When researching this article online, google kept bringing up the subject of how to paint a laundry room green. This is not what I was looking for when I googled, “green laundry room” However, upon further thought I realized that green is the perfect color to paint or repaint the laundry room to remind members of the family that there are easy ways to help the planet in the room where your washer and clothes dryer are located. We are not asking anyone to dispense with the clothes dryer and hang out the clothes like your great grandmother but there are ways to use your washer and dryer more efficiently and with less carbon dioxide emissions.

Before we even get into specifics about new ideas, ways and products to keep our laundry green, here are a few simple ideas that I have been implementing for years before the definition of green extended to conservation.

1: Conserving electrical energy by making sure you do not extend the length of your dryer cycle unnecessarily. For example, if you have synthetics or “clean” laundry such as sheets and duvet cover there is no need to completely dry these items. Tights and sweaters need a light tumble and then can be put on the clothesline or on hangers to finish drying.

If you do not have a separate laundry room or do not have extra space for drying stands there are several places in the home that will be satisfactory fill-ins. For example, if you have a staircase leading up to your second floor with a landing, the second-floor railings can sometimes fit the duvet covers. When you don’t overdry those duvet covers you will realize that they will not need that much ironing and if they are a mix of poly and cotton then they naturally will not need any ironing.

Another most important subject is to make sure your dryer’s lint trap is absolutely clear of lint before turning on the clothes dryer. Even if your prior load consisted of lint free items such as clothes made from microfiber or poly, you must still check for lint. Make it an absolute by cleaning the lint trap after each load. Sometimes you may have to take your vacuum cleaner with a thin part attached and place it in the lint trap hole to get out the lint that did not cling to the lint trap. In some instances, you may have to look for lint in the back of the dryer as well as in the hose leading to the outside of the house.

2: Another important idea to implement is to ignore the amount of detergent instructed on the outside of your laundry detergent. Many people today don’t bother with dry or liquid laundry detergent and use pods which are premeasured. If you are from the old school and still use regular laundry detergent, you can decrease the amount you use substantially. Not only will this save you money, but it will also save your clothes and linens from getting spoiled. Linens just need a freshening up and a clean scent when they are replaced on the beds. There is no need to fill the accompanying laundry detergent cup to the level that is recommended by the detergent manufacturer. This will also decrease allergic reactions to laundry detergents.

3: We all love soft towels and undershirts but as many of us already know fabric softeners are not good for the dryer nor for our clothes and towels. Fabric sheets are generally discouraged even though the smell is heavenly (except for those who have allergies). Dryer sheets contain toxic chemicals such as styrene and toluene which can cause cancer. You probably have not heard of these chemicals which are also called neurotoxins. Besides being toxic, fabric softener sheets shorten the life cycle of your clothes and towels by actually breaking down the fibers while softening them.

A better idea than fabric softeners is to try adding a cup of vinegar to soften up your laundry by lowering the PH from the laundry detergent which is about 9. Vinegar has a pH of 2.4 so it will be able to get the soap out of the fabric and leave the laundry fluffier.

4: Avoid the use of chlorine bleach when possible. Besides being hazardous to young children, chlorine bleach contains organochlorines which are possible cancer-causing chemicals. They take decades to break down when exposed to the air.

What is Wrong with Standard Laundry Performances?

Regular laundry cycles waste energy. Most laundry does not have to be washed in hot water, which increases the use of electricity. Shorter cycles cut down on the use of water in the washing machine and reducing the frequency of washing certain items such towels and linens helps conserve energy as well. By sorting out the different types of laundry items such as sheets and duvet covers separately from towels will not only protect your items but will decrease the deposits to landfills.

How are Laundromats Using Eco-Friendly Practices?

By using eco-friendly products such as appliances and detergents laundromats are making it easier for their customers to transfer over to the green side of washing and drying. Green laundromats are encouraging their customers to use laundry detergents that are made without dangerous chemicals such as phosphates. According to one laundromat owner seventy percent of his customers are using detergents such as All Free and Clear instead of the traditional supermarket brands. They are not missing synthetic fragrances that are unhealthy and do not increase the cleanliness of their clothes.

Appliance manufacturers are finding new ways to make their washers and clothes dryers more energy efficient. For example, the adding of more insulation around the interior of the dryer will  help dry the clothes faster and the damage to the clothes from the dryer heat will be noticeably less. By recycling water systems, the water depletion is less. Motors that are faster can get the clothes dried much faster than their older counterparts making the cycles distinctly shorter in duration. For colored clothing it is always best to use cold water and not only does this decrease the need for the washer to heat up the water but the colors of the clothes stay vibrant longer.

Another revolutionary idea which will certainly take getting used to is that washing machine manufacturers are offering a water recovery tank which reuses water from a previous rinsing cycle in the next new washing cycle. This saves laundromat owners money on water prices. This might work if the same party is using the machine but for a stranger to be using someone else’s rinse water sounds strange and unsanitary, yet because of the high price of water in suburban areas especially with the drought this summer, laundromat owners may be forced to investigate this new idea.

Spin cycles have become tighter which means the clothes will be less damp as they are placed in the clothes dryer. With hotter temperatures and more insulation, the clothes dryer will need less time to dry the clothes.

Owners of laundromats are also finding other ways to go green such as updating their HVAC systems and making them more efficient. Just as they check the lint traps and hoses often too, they should be checking the filters of their HVAC systems.

The power of ozone is another new addition to state-of-the-art laundromats. A special machine hanging on the wall expels ozone just at the right time in the wash cycle. There is a blue LED light that goes on to show the customer that the ozone is working, sanitizing the laundry before the end of the cycle. Ozone is part of the natural rain system, and we know it as the clean smell after a rainstorm. Just as it cleans the air outdoors it does the same to the inside of the washing machine and attaches to dirt and germs eliminating them before you remove your laundry. When using the addition of ozone at the end of the cycle cold water must be used and the need for soap decreases. This helps the ozone work and is green friendly. Ozone eliminates mold and mildew as well as odors and is safe for any fabric color or white. In fact, one of the great advantages of ozone is that it disinfects the laundromat’s washing machine for the next customer.

Final Words

For those folks who are skeptical about going green in their laundry room or when stepping out to the laundromat there are advantages not only for the environment but for your laundry itself. By using less soap and cold water, your clothes, linens and towels will last longer. By trying to wash a bit less (using a towel twice instead of only once) you will prevent the shrinking, fading and shredding of items that are dear to you. Although we might still be holding out against the green campaign in the environment when it helps keep the cost down and the quality of our garments up it’s a win-win situation for us all.