Lil in the LAUNDRY

Think getting the laundry done is a big enough chore as it is without trying to save the planet at the same time? Well, grab your cape ‘cos we’re on a mission!

The clothing industry produces more than 42m tonnes of synthetic fibres every year. The vast majority, about 80%, are used to make polyester garments. Previous tests have found that washing synthetic items can release between 500,000 and 6m microfibres per wash. These are flushed out with the waste water via your drains to our rivers and oceans to be consumed by wildlife. Whilst sewage treatment traps some, most are so small they pass right through. Washing machines and tumble dryers are also big consumers of energy (for heating water/air mostly) and polluting chemicals in the form of your choice of fabric detergents and conditioners.

Follow our top tips to easily lower your impact, reduce costs and save time in the laundry – win, win, win!

1. Own less clothes and choose durable natural fabrics – only buy what you really need. You’ll get to keep clothes you love longer and they won’t end up in the bin. The U.K. spent an estimated £52 billion on clothes in 2018 and we send 300,000 tonnes of clothing to landfill every year!

2. Use a laundry bag to wash synthetic fabrics and filter out the microfibres preventing them heading out into rivers and oceans down your drains. Lil is super excited to now have these in stock.

The problem with microplastics - from STOPMICROWASTE

3. Wash less – it reduces the wear on your clothes and the amount of plastic microfibres generated and saves electricity and your time – whoop!

Bea Johnson, zero waste guru, gives these tips for reducing washing:

• Have a minimal wardrobe and avoid multiple changes in a day

• Pick fabrics that do not require special laundry care

• Sniff test clothes – do they really need washing or can you wear again?

• Spot clean when needed rather than wash

• Allocate each family member a bath towel to reduce washing

4. Understand washing symbols and what your clothes are made of and care for your clothes appropriately – they will last longer.

5. Always wait for a full load (but not too full, or it won’t wash well!) - no point running the machine half full. Some folk don’t even separate their clothes - I know right?

6. Use an environmentally friendly washing detergent – powder or liquid or switch to soapnuts. Phosphates in many detergents can feed algal blooms in rivers and lakes destroying wildlife. Lil has these options for you.

7. Use less – trial and error will show you just how much (or how little) laundry detergent you actually need in your water area for a satisfactory wash.

8. Avoid plastic or excessive packaging of your detergent – get refills into your own container or a recycled container if you can.

9. Wash clothes at 30 unless they’re really filthy – this will make your clothes last longer and save you money on energy bills. However watch out for that delicates cycle, it uses twice as much water and results in far more plastic microfibres! And slow your spin to limit damage - though there’s a flip side to that (isn’t there always?) as it can extend the drying time using more energy - ok if you are line drying though.

10. Don’t wash solid items like shoes or shin guards with your laundry. The mechanical abrasion of the clothes produces larger numbers of microfibres. Stopmicrowaste.com even suggest using washing balls and soap nuts – even though used with good intentions – result in more plastic in the ocean! Meh!

11. Use a washing line or drying rack instead of tumble drier whenever you can to save money on your energy bill and make your clothes last longer. The tumble drier is one of the most energy intensive devices, and it makes clothes fade and fall apart quicker. If you have a condensing tumble dryer the water collected may contain microfibres so don’t empty it down the drain, filter it and use it to water plants or flush toilets. Drying clothes carefully on a rack often means you don’t need to iron them and you get to pair all the socks as you go and we LOVE that!

“Here’s a few reasons why its a great idea to line dry:

✔Save money - Line drying your clothes (vs tumble drying) over just the summer can save an average of £30 to £40 a year on your electricity bill. If you’re a washing heavy household then you stand to save a heap more than that.

✔Reduce your carbon footprint - CO2 is a major cause of climate change. Average use produces 90kgs in CO2 emissions but again intensive use will be more.

✔Its kinder to your clothes. All that tumbling of fabrics against each other wears away the fibres (hence dryer lint), causes fading and the heat can increase shrinkage and shape changes in your clothes making them fit less well and more likely to be discarded in our fast fashion world.

✔Research suggests it is more time efficient - add up how long it takes to separate clothes that can go in the dryer or not, loading, unloading and folding and compare to hanging out and folding as you bring in. In our house this also avoids the clean washing sitting waiting to be folded until the kids just raid it for what they need!

✔It can also reduce ironing if you’re canny about how you hang - peg smart trousers folded with a crease, hang shirts out on hangers etc (not that I iron at all!)

✔Sunshine makes your whites whiter, helping to reduce the need for harsh chemicals in your laundry process (& in waste water or next to your skin!). Put your whites out in the sunniest place, colours in the shadier area or time of day (if you’re bothered about fading).

✔ You can dry inside too -just remember to open a window front and rear to get some airflow and avoid condensation.”

Go to www.whatsinmywash.org.uk or www.stopmicrowaste.com for more top tips and share your Lil steps with #whatsinmywash & #dolilthings