22 Cleaning up Our Dirty Laundry

When you think of laundry, typically you're after the whitest whites, and no shrinkage. How about we think outside the box and "green" our laundry practices by shrinking their footprint? This episode answers your questions and offers advice on how to minimize the environmental impact of washing your clothes. Also an often forgotten, but important aspect, of making recycling work. Did you know 75 to 90 percent of the energy your washer uses goes to warming up the water? You can save $60 or more per year on your energy bill by washing in cold water, according to Consumer Reports. But not all laundry detergents work well in cold water. We address that in this episode and offer additional information in the links below. LINKS: Heidi Bischof's Earth Ethic blog at Medium   After recording this podcast, Heidi found this indicating laundry pods are probably safe for people and planet: Detergent Pods are Handy, but Can I Use Them With a Clean Conscience? – Grist's Ask Umbra   Also, here's a related tip not discussed in the podcast: Washing your dishes by hand probably wastes water! Why You Should Never Wash Dishes by Hand   Two products designed to capture plastic microfibers in our washing machines: The Cora Ball Guppyfriend Washing Bag   Essential Working Group Guide to Laundry Detergents Why Are You Still Washing Your Clothes In Warm Water? 6 Reasons to Cold-Water Wash 9 Ways to Save Energy Doing Laundry The Best Laundry Detergent