Are you wanting to become more eco-friendly but don’t know where to start? Overhauling the way you wash your bedding is a great start to enjoying a greener life!
Even the simplest of changes when washing your luxury bedding can help you reduce your carbon footprint and live a greener life — not much has to change to make a difference. With a world battling pollution, taking small steps to become more sustainable is sure to better our lives and the lives of future generations.
Here at BELDORA, we’ve put together some top tips to help you become more environmentally friendly when washing your bedding.
Chill Out With a Cold Wash
While you may be used to using hot water, heat can cause damage to your bed linen in the long term; shrinking the fabric, fading the colours and also making stains stick to your laundry. The solution? Washing your bed linen in colder water.
Washing your bedding in cold water reduces energy usage by up to a whopping 80%. This is because alongside being more eco friendly, a cold wash requires less energy, meaning it could reduce your bills with every load. Plus, a cold wash also reduces wrinkling in fabric, making sure those lovely luxury bed sheets will cause less stress when it comes to ironing.
Max Out Your Load
A full set of bed sheets only takes up half of a standard size washing machine. If you only wash one set at a time, this means more washes and more energy consumption. This is true even if you run your washing machine on a small load setting; the machine is still using most of the water and energy that it would be on a full load.
Throw in your work shirts or fluffy white towels with your white bed sheets, or some coloured items that need washing with your coloured bed sheets. Not only will you save time by getting more washing done in one load, you’ll also be saving on energy and will reduce your carbon footprint.
Choose Eco-Friendly Detergent
Many washing detergents are made from toxic chemical compounds that can not only damage your beautiful bedding, but will also contribute to water and air pollution. Fortunately, there are a number of more eco-friendly alternatives on the market.
Method products have created a laundry detergent that is made from five naturally derived powerful enzymes. 98% of their ingredients are biodegradable and they clean away tough stains and dirt, even in cold water.
Top tip: When you’re searching for an eco-friendly detergent alternative, look for cruelty free labels, biodegradable ingredients and check products have no phosphates or parabens.
Home-made Remedies For Tough Stains
Similarly to washing detergents, many stain removers and tumble dryer sheets use toxic ingredients which have negative effects on the environment. So, what can you do when it comes to tackling tough stains and keeping your white bed sheets bright?
One way to avoid these chemicals completely is to use 100% natural ingredients, many of which you may already have in your kitchen cupboard. To remove stains and odour, as well as whitening and brightening your washing load, use white wine vinegar. While baking soda is great for those tough small stains — simply make a paste with water and scrub the area using a toothbrush or cloth.
Air Dry Your Bedding
Go old fashioned with your drying by putting your bed sheets and pillowcases on the washing line outside to air dry. It doesn’t have to be bright blue skies to try this out — the windier the day, the quicker your bedding will dry. As well as being environmentally friendly, you’ll also be able to enjoy the crisp fresh feel of your lovely bed sheets.
For those rainy miserable months where the tumble dryer may be the only option, ensure you clean your lint trap before drying your laundry. This will allow the air in the dryer to flow better, a small step that will ultimately dry your bedding load quicker and use less energy.
Do you have any more eco-friendly tips for washing your bedding? We’d love to hear from you! Let us know on Facebook or Instagram.
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