10 Tips for Sustainable Laundry Washing:

1. Washing less protects the environment

​​If you want to wash more sustainably, you should clean your clothes only as often as necessary. Often, airing out the textile is enough. Small stains can simply be removed by hand. Another advantage: Avoiding unnecessary wash cycles also protects the fibers, and your favorite pieces keep their color longer.

2. Follow care symbols for long-lasting fashion

Before putting your laundry in the washing machine, you should check the care label of each garment. It tells you how to best clean your clothes so they last as long as possible.

3. Save electricity and water when washing

If you want to wash more ecologically, you should load your washing machine properly. It’s best to wait until you have several garments to save energy and water. A rule of thumb is: Fill the drum with laundry until there is still room for a hand to stand upright.

4. Wash ecologically at the right temperature

Environmentally friendly washing is easy with a lower temperature. The care label usually indicates the maximum temperature. Modern washing machines already clean thoroughly at low temperatures (30 to 40 degrees Celsius).

5. Sustainable washing without pre-wash

In the past, the pre-wash program was used to reliably remove particularly stubborn dirt from textiles. With modern washing machines, you can skip this step and save energy and water.

6. Save energy when washing with a low spin speed

A high spin speed consumes more energy and wears out the washing machine faster. High rotations are also not good for your clothes and can stress the fibers.

7. Use an environmentally friendly detergent

Choose an environmentally friendly detergent and pay attention to the correct dosage. Overdosing does not make your clothes cleaner but harms the environment.

What is more environmentally friendly — powder or liquid detergent?

For ecological cleaning, you should prefer powder over liquid detergent. You should completely avoid fabric softener.

Sustainable alternatives to fabric softener

• Vinegar: For pleasantly soft laundry, simply add about 30 ml of vinegar to the fabric softener compartment. Don’t worry: The vinegar smell disappears and does not stick to the clothes later.
• Baking soda and washing soda: Another sustainable alternative to fabric softener is baking soda or washing soda. Simply dissolve one of these in 100 ml of water and add the solution to the fabric softener compartment.

Environmentally friendly detergent: What to look for?

Besides resource-saving packaging made from, for example, recycled materials, you should also check the ingredients. Sustainable detergents do not contain petroleum-based surfactants but preferably use surfactants from renewable raw materials.

Look for these eco-labels for environmentally friendly detergent

• Nature Care Product (NCP): One of the strictest certificates. Must be as sustainable as possible and meet the continuously updated criteria of the Society for Applied Business Ethics.
• Blue Angel: This label is awarded to detergents that perform particularly well in terms of sustainability and environmental protection compared to competitors.
• EU Ecolabel: Prohibits particularly environmentally harmful ingredients. Production is resource-saving and causes as little CO2 as possible.
• Ecocert: Detergents are mainly made from natural ingredients. Manufacturers carrying this label must also minimize environmental impact.
• CSE Label: 75% of the detergent must meet organic or natural product standards. The remaining 25% must also meet ecological criteria.
• Ecogarantie: Product is produced socially fairly and environmentally friendly. Ingredients must mainly consist of renewable and plant-based materials and come from organic farming.

Sustainable laundry perfume

You can easily get a natural scent for your laundry by putting a few drops of essential oil on an old cloth and placing it in the washing drum.

Washing ball — washing laundry without detergent?

A washing ball (also called washing sphere or washing egg) is added to the washing drum and allows you to use less detergent or even none at all depending on the degree of soiling. Inside the washing ball, negatively charged ions help loosen dirt during the wash cycle — already at 30 to 40 degrees Celsius. The mechanical friction of the ball against the textile additionally supports resource-saving cleaning.

8. Adjust the amount of detergent to the degree of soiling

Overdosing detergent not only harms the environment but also increases your own water consumption. Too much detergent creates excessive foam in the drum, requiring additional rinsing. Always follow the dosage instructions of the detergent manufacturer. Also, consider the degree of soiling. Individual stains can be pre-soaked so they can be removed with less detergent.

9. Avoid microplastics when washing

Synthetic fibers like polyester, polyamide, or polyacrylic release microfibers when washed that cannot be filtered out by the washing machine or sewage treatment plants. These microplastic particles enter our rivers and seas with the wastewater. You can easily prevent this problem with a special washing bag. Put your synthetic fiber laundry in the bag and dispose of the collected plastic particles in the residual waste after washing. If you want to completely avoid microplastics when washing, you should choose clothing made from natural raw materials like bamboo viscose or LENZING™ ECOVERO™ viscose.

Learn here more about our environmentally friendly fabrics bamboo viscose and LENZING™ ECOVERO™ viscose.

10. Air dry instead of using a dryer

After environmentally friendly cleaning, you should preferably dry your clothes outdoors. This saves energy and dries your clothes gently.

Have you already seen the Les Lunes Care Guide?

Whether bamboo viscose, LENZING™ ECOVERO™ viscose, or TENCEL™ Modal: You can find a detailed care guide tailored to our resource-saving fabrics here.