Five Easy Steps to Make Laundry more Eco-Friendly & Enjoyable (even during Quarantine)

Laundry is my favorite chore. You may be asking if you just read that right and yep, you did! In fact, I actually enjoy doing laundry and always have. I’m pretty sure I inherited this from my mother and her mother who are/were laundry goddesses in the sense that everything maintains its color, shape, is stain-free and smells fresh and wonderful! In fact, to let you in on a little family secret I am often the butt of family jokes in regards to this. Whenever our extended family is together, the comment that “Stefanie is probably off doing laundry” comes up at least once. They may tease me but they also love that I often do theirs!

During this global pandemic, there are things all of us can do to leave a lighter footprint on the planet. Laundry is one area where this is easy to do and you may even find yourself enjoying the process. By following these five easy steps, we can all make a positive impact on our planet, budgets and well, our clothes.

pretreat stains

This is usually an easy one. If you’ve spilled food or your kids have stains on their clothes, pretreating them that same day is best, even if you’re not washing them until later. Some stains require more effort and care and when they do, I use The Laundress brush. It’s gentle yet effective and so cute!

Sort, SORT & SORT

This one is so easy. If you don’t want red lint on your black clothes or white lint on your colorful linens, proper sorting is the way to go. This includes washing your white sheets in a separate load from your white towels. Towels are very linty and sheets are not so separating even the same colored linens is important. If you’re concerned that you may be wasting water, in the long run, you’re not. Your clothes will look newer, better and last longer because of your careful care.

use correct amount of (eco friendly) detergent

There are many laundry detergents available, obviously some more eco-friendly than others, but using the correct amount is key. If you are doing a smaller laundry load, then use less detergent. Otherwise, your laundry won’t be completely rinsed and you’ll have residue on your clothes that will not only affect their wear but may also contribute to allergies and skin irritation.

use a drying rack

This is a big one! Heat is not a friend of your clothes. Drying clothes in the dryer until they are completely dry causes shrinkage, fading, wrinkling and pilling. The tumbling causes the fibers to constrict, shrinking them and decreasing the life of the fabric. The best way to care for your laundry is to simply put items in the dryer for up to five minutes to fluff them up a bit, on low to medium heat, and then to hang dry. Towels are definitely an exception and I also dry my sheets and most socks. Wool dryer balls with a few drops of essential oils will soften your laundry naturally with no chemicals or synthetics.

I use this one from the Container Store because it’s the size and configuration that works best for my family. I love the look of it and that the wooden dowels are coated to prevent mildew. It also folds up pretty flat. I have two for the days I’m doing multiple loads but generally use just one. If you’re lucky enough to have a laundry room, you can keep it up for easy access.

fold & put away

Sometimes this is the hardest part, right? I find that running out of room on the drying rack is quite the motivator! Whatever it is for you, doesn’t your laundry deserve to be hung or folded nicely to continue the loving careful care you’ve given it? Plus, it looks so nice since it’s smooth and wrinkle free. Maybe the significant before and after is why I love doing laundry?

Does any of this help to motivate you to enjoy doing laundry even a little bit? What special laundry tips do you have? I’d love to hear (so my family can make even more fun of me!).