Washing our clothes – a task that many either loathe or love. Yet keeping our clothes fresh and clean is so important for many reasons, such as hygiene and cleanliness.
However, a new study from the environmental experts at 100Green, has found that over a quarter of Brits (27%) may be doing more bad than good to their clothes, as they admit to washing them after every single wear. And whilst this can damage the clothing itself, it’s also doing no good for the environment.
On average, a front-loading washing machine uses about 50-90 litres of water per load. So, if you do laundry just once a week, that adds up to roughly 2,600-4,500 litres of water per year.
So, how are Brits washing their clothes? 100Green found that the majority (81%) of Brits feel confident using their washing machine. However, despite this, almost half (48%) admitted to using the same setting when washing—every single time.
Meanwhile, 1 in 6 (15%) Brits admit to washing their clothes on a setting that is too harsh – such as an unnecessary hotwash, with another third (33%) believing that when they wash their clothes on a cooler setting, they don’t come out as clean—something 100Green says isn’t true.
Washing our clothes correctly is an important task, but washing them too often or incorrectly can actually damage our clothes, deteriorating the fabrics and causing us to buy more – contributing to fashion waste.
As such, 100Green have shared 5 different ways you can ensure you wash your clothing correctly, and save as much energy as possible to aid the planet:
- Only use the washing machine for full loads
With each use of a washing machine using between 50-90 litres of water, it’s vital to ensure that you’re making the most of every wash.
Instead of washing one item of clothing at a time, allow your laundry to pile up to perform a full wash instead—filling the drum to around 80%, or leaving a gap big enough to fit your hand in vertically (with your thumb to the top of the drum) if you’re unsure. This will ensure that you’re getting the most out of your washing machine, and use as little water as possible.
- Wash with cold water
Washing with cold water significantly reduces the amount of energy used. In fact, around 90% of the energy used by a washing machine goes towards solely heating the water.
As such, opt for a lower temperature during washes. This is also beneficial for your clothes, as it is more gentle on the fibres, helps to prevent colour fading, and reduces the risk of shrinkage compared to hot water.
- Air dry wet clothes
Whilst the convenience of owning a tumble dryer is non-negotiable for some people, this is another appliance that can have a negative impact on the environment. This is because they contribute to air and water pollution, and use up alot of energy.
Instead, air dry your clothes by hanging them on outdoor washing lines, or on clotheshorses indoors.
- Pay attention to clothes labels
As a general—and hygienic—rule of thumb, you should ideally wash your clothes after 2-3 wears, but this depends on their condition. Typically, you’ll find that the correct time to wash an item is when it shows visible signs of dirt and stains, as well as any strong odours.
And when washing your items, it’s important to pay attention to the labels that provide the correct washing instructions in the form of codes.
Each code has a different washing requirement, and they fall into five different categories, including washing symbols (represented by a tub of water), bleaching symbols (a triangle), dry cleaning symbols (a circle), drying symbols (a square), and finally, ironing symbols (represented by an iron).
There are also temperature symbols to be aware of, and these are represented by tubs with dots inside. A tub with a single dot inside indicates an item should be washed cold at 30C. A tub with two dots indicates a warm wash temperature of 40C. And a tub with three dots shows a warm/hot wash of 50C.
- Use eco settings
Many modern washing machines and tumble dryers nowadays have eco settings.These are designed to reduce the overall energy consumption by using less water and running at lower temperatures, leading to lower electricity bills and a smaller environmental impact.
If your washing machine doesn’t have any eco settings, you can use all of these tips combined to create your own eco washing routine.
Amy Barker, Head of Marketing at 100Green, commented: “We know that using our washing machines uses the planet’s water supply, in fact according to the National Geographic, around 9 billion cubic meters of water is used to do our washing every year.
“Previous research from 100Green found that choosing a cold wash for your laundry could reduce a household’s CO2 emissions by a massive 392 kg a year – which is a huge saving for the planet, and a really easy swap for us to make.
“As well as this, wearing items multiple times between washes, and thus, doing fewer loads of washing would be the ideal way to save water”.
“However, besides water, our washing machines also use energy when running, so reducing the temperature of your wash is a key way to save energy—and help the environment.
