One of the ways in which we can play out the ideal of “living green” is looking at some of the habits and things we do that are part of our basic needs – namely, our food, clothes, and shelter. How we solve those needs while being conscious of their effects on the environment is a key component to environmentalism and here I will discuss one aspect of this which is washing and drying the clothes that make up our wardrobe.

The bad news is that washing, drying, and cleaning our clothes uses a lot of resources. The good news is that we have many, many options for improving this and there is a lot of flexibility in this if money is a concern – i.e. options that are free, options that are expensive, and options that are expensive but ultimately save money.

Air Drying
One of the best ways to reduce our impact is not to recycle or reuse but to first see if we can actually remove something altogether. What if we went back to way our mothers and grandparents and everyone before them dried their clothes?

Ah, yes, I am talking about drying things out the old fashioned way by hanging clothes out to try.

I understand this is a daunting task and for many living in apartments, condos, town homes, and environments with little sunlight – well, it’s just not always practical.

But we can always start in small doses. Short of hanging up a line and putting the entire load out to dry with clothespins – which would be awesome for the environment, by the way – don’t be scared to start small and just air dry those items that are easiest to do so. Since synthetic materials don’t easily wrinkle, this is the first place to start. And because things like sheets and blankets take forever to dry in a dryer, why not simply hang them out for a day and save yourself some money and energy at the same time?

Small But Effective Tips

Since air drying is impractical for so many millions without yards, below are many smaller tips that can have a huge impact when practiced across the board.

• Look for energy efficient machines. This means you want front loading washing machines. Data suggests that on average they use almost half as much water and energy! That is a huge amount. If you want to do some online research before going into the store, check out the Energy Star rating system, a government ratings standard for energy efficiency that is internationally recognized.

• Keep the lint filter clean. This is old fashioned advice but it’s still true as ever. It only takes a moment to grab the lint out of the filter and in that moment you’ll be making the next load run more efficiently and with less energy. It’s as simple as that.

• Use Green soaps and detergents. The chemicals in our cleaners obviously have an impact on the world at large and if we all switched to more “clean” cleaners than this would reduce those harmful chemicals that eventually end up our lakes, oceans, and rivers. While stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joes have the largest selection of green detergents and soaps, most grocery stores carry a selection of green cleaning supplies now at reasonably affordable prices.

No single act makes all the difference and yet when we collectively make small changes this indeed is the only thing that makes a big difference! What other tips do you have can help the environment when it comes to cleaning our clothes?

By green living expert DeAngelo Sade, editor at the Wardrobe Closets site, the premier source for wardrobe storage and armoire decor.