Although buying fewer clothes is an important part of developing more sustainable fashion methods, every wash of the items we already have can cause serious damage to the environment. Sophie Benson started trying to improve her laundry habits

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So far, most of us know that we can’t fix the fashion system ourselves, we need brands and the government to get involved. However, as individuals, we can do something to help extend the life cycle of our clothes, save energy, save water and protect aquatic life, and many of them are covered by laundry services.

Although fiber production has the greatest impact on the life cycle of clothing, according to data from the sustainability charity WRAP, the "in use" phase ranks third when we take care of clothing. At the same time, the sports organization Fashion Revolution stated that 25% of the carbon footprint of a garment comes from the way we maintain it.

Knowing that about 360 billion liters of water are used for washing every year, and the Environment Agency warned that the UK may face water shortages by 2050, I began to consider whether I could improve my laundry habits.

I’ve done a few things to try to reduce my impact: I use refillable detergents and fabric softeners, I wear clothes many times before washing (except for obvious items...), I’m in 30 washes (heated water accounts for about 90% of the energy used in the washing cycle), I dry everything (tumble dryers emit more carbon in a year than trees absorb in 50 years), but I’m sure I Can do more.

First of all, I wanted to check my laundry habits to make sure that I was working in the right direction, so I contacted Luke Harding, Electrolux’s general manager. A key point he mentioned is to wash from 40 to 30. Many of us know that we should do this, but what we may not know is that such a small switch can save 60% of energy consumption.

The other advice he gave me was to make sure to wash my clothes every time, use the machine’s ecological settings, and pay attention to the detergent dosage. "Excessive detergent will accelerate fiber damage, and if you use a powdered detergent containing bleach, it will cause your clothes to fade over time," he told me. However, again, if the dose is insufficient, the white clothes will turn gray. Harding explained that AEG's new 9000 series will automatically measure, so a good machine may be beneficial, but he also pointed out that buying beautiful new appliances is not entirely for the purpose, just read the maintenance label and product description. Can make a big difference.

25% of the carbon footprint of a garment comes from the way we maintain it.

Before we ended the call, I mentioned that I often use fast wash cycles, assuming they can save energy. Am I right? the answer is negative. "You increase the heat, increase the stirring speed, but it will damage your clothes, and it will consume more energy," Harding explained. "It's better for the environment to let the machine run for a few hours, but it can save energy, which seems counterintuitive."

With the facts, I started to deal with my sportswear. I exercise four to six times a week. Although I try to save the worn exercise equipment to keep them all together, the amount of washing will quickly increase, especially when my exercise atmosphere is not so gorgeous, fitness influencers and more When there are more pink sweat factories.

I was very interested when I saw that the bamboo clothing brand BAM challenged people to wear T-shirts without washing for a week to prove that they can keep them fresh. Obviously, this is completely related to bamboo fiber. The brand claims that bamboo fiber can effectively absorb water, which means that there will be no sweat on the clothes, so there will be no bacteria to produce peculiar smell. Although it sounds too irresistible, the idea of ​​me wearing the same exercise gear for a week without isolation in the airlock seems ridiculous, but I would love to try it.

BAM sent me a long-sleeved bottoming shirt, a pair of tights and some socks. I drew a line on re-wearing socks, but I promised that as long as my olfactory system can stand, I will re-wear my top and tights.

A knee injury means running is impossible, so my new gear must withstand a week of home exercise. I started with my chest and triceps and finished with some HIIT. Although I was hot and sticky in the end, my clothes were still surprisingly fresh. I let them ventilate when I take a shower and put them back in the drawer where they went.

About 35% of the microfibers released into the ocean are caused by the washing of synthetic textiles

The next day, when I put on clothes for my back and biceps, I felt a little sick when I put on yesterday’s fitness gear, but fortunately, there was no smell at all. I threw some dumbbells hard for about 40 minutes, and when I finished, I was already sweating profusely. After drying, my coat had faintly worn musk, but it didn't smell much, so I folded it up and put it on again the next day.

The next day was a shoulder training day, and there was not a lot of sweating, so I wore a top and leggings to do something around the house, and it turned out to be a good exercise to wander under the heat. At this time, I felt that I was pushing it for another day, so I asked my boyfriend to smell the armpits of the shirt. "They smell a bit like a gym locker room," he said. Obviously, I found my limit.

It's been less than a week, but the performance of my bamboo kit is definitely better than the synthetic material I usually wear. Although my boyfriend has washed two pieces of running gear, I haven't washed one thing yet. When it comes to replacing my kit in the future, I will definitely choose my fabric more wisely.

The microplastics shed from our synthetic clothes caused a huge problem. A 2017 study estimated that 34.8% of the microfibers released into the ocean were caused by the washing of synthetic textiles, while another study found that “about 2 million tons of microfibers are released into the ocean from various sources each year. Among them, 700,000 pass through the home laundry, and every piece of clothing will release wool."

Once released into the environment, microplastics can harm aquatic organisms, block the digestive tract, change eating behavior and cause reproductive problems. Their stomachs were full of plastic, and some fish and aquatic creatures starved to death.

Therefore, I decided to test probably the most well-known microplastic processing product: Guppyfriend. A laundry bag for synthetic clothes designed to capture microfibers before they are released into the sewer.

Eager to see the results, I packed my synthetic fitness equipment from last week into my bag for cleaning. Approximately 48 x 72 cm, it is larger than I expected and can comfortably hold my laundry. When finished, I immediately turned the bag over and checked the corners for fibers according to the instructions on the (no plastic) packaging. They are there: small tufts of blue fibers at each vertex. I look forward to seeing more, but in a call from Germany, Alexander Nolte from Langbrett, the company behind Guppyfriend, explained: "This is not what you found in the bag, but what you didn't find."

Although the laundry bag does capture the microfibers that fall off during the washing process, it also reduces the overall shedding by reducing friction. Tests by the Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT showed that fiber breakage was reduced by 86% using fully synthetic clothing. An independent study in 2020 showed that the use of Guppyfriend can reduce it by 54%, but Nolte questioned this method because no clothes were worn between washes.

Later this week, my boyfriend used this bag as his running gear, but the whole load was still dripping at the end of this cycle. We put it back to spin, there was no bag, which seemed to beat the object, so I went to the Guppyfriend website for advice. "When washing with Guppyfriend laundry bags, there may be an imbalance during the spin cycle," it reads. "To prevent damage to the washing machine, the spin cycle usually stops automatically or reduces the speed. This may cause the laundry to be taken out of the washing machine very wet."

The solution is to add non-bagged, non-synthetic items to the drum to balance the load. Some people may find this frustrating, but I sort most washes by color rather than fabric, so knowing that I can wash synthetic and non-synthetic fibers together in this way is actually helpful.

Such a simple solution adds about 5 seconds to the whole process, and Guppyfriend will definitely become a permanent feature in my laundry roster.

Reusable cleansing cotton and kitchen cotton can avoid waste, but they will quickly become dirty, even if they have been washed. So, every few washes, I add a spoonful of brightener to brighten them and remove stubborn lipstick, mascara and coffee traces. However, when thinking about what laundry habits I could improve, I suddenly thought that when I used a plant-based, biodegradable, refillable washing product, I was scooping a spoonful of powder from the bathtub with danger signs everywhere. , It says "Danger" written on the back. It doesn't make any sense.

The alternative I found is Bio-D Laundry Bleach; Best Buy for vegan, cruelty-free and ethical consumers. The price of what I bought from Tesco was the same as the price I paid, but I got about half the amount, but the packaging indicated that it was rarely used, so in terms of usage, I think it almost adds up.

I doubted whether it would be as effective as the one I have been using, but when my face towel appeared shimmering white, I was quickly proven wrong. Later this week, I soaked some kitchen towels that were badly soiled by coffee, and they sparkled again. It can do the job, and the cost is the same. I was sold.

Fortunately, the genetically-spilled food in my home was passed on to my dad and sister, so besides the above, I mainly used it to get rid of the odor and not because the things looked dirty. So, I want to see if I can effectively refresh my clothes without sticking them to the laundry. Hanging outside to ventilate or hanging in a damp bathroom usually solves the problem, but sometimes when food, smoke, and other smells that seem to linger, it does not solve the problem.

First, I tried Bosch FreshUp. This portable handheld device uses "plasma technology to dissolve odor molecules" (if I pretend to be a scientist, it sounds like I would say it). No water, detergents or chemicals are involved; you can treat the area by simply brushing it on your clothes.

The website says it can be used for "cotton, silk, cashmere, wool, linen, polyester blends, sportswear and functional clothing", so I picked two items for testing: pajama tops and running T-shirts. There is that pajama top It’s a feeling of wearing, so I lay it flat on the whole dress. At first, the device produced a slightly strange synthetic odor, but once the odor disappeared, the top did smell completely fresh. I was very happy, but when I realized what would happen next, my joy quickly disappeared: the sweaty running T-shirt my boyfriend just took out of the laundry basket. I decided to focus on one side for comparison. I was treated from the inside out to make sure all these molecules were dissolved. When I inhaled my boyfriend’s dry sweat and questioned my life choices, I had to admit that the side of my treatment had significant The improvement. It is not as fresh as Daisy, but since the device is called FreshUp instead of OdourDestroyer, I am quite impressed. It is certainly capable of handling everyday odors.

Next, I tried W'air. This is a "three-in-one sustainable fabric care device" that claims to use 99% less water and 77% less detergent than traditional laundry. Recommended for treating stains and odors, renewing fabrics, and deep cleaning delicate items. The plug-in device has a retractable "magic wand" that can mix air with water and detergent. Although I felt refreshing, I chose a series of items to test: a T-shirt stained with oil, a sweater spilled with coffee, and a piece that I have worn several times at a time. pullover. Row.

Hanging outside to ventilate or hanging in a damp bathroom usually solves the problem, but sometimes when food, smoke and other lingering smells seem to be lingering, it does not solve the problem

As instructed, I only use the cleanser on the oil stains and then wipe the area with a magic wand. This is a considerable stain because it is caused by the cocoa butter applied to the tattoo, and I did find that the back pad I provided was too small. Nevertheless, I processed the entire area and hung it to dry. Unfortunately, the stain is still there, but I must admit that I do think this might be a difficult task because the stain has been placed a few days beforehand.

Next is the coffee stain pullover, I used the recommended pretreatment. After drying, I followed the same steps as before, this time it completed the work, even if it is completely dry, I no longer drink coffee. Impressed, I moved to the jumper. To give your clothes a new look, you only need to wave a magic wand on the fabric instead of scrubbing, so the process is quick and easy. I processed the whole pullover and hung it to dry. After about 10 minutes, it smelled of freshly washed.

FreshUp and W'air are 249.99 pounds and 159 pounds respectively. They are not cheap swaps, but I think they have their place. Bosch's equipment is perfect for people who travel a lot, and W'air—if you have enough space to store it—is a great solution to use everything from suits to sneakers at home.

After a week of testing, I’m glad I never see a lot of laundry again, but it does show me that from choosing free solutions such as ecological environment to more important investments such as W’air, we can do a lot to reduce us The footprint of the laundry.

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