Posted by Savneet Singh on Aug.06, 2009

ⓒ iStockPhoto - sokolovsky

Since we all like neat, clean clothes, we need to do laundry. While laundry is a cleaning process of cleaning, the process itself may not be clean enough. Our clothes may be soiled with germs, soil, oil and other matter that is not water soluble. Water alone can not be used to remove all of them, so we need some type of laundry detergent when washing our clothes.

Detergent isn’t the only point of concerns associated with laundry. The cleaning products we use contain potentially hazardous chemicals including bleach, solvents, chlorine and ammonia. Moreover, a dryer can use up to five kilowatts of electricity per hour and a top-loading washer uses approximately 40 gallons of water per load.

Some simple and far less hazardous alternatives can be used to make cleaning a far less harmful household chore. Keep in mind these tips to save water, electricity, environment and money when next time you head to the laundry room :

Washers

Wash clothes on the “cold” or “warm” settings rather than “hot” whenever possible. A washer uses maximum power to heat water. Detergents available in local stores can be used for cold-water washing.

Try to wash full loads to make the best use of the energy required to run the machine. If you need to wash a smaller load, adjust the water level accordingly.

Sort out clothes according to fabric type, color, weight, and degree of soiling to improve efficiency.

Wash heavy clothes such as curtains, towels and denims separately from light clothes like shirts.

If you are planning to buy a new washer, go for an Energy Star-rated model. These Energy Star washers use less water per load . Some machines use 18 to 25 gallons on an average. There are front-loading models that may use as little as five gallons of water. These kind of machines extract more water from clothes and thus reduce drying time.

Dryers

Choose a dryer with a moisture sensor that automatically shuts the machine off when clothes are dry.

Choose a warm location for the dryer so that less energy is needed to heat the air.

Clean the lint filter before each new load. It will improve air circulation and efficiency.

Use full loads to make the best use of the energy required to run the machine, but keep in mind not to fill the dryer so much that air can’t circulate around the clothes.

Laundry Products

Laundry routines can be made even “greener” by using environmentally friendly detergents, fabric softeners, and stain removers.

Boost the power of your detergent safely and inexpensively using white distilled vinegar. You can use vinegar for stained white socks, removing perspiration odor and stains, preventing yellowing and lifting stains like mustard, spaghetti, barbecue sauce or ketchup stains. Vinegar acts as a fabric softener as well. All you need to do is to add about 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar to the last rinse. Don’t worry; the acid present in in white distilled vinegar is mild and does not harm fabrics, but it is strong enough to dissolve the alkalis in soaps and detergents.

Make Your Own Environmentally Friendly Liquid Detergent

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sodium carbonate (washing soda)
• 1/2 cup borax
• 2 oz natural soap
• 3 pints tap water and a bucket of hot water

Equipment:

• water bucket
• oven
• containers with lids
• grater
• saucepan (use a dedicated pan for this to avoid borax residue in food)
• lavender oil

Instructions

1. Grate the soap in a saucepan.
2. Add the tap water and mix the ingredients until the soap melts and forms a solution.
3. Add the sodium carbonate and borax and stir the solution until it becomes consistent and thickens.
4. Remove the pan from the oven stove and let the solution cool for awhile.
5. Take one quart from the bucket of hot water. Pour it in the empty water bucket.
6. Add the saucepan’s contents in the bucket and mix well. add and mix about 60 drops of lavender oil.
7. After mixing thoroughly, fill the bucket with hot water and let it settle for about 24
8. Pour the detergent in the containers. Keep the containers covered when not using the detergent.

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Posted under Green Cleaning, Home Environment.