With every wash cycle, we consume energy and water. In addition, the environment is polluted by various substances in conventional detergents. Even with very small changes to our usual washing behavior, we can wash more sustainably and save money at the same time.
- Fill your washing machine
Your washing machine uses the same amount of energy whether it is half empty or full. So please fill up your washing machine drum as well.
- Does it really have to go in the wash?
Every wash cycle costs resources, microplastic fibers are released from synthetic clothing and the environment is also polluted by the waste water. Therefore, we can only wash sustainably if we reduce the number of washes.
Fortunately, this is easier than we think and additionally conserves our clothes. Instead of tossing the T-shirt we wore to the office into the wash basket as soon as we return, we can hang it up and let it air out for a bit. Then it could certainly still be worn for later shopping.
- Wash cool & save money
In the past, when washing machines weren't as efficient as they are today, people washed clothes at high temperatures. This was necessary to remove stains and also bacteria from the laundry. Thanks to the technological progress of washing machines, this has changed and also the modern detergents are developed enough to wash without pre-washing and with lower temperatures. This not only saves energy costs, but is also good for the environment.
For everyday clothes, a 30°C program is usually sufficient. Stubborn stains can easily be pre-treated with a vegan Washo stain soap, for example. Although low temperature programs are good for the environment, a 60°C+ wash should be done in between. This promotes the cleanliness of the washing machine and kills germs.
- Economy program: longer but environmentally friendly
Washing machines have a lot of buttons. Hand on heart - how many of them do you use? Most households don't use different washing programs or the additional functions. Yet we can already save a lot of electricity with the economy program.
It seems like a contradiction that the economy program with a much longer washing time, uses less electricity and water than the standard program. The reason for this is that in "Eco" the water is heated less. A test by Stiftung Warentest showed that bacteria are also removed in the economy program.
- Biodegradable detergents - always!
Conventional detergents still contain unnecessary additives and microplastics. Much of it can hardly be filtered out of the wastewater and thus gets directly into our ecosystem. As a result, microplastics litter the oceans - even Antarctica is found of them. Other substances such as phosphates or chlorine bleach also pollute our waters and thus our nature unnecessarily.
It therefore makes perfect sense to use detergents that are free of harmful ingredients and unnecessary chemical additives. Like the Washo washing strips, for example. They are not only easier for you, but also better for the environment.
- Use wash bags and reduce microplastics
With a wash bag or a washing machine filter, you can significantly reduce the amount of microplastics in your water. This is because the microplastic particles that are released from clothing during washing, especially from synthetic fibers such as polyester or nylon, are caught and do not end up in the environment in the first place. Instead of that the laundry goes directly into the drum, you simply put it in the bag first and hop, off into the washing machine.
- How important is the tumble dryer to you?
The biggest electricity guzzler in washing is the tumble dryer. So if you want to wash sustainably, you should use the old-fashioned clothesline or a clothes horse. If you can't do without a tumbler, you can use natural energy savers such as Washo Natur Tumbler Balls to shorten the drying time and save valuable resources. Simply put the natural sheep wool balls in the tumbler together with the laundry and you have saved energy and money.
- Curd soap against stubborn stains
Aggressive detergents can also loosen stubborn stains, but the environment pays a high price for their use. The gentle alternative is to pre-treat our laundry briefly to remove stubborn stains before the wash cycle. This way, our laundry gets clean without us having to get behind it with the chemical mace. Moreover, a pre-treatment takes a few minutes maximum.
Washo stain soap is biodegradable, without microplastics and enriched with washing nut extract. This means it manages to gently remove even "lousy stains" from your favorite clothes.