Urban homesteading is all about living as sustainably as possible in an urban (or in our case, kind of suburban-y) area. So how do you do laundry in a sustainable way? Well, you won't find me standing outside with a washboard, that's for sure!
Use cold water.
I wash everything in cold. I've done that for years, but I didn't start out doing it because it was eco-friendly. I did it because our washer is a Bosch, and they tend to have exceptionally high spin cycles, and the slowest one is the delicates cycle, which happens to be cold. The good, eco-friendly thing about washing in cold water is that I don't use the energy to heat the water.
I wash everything in cold. I've done that for years, but I didn't start out doing it because it was eco-friendly. I did it because our washer is a Bosch, and they tend to have exceptionally high spin cycles, and the slowest one is the delicates cycle, which happens to be cold. The good, eco-friendly thing about washing in cold water is that I don't use the energy to heat the water.
Use a drying rack.
When Leo and I were dating, I noticed that he used a drying rack like the one pictured at right. I used it for my stuff a few times and fell in love. Sure, things dry a little stiff, but your clothes last way longer, and you save all the energy a dryer would use. And when your stuff is dry, you just give everything a quick shake before hanging them up in the closet. These days, I use the dryer for towels and emergencies, mostly.
When Leo and I were dating, I noticed that he used a drying rack like the one pictured at right. I used it for my stuff a few times and fell in love. Sure, things dry a little stiff, but your clothes last way longer, and you save all the energy a dryer would use. And when your stuff is dry, you just give everything a quick shake before hanging them up in the closet. These days, I use the dryer for towels and emergencies, mostly.
Avoid phosphates in your detergent.
Phosphates apparently do something yucky to marine life, so buy phosphate-free detergent. It's not hard to find.
When it's time to replace your machines, buy Energy-Star.
I don't know if you can buy an appliance that isn't Energy-Star-compliant anymore, actually. But either way, you want Energy-Star. They're much more energy-efficient. And I can't recall the details of why, but I think front-loaders are more efficient as well. We have the Bosch Axxis Series and I've never regretted the purchase.
But remember - don't replace your appliances until you need to. My next-door neighbor called me the other day when her washer went out...after she'd been using it for twenty-five years.
Phosphates apparently do something yucky to marine life, so buy phosphate-free detergent. It's not hard to find.
When it's time to replace your machines, buy Energy-Star.
I don't know if you can buy an appliance that isn't Energy-Star-compliant anymore, actually. But either way, you want Energy-Star. They're much more energy-efficient. And I can't recall the details of why, but I think front-loaders are more efficient as well. We have the Bosch Axxis Series and I've never regretted the purchase.
But remember - don't replace your appliances until you need to. My next-door neighbor called me the other day when her washer went out...after she'd been using it for twenty-five years.
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