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Here’s a rundown on the most eco-friendly ways to treat the clothes in your closet and extend their lifespan.
Cotton
Cotton is best washed on a 30°C (Cold) cycle, which ensures that the fibers do not shrink and conserves electricity. Switching from a higher temperature can lead to a 40% reduction in energy usage, according to the UK’s Energy Saving Trust. Air dry the garment flat or by hanging it up to avoid ironing.
Wool
Denim
As an alternative to the washing machine, you can freshen your jeans up, surprisingly, by putting them into the freezer. Just place them into a bag and pop it in overnight.
However, if you don’t have the space for such an experiment, turn your jeans inside out — and fasten zippers and buttons — before washing at 30 °C. Lay them flat to dry in their correct shape so you don’t have to iron them.
5 ways you can change your fashion habits to help the planet
Acrylic, nylon and polyester
These synthetics, and others like them, are some of the cheapest fabrics to produce and are the least environmentally friendly, releasing hundreds of thousands of microfibers each time they are washed. According to a 2017 report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), laundering synthetic textiles makes up for 35% of the primary microplastics released into the world’s oceans each year.
To catch those microfibers, try tossing in a Cora Ball or use a Guppy Friend washing bag, which are designed to filter them out. Also, be sure not to tumble dry these fabrics, as it weakens and damages the fibers. Hang them out to dry instead. Follow the same instructions for fleece, which is designed to take on similar characteristics to wool, but it’s actually made from poly-ethylene terephthalate (PET plastic).
