Thursday Tip // Washing your clothes

With Fashion Revolution Week just around the corner we’ve got a lot on our minds about small changes we can make to help our clothes last longer and how we can positively impact the environment by changing the way we take care of the items we buy and make.

I heard it somewhere, probably on IG, that we often wash our clothes to “freshen them up” rather than washing them only when they are actually dirty. When I read this it was like a punch to the gut. I’m so guilty of just tossing things in the wash if they are laying around and I can’t remember when they were last washed. I mean, I usually do the smell check but even that doesn’t really mean it should automatically end up in the next load of laundry.

How often do you wash your clothes?

Changing the way we think about laundry and how we wash our clothes can make a big impact on how long our clothes last and what types of clothes/fabric we buy.

Note: I refer to clothes in this post but you can all assume this goes for pre-washing fabrics as well. We have a post from very early on in the Thursday Tip library that discusses specific tips for pre-washing fabrics and why it’s important. Check that post out here.

So, let’s do laundry.

How can you change your laundry habits?

Wash less often - Only wash when clothes are actually soiled and dirty. Spot wash small stains as soon as you can to avoid permanent stains. To freshen your clothes hang them up for a day and/or expose them to fresh air through a window or a fan.

Separate your loads - Washing tough textiles like jeans with a soft fleece sweater will increase microfibre breakdown and wear and tear on the fleece (ie: extra pilling).

Wash in cold water - Most clothes will get clean no matter the temperature of the water so using cold water can greatly reduce energy consumption and also decrease damage to fibres. Washing in cold water can preserve fabric dyes and help reduce shrinkage.

Use a slower cycle - Fibres in clothing break down a lot faster when using high speeds and longer wash cycles. Choose a slower spin cycle and shorter wash cycle or skip that “extra rinse” option. Save energy and prevent wear and tear on your clothes at the same time.

Use a low heat setting - Air drying is obviously the best choice to reduce energy costs but not everyone has the space to do this or the ability to hang clothes outside (aka perpetual winter in Manitoba). So another option is to use the lowest heat setting on your dryer. This is what we recommend for most of our fabrics in the shop as well.

Other tips for washing your clothes:

Handwashing

Clothes that have small stains or could do with a wash but aren’t that dirty can be spot washed or hand washed and hung to dry. Handwashing reduces wear and tear from the spin cycle and can reduce microfibre breakdown, especially for synthetic fabrics.

Line drying

Outdoor clotheslines are great but they definitely have their pros and cons. However, line drying does not necessarily mean it has to be outside. In our northern province we have many months of winter where dryers are kind of a necessity, especially if you don’t have a lot of added space to set up a drying rack or hang clothes to dry. A collapsible laundry rack can be a good solution for a small space or a rack that drops down from the ceiling or wall. If you are drying clothes outside the sun can act as a great stain remover but just beware that certain fabrics will incur sun damage if left exposed to UV rays for too long.

Tumble drying

Upgrading to a high efficiency machine isn’t a reality for most people (and there is no reason to stop using your current machine if it’s still working) but there are changes you can make to your drying habits that can increase efficiency and decrease your energy consumption without investing in a new machine. Make a habit of keeping dryer vents and lint traps clean and clear of lint and debris. A clean dryer is a more efficient dryer (also a good practice to avoid the potential fire hazard). 

Dryer balls instead of dryer sheets

Tumble dry on a low setting and reduce drying time with wool dryer balls. Wool dryer balls soften and fluff clothing without damaging your dryer or leaving a chemical residue (from dryer sheets) on your clothes or on the dryer. They shorten drying time by absorbing moisture while saving energy.

Can I put my clothes in the freezer?

The verdict is not unanimous on this one. Someone said Levi Strauss pushed the idea in the early 2000’s that freezing your jeans would preserve their colour and reduce odours and bacteria. Others suggest this just leaves the bacteria dormant and doesn’t make a whole lot of difference. I’m no scientist so do what you will with that information.