7 Ways to Green Your Laundry

6. Limit Your Ironing

Ironing uses the same tactic as the clothes washer, where cold water is heated to help remove wrinkles. Why not save that water, energy and trouble altogether?

You can invest in wrinkle-free clothing or add supplements during the washing or drying cycle, but the easiest way to cut the wrinkles is to take care of them as soon as the drying process is done. If you hang clothes or lay them flat while they are still warm, you’re less likely to encounter wrinkles than if you let them cool in the dryer.

7. Recycle Your Packaging

Most laundry detergent, bleach and fabric softener is packaged in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) jugs, which is a high-commodity resin of plastic. Many programs will request that you rinse out any remaining detergent, and some will also ask that you remove the cap because this is usually made of a different resin of plastic.

While it’s unlikely that your local recycling program will accept dryer sheets, there are some handy reuse options for them and the box they come in should be recyclable with other paperboard products.

Editor’s Note: Earth911 partners with many industries, manufacturers and organizations to support its Recycling Directory, the largest in the nation, which is provided to consumers at no cost. The American Cleaning Institute is one of these partners.