Everyone is talking about sustainability because we want (and need) to better protect our planet. You can also make an important contribution to environmental and resource conservation when doing laundry. For example, by using an eco-certified detergent made from natural ingredients, you help protect our waterways and oceans. To help the climate, it’s important to skip the dryer and wash at low temperatures. But choosing the right wash cycle and detergent is also key—it helps preserve your clothes and slows the growth of textile waste.

But that’s not all! Check out our tips and tricks on how to reduce your environmental footprint when doing laundry.

1. Use eco-friendly detergents—preferably certified ones.

Your detergent plays a role in how clean our lakes, rivers, and oceans are. Conventionally manufactured laundry detergents, cleaning agents, and detergents contain a wide variety of chemical ingredients. Some of these end up in wastewater after use. Wastewater treatment plants cannot completely remove all substances; some are broken down, while others are retained in the sewage sludge or discharged into water bodies along with the treated wastewater.

Detergents certified as eco-friendly according to ECOCERT® and Ecogarantie® standards do not contain many harmful ingredients and therefore have a lower impact on water bodies.

2. Use laundry detergent without microplastics:

We’re often unaware of what’s actually in conventional laundry detergents. Or did you know that most commercially available laundry detergents contain plastic compounds (usually in an unrecognizable liquid form)? Microplastics or liquid plastic compounds (dissolved polymers) were found in 22 of the 26 heavy-duty laundry detergents tested by Ökotest in 2019—but not in ours, of course. The following figures illustrate just how widespread the problem really is: nearly 50,000 (!) metric tons of dissolved polymers and microplastics from laundry detergents, cleaning products, and cosmetics end up in our wastewater—and thus in our rivers, lakes, and oceans—in Germany alone each year. We consumers often don’t even realize that these tiny plastic particles (often in liquid form) are present in laundry detergent, since they can neither be seen nor felt!

Once in wastewater, microplastics and dissolved plastic polymers are difficult to remove and thus end up in our oceans, where the plastic particles are often ingested by marine animals—in many cases with fatal consequences. Since humans are at the end of the food chain, we ultimately end up consuming some of the plastic ourselves that we have introduced into the wastewater through laundry detergents and cleaning products.

At AlmaWin, we have always been aware of the harmful effects of such plastic particles and consistently avoid using them in all our products.

3. Wash at low temperatures:

Underwear, towels, and bedding need to be washed at high temperatures—not true! Your fabrics will still come out hygienically clean even at low temperatures.

Washing at low temperatures saves a tremendous amount of energy, because most of the electricity used during a wash cycle goes toward heating the water. Even if you lower the temperature by just a few degrees (e.g., from 40° C to 30° C), you’ll save a significant amount of electricity—up to 40 percent, depending on your machine and wash cycle! If you set the washing machine to 60° C instead of 90° C, the electricity savings (and thus the reduction in emissions) rise to nearly 50 percent!

For stubborn odors or germs, you can occasionally wash at 60° C or 90° C, as this kills germs and bacteria in the machine and prevents it from developing an unpleasant odor.

4. Use the right amount:

What sounds simple often turns out to be a challenge for many people. To figure out how much detergent you really need, you should know the water hardness in your home. If you don’t know it, just ask your local water utility. The harder the water, the more detergent (or water softener) you’ll need. The exact amount is listed on the detergent’s dosage instructions. You also need to assess how heavily soiled the laundry is. Our rule of thumb is: light soiling means the clothes have been worn (and, for example, are sweaty) but have no visible stains. Moderate soiling, on the other hand, means light stains. Heavy soiling refers to stains that are difficult to remove, such as coffee and juice stains.

Follow the instructions exactly, because more isn’t always better. On the contrary: using too much detergent isn’t just bad for the environment (it uses more raw materials than necessary and releases unnecessary surfactants and other ingredients into wastewater), but it often also worsens the wash results. Furthermore, using too much detergent can lead to excessive foaming and may even cause your machine to overflow.

If you use too little, your laundry might not get clean, and you’ll have to wash it again—which requires additional energy and raw materials.

Take a close look at the dosage chart and make sure you fill your measuring cup only up to the optimal amount. Since. many of our products have concentrated formulas, the dosage for AlmaWin and Klar products may fill only a fraction of the cup.

5. Avoid using the dryer:

In addition to heating the water during the wash cycle, the dryer consumes the most energy when doing laundry. Therefore, you should skip the dryer whenever possible and air-dry your laundry. A light breeze not only dries your clothes quickly and evenly, but also prevents them (especially towels) from becoming stiff and rough.

6. Load the machine properly:

Did you know that it’s best to leave just a hand’s width of space between the laundry and the drum, as long as you’re not washing delicates? That’s because this makes washing the most efficient and prevents you from wasting electricity and water. In addition, a full load can also improve the washing results, since the high level of friction (when the fabrics rub against each other during the spin cycle) helps clean them. The next time the machine isn’t quite full, it’s better to wait a bit longer or add more items, such as bedding and towels. However, for delicate items that require a delicate, gentle, or wool cycle, you shouldn’t fill the drum completely to protect the fibers from excessive friction. This is especially important for woolen garments, where it’s recommended to fill the drum to only about 25–35% of its capacity.

7. Select the Eco cycle:

Even though it may seem illogical, the Eco cycle—which often takes several hours—uses far less energy than the normal wash cycle, which usually gets your laundry clean in under an hour. Why is that? The Eco cycle not only uses less water but also washes at lower temperatures. That’s why your laundry needs to be processed longer to get clean. Compared to the normal wash cycle, the Eco cycle often saves as much as 40–50% in electricity. In contrast, there are the quick wash cycles (e.g., with a “Speed” function): even though these may seem environmentally friendly, many of them actually consume the most energy because the water has to be heated quickly, which uses a considerable amount of electricity.

8. Remove small stains spot-by-spot and simply let your clothes air out

You don’t always have to put a garment in the washing machine right away. You can remove small stains spot-by-spot and simply let your clothes air out instead of washing them immediately. This saves water, energy, and raw materials. A few drops of dish soap or liquid laundry detergent are often all it takes to remove fresh stains.

9. Caring for & Cleaning Your Washing Machine.

 To keep your machine clean and make it last longer, follow these simple tips.

• Wash at least once a month at 60 °C (or higher)—preferably with our all-purpose laundry detergent. This kills germs and prevents your machine from developing unpleasant odors. The oxygen bleach in our all-purpose laundry detergent also helps reduce unpleasant odors and bacteria.
•  Leave the detergent dispenser and the drum door slightly open after washing. This allows the detergent dispenser to dry and the drum to be ventilated, which reduces the growth of germs and bacteria.
• Clean the detergent dispenser and the rubber seal in the drum regularly to prevent mold from forming and keep the machine hygienically clean. The lint filter should also be emptied and cleaned from time to time. (However, not all machines have one.)
• Especially if you have hard water, you should descale the machine at least once a year. This not only saves energy (and money) with every wash cycle but can also extend the life of your appliance. With our dishwasher and washing machine cleaner, your machine is not only descaled but also cleaned of dirt and grease in places that are inaccessible by hand.