Did you know that the average American family washes ~ 400 loads of laundry a year? Considering how often I do laundry for my family of 4, this stat does not surprise me at all.

When I start to think about everything that goes into washing and drying a load of laundry (water, electricity, detergent, wear and tear on the clothes) I start to wonder what kind of impact my family’s clean clothes are having on our environment.

It turns out that the environmental impact is a big one. So I started researching ways to decrease that impact.

Here are a few simple ways I have found:

• Use phosphate free detergent: When phosphates wind up in waterways like rivers and coastal areas, they can “fertilize” algae populations, leading to large algal blooms which in turn can choke out plant and animal life in aquatic ecosystems. This is called eutrification, and along with agricultural runoff, can contribute to aquatic dead zones.
• Wash and dry full loads
• Say no to bleach
• Wash in cold or warm with cold rinse
• Use white vinegar instead of fabric softener (it does not leave your clothes smelling like vinegar)
• Hang clothes up to dry instead of using the dryer
• Say no to dryer sheets (You could try Mountain Green all natural dryer sheets but I have found that the vinegar takes care of most static cling)
• When buying a new washer and dryer look for energy star qualified machines: These machines use 35 to 50% less water, are gentler on your clothes, have more usable space so you can wash larger loads, removes more water by spinning faster which reduces drying time,and they use less energy. These features will ultimately save you $ as well as reduce the environmental impact.
• Reuse washer water: Most new washers have a door on the front where a hose can be hooked up to and the grey water drained out and used for watering plants, shrubs, and lawns.
• Empty your lint catcher before every use: making your dryer more efficient (some sources say you can even compost the lint)