apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Turns out our bad habits may be a good one. Full loads means less frequent washes. Cold water and short cycles means less energy used. And really, despite those scary commercials, it's cold water that is less hard on your stuff meaning it'll stay bright and wearable longer. And you'll have more time for doing the fun stuff that gets your clothes dirty in the first place. Some other ways to turn your laundry green:

• If you're still using a commercial detergent, switch to something greener. We like Mrs. Meyer's, Method, Seventh Generation and Ecover brands.
  
• If you want to take it a step further, try swapping it out for Soap Nuts.
  
• If you wash whites separately, try non-chlorine bleach like Oxyboost or Ecover's hydrogen-based bleach. Salt, lemon juice, white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide are other old-fashioned but effective remedies.
  
• Instead of a dryer, let your stuff dry naturally on a rack. And nothing beats the smell of laundry dried outside on the line.

[image by Thomas Claveirole's Flickra Creative Commons License]

Originally posted by Abby on AT:LA.