12 Free Green Ideas for the Laundry Room

Green your cleaning routine with these 12 free eco-friendly ideas for your laundry room.

1. Hang it Out to Dry- Air drying your clothes can save 700 lbs. of CO2 and $ 75.00 per person per year. Plus, clothes last longer and won’t pill or fade as much.

2. Install a Drying Rack- If you don’t want to take your laundry outside, install a drying rack over the tub.

3. Lose the Lint - Improve your dryer’s efficiency by thoroughly cleaning out the lint trap after each load.

4. Rinse, Repeat, Rinse, Repeat - Dedicate one day to do all of your laundry and be diligent. By doing your loads back to back, you’ll maximize your dryer’s efficiency because a hot dryer will dry clothes much more effectively than a cold one.

5. Wash on the Cold Cycle - You’ll save precious energy wasted to heat the hot water heater. Worried your clothes won’t get as clean? Purchase cold water detergent.

6. Use Free & Clear Detergent - Minimize the amount of dyes and perfumes that make their way into the water system.

7. Forgo the Bleach - 3% Hydrogen Peroxide can be an alternative to bleach in your washer to whiten and brighten. Simply add 1 cup to your wash cycle, avoiding use on wool, silk and dry cleaning only clothing.

8. Skip the Softener and Use Baking Soda - Also, another bleach alternative; use ½ cup per load to help whiten, soften, and remove odors from clothes.

9. Toss Your Dryer - Not literally! Add a few tennis balls or dryer balls (available at Target, CVS, Walmart) to your dryer load to help speed dry time and minimize wrinkles (yay! less ironing later).

10. Wash in Full Loads - Always wash in full loads.

11. Choose Concentrated Laundry Detergents - Reduced packaging means less waste.

12. Wear More than Once - Obviously, we aren’t talking socks and underwear here… but if your clothes aren’t soiled or smelly, wear ‘em again.