How to Do (and NOT Do) Your Laundry
by www.SixWise.com

You've removed all the coins from the pockets, sorted the colors and the whites, and pre-treated the grass stains ... now wait! Before you do another load of laundry, have you considered its impact on the environment and your health, not to mention your energy bills?

When it comes to doing the laundry, forget what mama told you and move into the 21st century. It's a whole new world of laundry out there.

Doing the Wash

• Never use hot water. Use warm water for heavily soiled clothes, cold water for all the rest (and always use cold water to rinse). Soaking heavily soiled clothes first can clean them enough that you can even use cold water for these loads as well.

• Turn down your water heater. Lowering it from 140 degrees to 120 degrees can save 10 percent a month on your water-heating bill.

• Forget small loads, fill up the washer. Filling the washer to capacity saves energy (and time)!

• Ditch your typical laundry detergent. Most commercial laundry detergents, the common brands you find at grocery stores, are loaded with potentially toxic chemicals that could harm you, your family and the environment. Fabric softeners are particularly dangerous.

• Choose a natural detergent instead. You can find these at health food stores, and if you're looking for a reputable brand we highly recommend the Enviro-Rite line of laundry detergents.

• Use less soap. It often does not take as much soap to wash a load as the manufacturer recommends. Experiment with less soap and use the least amount necessary to get your clothes clean.

Getting Your Clothes Dry

• Just as you sort your clothes for the wash, you can sort your clothes for the dryer. Instead of sorting by color, put lightweight fabrics that dry faster in one load and heavier fabrics (like bath towels) in another.

• Avoid over-drying your clothes. Take them out as soon as they're dry, or even when they're still slightly damp.

• Never use dryer sheets. Many of them contain chemicals that have been linked to cancer and brain damage. The Static Eliminator Reusable Dryer Sheet System is an excellent and safe alternative to chemical-laden dryer sheets. The Static Eliminator's woven sheets take static cling out and soften fabric without any toxic chemicals whatsoever -- plus they are incredibly economical, as one box can be used to maximum effectiveness 500 times!

• Fill the dryer up. Put in as many clothes as you can while still leaving room for air to circulate.

• Clean the lint trap. Leaving it clogged will reduce airflow and hamper your dryer's effectiveness.

• Dry a couple of loads. This way, your second load can borrow some of the heat that's already built up from the first one.

• Never underestimate the pleasure of sun-dried laundry. If it's warm and sunny where you live, hang your clothes outside to dry. It's free and hard to beat the fresh smell of sun-dried clothes.

Recommended Reading

The 6+ Synthetic Fabrics You Most Want to Avoid, and Why

The Toxic Dangers of Typical Laundry Detergent