Environmentally friendly laundry
Clean laundry is a matter of course for us. To ensure that our laundry comes out of the cupboard fresh and clean, it needs to be washed regularly. In this environmental tip, we reveal how to do laundry sustainably and cost-effectively.
Doing laundry uses drinking water, electricity, and detergent, but the wastewater also needs to be treated. Especially when it comes to electricity and detergent consumption, there are often opportunities to save that are good for both your wallet and the environment.
Which washing program do I need?
Washing machines use between 35 and 115 liters of water per cycle. This depends mainly on the selected wash cycle and the age of the machine. The cycle selected on the machine also has a direct impact on how full the machine is. A washing machine can be fully loaded for normal whites or colors, or when using the ECO program. It is considered fully loaded when you can still turn your hand freely at the top of the drum. When using the "Easy Care" setting, however, the machine should only be half-loaded; for delicates, one-quarter; and for wool, one-fifth of the maximum capacity. While a lighter load is gentler on the laundry, it also uses more drinking water. To make the best possible use of the drinking water used, the machine should always be loaded optimally.
Good to know: The EU energy label for washing machines is primarily based on the machine’s electricity consumption. The water consumption figure in liters is specified for a single wash cycle on the eco program. You can find out how much water your own machine requires in the user manual under the consumption values.
Energy consumption during washing depends primarily on the wash temperature, as heating the water consumes significantly more energy than the drum movement. That is why energy-saving programs run longer to achieve a comparable washing result at lower temperatures. Lightly and normally soiled colored laundry gets clean at 30°C, and white laundry usually gets clean at 40°C. Low temperatures do not reliably kill germs in the machine. Therefore, a 60°C wash cycle should be run at least once a month.
Which detergent should I use?
Detergents and other laundry additives pollute wastewater treatment plants and waterways with chemicals. In general, powdered detergents are more environmentally friendly because they are more effective at cleaning. Compact detergents, in particular, contain fewer fillers, so less product is needed per wash cycle.
It is important and sensible to sort laundry beforehand so you can choose the right detergent. Stores offer powdered all-purpose and color-safe detergents; both contain a water softener. All-purpose detergents also contain bleach, which reliably removes stains as early as 60°C. However, bleach also causes colors to fade faster, so use a color-safe detergent for colored laundry.
Good to know: You can easily do without fabric softener. Commercial fabric softeners usually contain cationic surfactants, fragrances, and dyes. These are added to the laundry during the final rinse cycle and coat the fibers. The fragrances they contain can trigger allergies. Furthermore, most of these fragrances and dyes cannot be filtered out of the wastewater.
How much detergent do you need?
Modern laundry detergents are now twice as concentrated as they were about 20 years ago, yet overall consumption has barely decreased over the same period. Unless we’ve all been doing significantly more laundry, there’s good reason to believe that too much detergent is being used per wash cycle. This is harmful to both our waterways and our wallets.
The dosage depends on the level of soiling and water hardness. Water hardness is measured in °dH (degrees of German hardness). Soft water (up to 7.3 °dH) requires the least amount of detergent. In the Mainz metropolitan area, water hardness ranges from medium (up to 14 °dH) to hard (up to 21.3 °dH) and very hard (over 21.3 °dH). The harder the water, the more detergent is required. You can find out the water hardness in your neighborhood by contacting your water utility. We have listed the water suppliers for the city area in the link list.
You can find the exact dosage for the detergent you use on the packaging. A measuring cup is available upon request at most drugstores.
Are pods or wash leaves better?
Detergent pods or capsules are quick and easy to use because they are pre-measured. Due to their high concentration of detergent ingredients, less detergent is needed per wash cycle. The outer packaging of the pods is made of a water-soluble and biodegradable film, so there is no risk of environmental pollution from microplastics. The pods/caps often also contain stain removers and fragrances that are unnecessary. The relatively high price and the lack of individual dosing options are also arguments against using pods. A pod is typically dosed for five kilograms of laundry; if the washing machine has a higher load capacity, two pods would need to be used.
Laundry sheets are pre-measured, compact sheets the size of a postcard that are placed directly into the washing drum. They contain concentrated detergent that dissolves during the wash cycle. The sheets are free of chemical additives such as bleach, synthetic fragrances, and preservatives. The absence of bleach can cause white laundry to turn gray over time. Pre-treatment is necessary for stains in the laundry. Laundry sheets can be an eco-friendly option if they are made from sustainable materials and the manufacturing process prioritizes eco-friendly production.
Conclusion: By sorting your laundry properly, using the correct amount of detergent, washing at low temperatures, and avoiding additives whenever possible, you can easily save money and do your part for the environment.