Sustainably caring for your clothing is just as important as shopping for sustainable clothing! We’ve outlined 5 simple tips to help you prolong the life of your clothing and minimize your environmental impact.
Wash Less
It’s second nature to want to throw clothing in the laundry bin at the end of the day, but it actually is not necessary! Washing clothing too often can result in excess pilling and decreased shape retention. It is acceptable, and preferable, to only wash clothing after multiple wears. For denim, it’s actually advised to wash every 10 wears. Of course, this does not include clothes that have had sweat exposure, underwear, or stained items- those should be washed frequently.
Not only will washing less make your clothing last longer, but it is better for the environment. Annually, washing machines around the world use an estimated 5.02 trillion gallons of water and emit approximately 136.6 billion lbs of CO2 greenhouse gasses.
By washing less, we can reduce our impact and save money on water, energy, and new clothing!
Use High-Efficiency (HE), wash cold, and hang dry
If in the market for a new washing machine, high efficiency is the best option as they use significantly less water and energy. Regardless if you are using a HE or standard washing machine, it’s best practice to wash clothing in cold water for increased clothing care and decreased energy consumption. High temperatures can cause clothing to shrink and exacerbate fading, they also increase the release of microfibers. Additionally, the majority of the energy utilized by washing machines comes from having to heat the water.
Using a dryer for clothing also harms the environment and can harm the clothing itself. Hang drying, inside or outside can also minimize energy use and damage to clothing, saving you money as well! If needed, tumble dry on low heat.
Eco-friendly detergent
There are a lot of great options in the market for eco-friendly detergents free from harmful chemicals, dyes, and fragrances. Opting for a better detergent can help minimize water pollution associated with laundering!
Additionally, purchasing powder detergents or detergent sheets can limit packaging waste, as standard detergent is mostly water by weight and comes in plastic packaging. Powder and sheet detergents also can be purchased in bulk which helps save money!
Repair clothing
Mending and repairing clothing is the best option to prevent clothing waste from entering the landfill. Whether it’s adding back a button, patching a hole, or upcycling into something new, repairing clothing is a great way to give garments a second life. Check out our article “How to Repair and Reuse Old Clothes” for more tips!
Microplastic protection
Microplastic pollution caused by microfiber release from laundering has not been studied extensively, however, there is enough evidence to support that it does happen. Using a microfiber protection bag like GUPPYFRIEND or a microfiber laundry filter like the Planet Care Microfiber filter can reduce microfiber pollution from laundering by up to 90%.
No matter how simple, any act to sustainably care for clothing at home makes a difference. We can make a significant impact on our environment, better care for our clothing, and save money by making one or several of the switches above!
