Organic-Laundry-Detergent
Reduces Wash Day Carbon Footprints
A toxin-free organic-laundry-detergent helps to preserve your clothing to get a longer life out of your wardrobe. Combine this with some fiber and fabric-care-tips, and you won't be replacing your wardrobe as often as you have to.
So many things we do, in addition to our choices of laundry soap, contributes to the early deterioration of our clothes.
Need to judge whether or not an item is a high quality-garment?
An item is less likely to bleed or shrink if the country it comes from is more industrialized than other countries.
By the same token, higher quality garments doesn't necessarily mean they are protected against wear of the fiber.
Wear and tear comes normally, and even faster when we don't treat our garments properly.
Fibers wear alot faster when crammed against each-other in a small closet. Space them out well.
Harsh detergents and agitators in an overloaded washer begins the fraying process. Do not overload your machine.
Bleaches clean and disinfect, but undiluted, can break down the fibers terribly. Chlorine does not preserve dyes and fiber very well. Some newer detergents have "good" built-in ingredients similar to hair conditioners that can coat and protect this from happening.
A phosphate-free-soap, organic-laundry-detergent or organic-liquid-detergent doesn't have chlorine in it. These detergents don't contain chemicals that bother people with sensitive skin, like perfumes and dyes. They are phosphate-free as well, which means less water pollution and harm to the environment
resulting in death for plants, fish and other marine life.
Phosphates have actually been banned by some States.
It can be a bit more expensive to buy organic-laundry-detergent as compared to regular brands.
For only pennies per wash, washing soda, vinegar, salt and baking soda can be used as well if you want to try this. Adding vinegar to washing soda for regular and white washes are recommended by many people.
For dark clothes, a 1/4 cup of white vinegar and 1/4 cup salt
will remove dirt and grime, as well as help to bring back colors that have faded.
More Methods To Lengthen Clothing and Linen Life
Use cold water as often as possible.
Gentle Wash - Mesh bags will protect delicates such as undergarments, and sweaters from the agitator in your washing machine.
Test a sweater or blazer in a store before buying. Rub the material together and see if the fibers come off or form "pills."
Squeeze or crumple the material on the back of a blazer for ten seconds or more. Note if it unfolds cleanly and bounces back quickly.
Tip Wooden heels last much longer than the leather-covered plastic forms.
Use some castor oil on leather that is well worn.
Dry your sweaters in their proper form. Lay flat on a towel or raised mesh screen. Do not spread it out, rather pull the form of the garment together, which will force the item to keep it's shape.
Buy pre-washed items as much as possible. They are less likely to shrink, lose more color and go shapeless.
Spot clean quickly and frequently as much as possible to avoid numerous washings.
Use a bleach pen on patterned garments. Carry a laundry pen with you to treat stains as soon as they happen.
Buy the highest "fill" you can afford when shopping for comforters.
Tip Plain weave sheets last longer than sateen.
Try to avoid store-bought softeners, but use a dryer sheet instead. Certain liquids leave a coating on the fibers.
Do not use bleach on spandex, silks or wool.
Use vinegar in the water to prevent stiffness in towels.
Turn items inside out when washing. Do up zippers and buttons as well. This helps to keep shape, and most importantly, stops metals from rubbing against the fibers of items in the machine.
Reduce, Re-use and Recycle - Don't Be Too Quick To Throw It Out Just Yet
Use baking soda or kitty litter overnight for smelly shoes.
Keep canvas purses or shoes cleaner longer by spraying lightly with starch.
Cover a stubborn stain with a brooch, stick-pin, trim or extra button if possible.
Consider tie-dye for a favorite shirt or set of sheets.
Make good use of a Tailor if affordable.
It mainly comes down to how you wash your clothing and under what conditions.
Look for organic-laundry-detergent in local grocery stores, online, or in health food stores. You may pay a bit more, but it is much better for retaining the quality of your garments, is gentler to your skin, and much safer for the environment overall because of the toxins an organic-laundry-detergent doesn't contain.
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