A washing machine (and certainly a dryer) are pretty energy guzzlers. Washing also makes your clothes wear out faster. And that is very bad for the environment: synthetic garments can release microplastics - which are discharged back into nature. So washing less is good for the environment, but how do you keep your clothes clean? We asked our engaged Instagram community and that yielded lots of great ideas. Here they come!
Keeping clothes clean without using a washing machine
Washing less is good for the planet and your wallet. You probably have an ear for that, but you also don't want to go through life in dirty clothes or constantly thinking ‘do you smell me’. So we asked the Instagram community of thegreenlist.nl what they do to keep that mas machine running less often, but in a way that you still look as fresh and fruity as ever. We received a laundry list of handy household tips. We take you through the best and nicest ideas: wash less and still keep your clothes clean? It can be done!
Sustainable washing
When it comes to sustainable washing, many people quickly think first of choosing your detergent more sustainably. Rather no more big packs, laundry strips, vegan detergent or detergent with labels and therefore eco-friendly ingredients. That's definitely a good step - absolutely do it! But choosing your detergent does dangle at the bottom. Most important of all is the choice of your washing machine and dryer. How energy-efficient is it? And do you have a condenser or heat pump dryer? And how do you use that machine? What temperature do you wash at, how full is that drum and has your finger found the eco button yet? Want to know more about sustainable washing: we devoted a whole article to it. Super educational!
Household tips: wash less and still have clean clothes
- Hanging out clothes: Worn clothes are also fine to hang out for a while instead of undergoing a full wash. The most effective ways are: hanging out outside under a canopy when the wind blows or when it drizzles, hanging by an open window or hanging in the bathroom while you take a short (!) shower.
- Spray clothes with vodka: a follower learned in South America that you can get clothes fresh by spraying them with alcohol. This is very effective against odours. Another lady adds that she comes from the theatre world, where she learned to spray costumes with vodka. This is quite expensive, so someone adds that pure, denaturalised alcohol can also be bought in drugstores and is a lot cheaper than vodka. Alcohol, in other words. But how does it work? I looked that up! Alcohol kills the bacteria that cause odours. Online I found a tip from illusionist Hans Clock. He shares his recipe for getting his suits sweat-free: 1/3 alcohol in a plant sprayer and top that up with water and spray away.
- Use towels for longer: Do you often change towels because you find it a gross idea to dry your face with a towel that has been sitting somewhere else the day before? If so, here's a lifehack: Always use the side with the label for the bottom of your body and the side without the label for your face.
Keeping clothes clean without washing: hanging out clothes more often and buying a child's apron instead of a bib at mealtimes is also a lifesaver. Tip: IKEA has a very handy one made of plastic with long sleeves (which you can easily rinse off).
- Smaller and thinner towels: use smaller towels so your washing machine is less likely to fill up. Someone else swears by XXL hyrdophilic cloths in the bathroom (quick dry and takes up less space in drum). Hema also has very fine!
- Wear good basics under your clothes: outerwear (such as T-shirts) often needs to be washed faster than underwear (such as trousers and skirts), because sweat is more likely to soak into those clothes - especially under your armpits. By wearing a camisole or thin shirt under your outerwear, you trap sweat and can wear your T-shirts, jumpers and dresses more often without washing. Choose sustainable basics made of natural materials such as organic cotton, tencel, merino wool or wool-silk. Added bonus: these fabrics will also make you sweat less!
- Indoor and outdoor clothing: a follower has been taught by her parents to distinguish between indoor and outdoor clothing. In her experience, clothes last longer and get less dirty this way.
- Wear work clothes when doing chores: Always wear an apron while cooking and reserve a set of old clothes especially for chores around the house. It can be that simple! An apron is also a good idea for children while eating.
- Lavender bags in your wardrobe: scented bags of lavender between clothing piles to keep clothes fresher for longer. A tip from grandmother's time that still works really well!
Less frequent dirty children's clothes
For toddlers, a plastic paint apron from IKEA Very handy as a substitute for a bib. This long-sleeved paint apron protects much better than a bib. You can easily rinse off the dirty apron with cold water and this way you can wear all those cute baby clothes more often, because food stains are the number one cause of dirty clothes for little ones.
Help! Still a stain?
We hope these ideas have inspired you to wash clothes less often. If you're wondering why freezing clothes isn't on the list. This turns out to be a myth. It doesn't kill bacteria, it just lets the bacteria sleep for a while. The result? Within no-time the odours are back, as they were never completely gone. Because of these conflicting reports, I personally tried it on a shirt with sweat odour and it did not work. Within an hour, the smell was just back! If you do find yourself in high distress and have a difficult stain in your clothes? Then take a look at these articles:
- Difficult spot? This will get almost all stains out of your clothes!
- Very difficult spot? This is how to get the really tough stains out of your clothes!
- Foul odours in clothes can also be caused by a dirty washing machine. Check out our eco-friendly cleaning tips.
Photo credits: main image: Ketut Subiyanto (Pexels), Leeloo Thefirst (Pexels) Ioana Motoc (Pexels), apron: Vlada Karpovich (Pexels), hang out clothes: thegreenlist.nl.
