We’re wrapping up Plastic Free July this week, but first, we want to cover a few ways to make your laundry more sustainable.
In this blog, learn about the care and keeping of dryer balls and how to avoid microplastics in your laundry by switching to natural fibers. Plus, peruse our top picks for user-friendly sustainable laundry swaps.
Take Care of your Dryer Balls
Dryer balls are felted woolen balls that are as helpful as they are cute. Replace your polyester dryer sheets with these 100% natural alternatives and watch your clothes dry faster and come out softer, wrinkle-free, and static-free. You can even add essential oils directly to the balls to freshen the scent of your clean laundry.
While each dryer ball can lasts thousands of loads, and even more if you keep at least 2 or 3 in your dryer, you can really stretch their lifespan with proper care.
If you start to notice static in your dry clothes or that your clothes are taking longer to dry than usual, you might want to refresh your dryer balls. You can do this by throwing a few in the wash with your towels or blankets. Make sure to run a hot cycle, as you’re essentially trying to re-felt the wool. You can also machine-wash your dryer balls when they’re dirty, or you can just spot clean them with hot water and little dish soap.
Once a dryer ball has been refreshed many times and is no longer responding to treatment, or has lost its shape, you can always repurpose it! They make great toys for kids or pets; they can be used as pincushions; add a few drops of essential oils and store in the linen closet to keep sheets and towels smelling nice; they even make great therapy balls for sore muscles!
Natural Fiber 101
Check the tag of the shirt you’re wearing right now. If it says “polyester,” “elastane,” “nylon,” or “acrylic,” then you’re actually wearing plastic.
Plastic fabrics are a feat of science, but they were adopted a little too quickly — we now know more about the prevalence and dangers of microplastics, and we know that washing plastic fabrics releases them.
To improve your own health and reduce the amount of plastics going into your local waterways, opt for natural fibers for your laundry. Hopefully, by avoiding plastic fabrics we can gradually encourage brands to use more natural fibers.
Natural Fibers from Plants
Plant-based fibers are generally regarded as the ideal option for natural fabric. Look out for clothes, towels, sheets, and textiles made with these fibers or blends of these fibers:
- cotton
- jute
- hemp
- flax
- linen
- ramie
- sisal
- tencel
- bamboo
Animal-derived Natural Fibers
Concerns about leather and fur gave rise to “pleather,” “faux leather,” and “faux fur.” All of those catchy names are really aliases for plastic.
- wool
- silk
- cashmere
- mohair
- leather
- fur
If you’re concerned about how some of these animal-derived products are harvested, you can be confident about wool, which is harmful for sheep when not sheared off. Specifically, New Zealand wool is highly regarded because of their national sheep-shearing regulations to prevent cruelty. There’s also shopping secondhand!
Our Favorite Sustainable Laundry Swaps
Dryer Balls
We’ve already said plenty about these little magicians in this blog, but as far as simple, easy sustainable swaps go… they’re simply the best. They’re cuter, less wasteful, more natural, more effective, handmade, and non-toxic, compared to typical polyester dryer sheets. Dryer balls are the perfect beginner sustainable swap, and even make great gifts!
Laundry Concentrate Bar
Each one of these little bars of soap can be diluted with water to make enough laundry detergent for 256 loads! If you were buying a new plastic jug of detergent every time, think of how much waste you’d save by switching to refilling with this concentrate (or any of our many bulk detergent options!).
Stain Remover Stick
This soap stick is small but incredibly mighty. Wet stained clothes, towels, sheets, even rugs or curtains, then gently rub the stain with this little stain remover stick, then wash as usual. It took a little elbow grease, but I was even able to get day-old dried nail polish out of denim with this little superhero! The trick is to not pre-wash your clothes, and use cold water to avoid setting the stain with heat.
Laundry Pods
One of our bulk options at the refillery, these laundry pods are as beginner-friendly as it gets, while still reducing plastic and toxins. We can fill any container you bring us, or pack a few in a paper bag for you if you have a container at home or if you just want to try them out first. Remember – we do NOT ship refillery items that are sold by the ounce. Feel free to order online if you’re local to Gainesville or can pick your order up in store!
Meliora Laundry Powder
Meliora is one of our favorite, most trusted suppliers, because they know how to maximize efficiency while working with a short, non-toxic list of ingredients. Their laundry powder is simple, effective, and extremely cost effective, as you only need about 1/2 a tablespoon per load! We also offer refills of these canisters, so you only need to buy the tin once.
+ MORE! As mentioned briefly above, we carry plenty of options for detergent and laundry boosters at our refill counter. Feel free to stop in and grab an ounce or two to try out something different — you might find a new reason to stop sending plastic jugs to the landfill!
Like these simple household tips? Read our other Plastic Free July blogs about cleaning, food, pets, and personal care. This series focuses on easy, beginner-friendly tips, so you’re sure to find something you can try out!