Doing our laundry is not only necessary but is also a ritual for many, and there’s nothing like the smell of freshly cleaned clothes to cheer anyone up. However, every time we wash them, our clothes release microplastics which end up polluting our ocean; and our impact on the environment can be even worse if we use detergents full of harmful chemicals and wrapped in plastic.

But don’t despair; there are many ways in which we can reduce the impact of our laundry on the environment, and some of them will also help you saving money: we’ve selected 5 tips we think are the easiest to implement and most effective.

• Reduce the number of your washes, and select an ECO cycle – Use your clothes as many times as you can before sending them to your laundry basket, and wash them only when visibly dirty or smelly; if they get stained, act as quickly as possible and most of the time soap and water will be all you need to remove the stain, without needing to throw the whole item in the washing machine. For tougher stains, treat them with soap and leave them in a bucket full of cold water for a few hours before throwing them in the washing machine. Reducing the use of your washing machine will also lower your energy bill, and your clothes will last longer (remember to wash them inside out).
• When shopping for clothes, choose sustainable fibres such as hemp, organic cotton or wool; they will shed less microplastics when you wash them. Ecoeggs and micro fibre catchers can be quite an investment for many of us, but they are said to be a great in lowering the amount of microplastics released from our washing machine loads.
• Look for eco-friendly detergents, but check the ingredients!! if a company claims it’s green, that’s not necessarily true, and they might just wrapping a bunch of chemicals in an eco packaging.
• If eco-friendly products are too expensive for you, choose powder detergents which are sold in carton boxes; the box will be probably still lined with plastic, and the powder will contain chemicals, but at least you will reduce the amount of plastic you use. And you’ll save money buying a family size box.
• Whenever possible, air-dry your clothes – by ditching the tumble dryer, you will use less energy and be more planet (and pocket!) friendly.

Follow these suggestions and you will take an important step in protecting the oceans and marine life, also stopping wasting water and shopping more sustainably…Happy laundry:-)