Have you noticed that we seem to be constantly bombarded by advertisements for products promising to make our laundry look brighter, feel softer and smell fresher? Of course these products do a great job but many of them are expensive, contain chemicals which can be harmful to the environment and potentially our own health and are arguably unnecessary.
Common ingredients in these products are phosphates which cause harm to rivers and lakes and those plants and creatures living there. Many products contain sodium sulphates, chlorine bleach, synthetic perfumes and optical brighteners which have been shown to be harmful to the environment and to human health in some cases.
About 2 years ago I decided to do some research to see what changes I could make for a greener, healthier and cheaper wash! I will share some of what I discovered.
- Save money and water by washing at a lower temperature and make sure that you wash a full load whenever possible. (According to Thames Water an average washing cycle uses roughly 80 litres of water.) Washing at a lower temperature (20 or 30 degrees) will save power and also reduces the number of plastic microfibres released into the rinse water when washing synthetic fabrics. For those who are able to, do hang washing out to dry whenever possible. It will save money and power and you get that lovely fresh air smell on your clothes!
- Have a look at the information on labels of laundry products. Many of them will say “harmful to aquatic life”. Maybe think about switching to an eco-friendly brand? Unfortunately the brands stocked by supermarkets can be expensive. If, like me, you don’t have time to make your own detergent using ivy or conkers (lots of recipes for these on line if you do!) an alternative solution is to buy from local companies who offer refills of different eco friendly products including laundry products. We are fortunate to have some local companies, for example, Thatcham Refillable, who visit Purley once a month and also deliver in the area or The Loose Larder and Garlands Organic in Pangbourne. Not only are the products safe for the environment and cheaper than the supermarket brands, refilling existing containers cuts down on plastic pollution.
- Many products that you may have in the kitchen cupboard can also help your washing to be more “green”. White vinegar is a natural water softener, kills some germs and breaks down limescale. I use it instead of fabric conditioner with a few drops of lavender essential oil. (No more yucky detergent drawer!) Stains can be loosened by soaking overnight in cold water with vinegar and washing soda (sodium carbonate) before washing in the machine. Bicarbonate of Soda can also be used in your washing to brighten fabrics and acts as a deodoriser.
- This next one might be a bit controversial! Apparently we tend to “overwash” our clothes causing damage to the fibres, using power, water and detergent needlessly and causing clothes to have a much shorter life. So if outer garments aren’t dirty once worn I tend to pop then on a hanger somewhere well ventilated for them to air before putting them away for another day. Apparently a CEO of Levi jeans (Charles Bergh), when asked how often jeans should be washed, replied hardly ever and never in a washing machine. He advocated wearing them into the shower if they are really dirty and washing them with soap and water just as if you are washing your legs! That certainly saves on water and detergent!
If we all make one small change just think how that would help our environment!
If you would like to find out more about cleaning without harmful chemicals I highly recommend two books by Nancy Birtwhistle – “Green Living Made Easy” and “Clean and Green” published by panmacmillan.com. In her own words these books contain “hints, tips and hacks to save time and money and to make your home more eco-friendly”
Dates for the diary
- Repair Café – Saturday 13 July and Saturday 10 August 3pm to 5pm at The Mad Duck, Wintringham Way.
- Recycling/ Terracycle – Sunday 14 July and Sunday 11 August 8am to 4pm 7 Beech Road.
- Community Lunch which is free to all – Saturday 7 September noon to 2pm at The Memorial Hall, Glebe Road.
- Apple Pressing – Sunday 6 October 2.30pm to 4.30pm at The Memorial Hall, Glebe Road.
Purley Sustainability Group (PSG) is a community sustainability group for Purley on Thames. We are passionate about enhancing community wellbeing through projects that bring people together in order to improve our local environment and encourage sustainable living.
For more information
- www.purleysustainability.co.uk
- info@purleysustainability.co.uk
- Facebook – Purley Sustainability Group & Purley on Thames Repair Café
Please do get in touch if you want to learn more or become a volunteer at the allotments, or at the repair café or want to susbscribe our newsletters and keep abreast of our events
You can find more information about refillable products from the following websites:-
