plastic packaging. Many people think it’s no big deal when they buy bottles or other forms of plastics because it can be recycled. However, the thing that many people don’t know or fail to remember is that about 90 percent of plastics aren’t recycled. So, what can we do when companies are still making detergent in plastic bottles?

Eco Nuts are soap berries that actually work as detergent! They can be reused about ten times per nut, and the box (depending on what amount you choose) comes with many of them. I purchased the box of 100 nuts for a great price, and I won’t run out for a long time. Better yet, it has no trace of plastic packaging as it comes in a box. Since these berries are biodegradable, when you’re finished with them, you can throw them out without a worry that they’ll harm the earth. There are also other brands that produces these soap berries. One of them is called NaturOli. Check out your favorite brand today and see what you think!

The Eco Nuts brand also has a product called “Wool Dryer Balls” that replaces non-biodegradable dryer sheets. When you make a single purchase, you receive a box of four wool balls that last for YEARS. You simply toss all four balls into your laundry and it softens them just like dryer sheets! If you’re looking for a smelly-good product, you can also add your favorite essential oils to the balls. If you’re looking for a vegan product, you can purchase the Rubber Laundry Fish. It has the same concept, only that it’s not made from sheep’s wool.

And of course, if you want to save more energy, consider purchasing a hanging rack or air-drying your clothes outdoors. When it’s nice enough outside, I love to hang my clothes on a clothing line.

I highly recommend checking out one of my favorite Youtubers who has inspired me to purchase these eco-friendly products and switch to a greener laundry routine. Her username is “Shelbizleee” and her posts are how I’ve received the knowledge of all of the sustainable swaps I’ve made.

Our waterways are important, and so are the creatures that live in them. Remember: always reduce first, reuse, THEN recycle. Choosing to wash your clothes in the cold temperature setting also reduces the electricity use that is needed for the warm temperature setting. The little things make the biggest difference!

October 7, 2019 – Written by Shelbi Fisher

Sources: Shelbizleee, Shelbizleee, Earth Hero, Earth Hero, Amazon