Small adjustments and some good habits: That’s all it takes to make your laundry greener and more eco-friendly.

We’re throwing more loads into the washing machine then we did just 20 years ago, and the huge consumption of toxins, energy and water definitely takes its toe on the environment.

But luckily, there are a lot of things you can do to make your laundry less wasteful, without affecting the quality of your clothes.

Here are 8 tips for a greener laundry:

1. Don’t wash your jeans!

We have to admit, we think it’s pretty fantastic with clothes that rarely need washing. Some people think jeans should never be washed, not only for environmental reasons, but also to maintain colour and fitting.

If you simply must wash it, we recommend that you do it when they start to smell or have visible stains that can’t be removed with a damped cloth. If you feel the need to wash your jeans even though they’re not filthy, you could try airing them out first or even put them in the freezer, which will give them that new and fresh feeling again.

2. Do your laundry on lower degrees

Water heating takes a lot of energy, which has negative impact on the environment. Therefore, do your laundry on preferably 40 or 30 degrees. The lower degrees also make sure that your clothes don’t tear, loose fitting or shrink. In other words, a win-win situation!

Note: To obtain a clean and functioning washing machine, It´s important to occasionally run your load on 60 degrees.

3. Wash full loads

Reducing the number of loads you do each week will save both water and money. So wash full loads, at least when you’re not washing your formal shirt! The machine is properly filled when you can bearly place your fist over the load without pressing the clothes together.

4. Use less and gentler detergent

Using too much washing detergent doesn´t give you cleaner clothes. On the contrary, soap scraps can get stuck in the fabric of your clothes, leaving them dirty and dry. At the same time, you release more toxins with the more detergent you waste.

You should therefore use less washing detergent, and never more than the amount written on the package. It´s also a good idea to look for more gentle and eco-friendly detergents, they are out there!

5. Remove stains immediately

Don’t throw your shirt in the machine just because it has one small chocolate stain on it. If you remove the stain immediately with a damped cloth, you prevent the stain  from drying into the fabric, and an unnecessary tumble.

6. Avoid fabric softener whenever you can

Fabric softener can actually make your gym clothes reek (because of the synthetic fabric), but it can also provoke allergic reactions. Avoid fabric softener whenever you can, or switch to a more gentle, unperfumed one, and use it carefully. A lot of people pour in fabric softener out of an «old habit», but you should only use it when you really need that extra softness.

7. Skip the tumble dryer, and hang your clothes

The tumble dryer needs a lot of power and energy to dry your clothes. Skip the tumble dryer, and hang your clothes to air-dry instead. Most likely, that will also pay out on your electric bill, and your shirt will stay nice and smooth. You know what that means don’t you? No ironing!

8. Change your clothes more often

If you have used your sweater for only an hour or two, it most likely don’t need washing. If you change your clothes more often, for instance when you get back from lunch or work, your clothes will stay nice and clean longer.

A good tip is to make a sorting system for your clothes: For instance, you can have a laundry basket where you put the clothes that must be washed, and maybe have another place where you put the clothes you can use one more time before they end up in the machine.

Not only will the environment thank you, it can also make your laundry sunday a bit easier.