Green Tips

A lot of water and energy are used while cleaning clothes. However, we can save both by practising a few eco-friendly laundry tips:

· Only do full loads of laundry, use as little water as possible.

· Before doing the laundry, inspect the clothes because they may not be that dirty. Some items just need to be re-pressed and placed on hangers.

· Up to 90 per cent of the energy used for washing clothes goes to heating the water. A warm wash and cold rinse will work just as well as a hot water wash and a warm rinse on nearly all clothes.

· Hang up clothes immediately after you've worn them, give them a day off between wearings, and air them out before returning them to the closet. Use a clothes brush occasionally to remove surface dust. Thus you can comfortably skip washing the clothes a couple of times.

· Hang clothing outside to dry or inside in a dry, warm room and save energy.

· If you must use a machine to dry your clothes, clean your dryer’s lint trap after every load to keep the air circulating efficiently. Lint build-up is also a fire hazard.

· Use lemon juice to the rinse cycle and hang your clothes outside in the sun which will bleach clothes naturally and will also save energy.

· Treat spills quickly to prevent staining. And do not iron stained garments; heat sets the stains.

· The best way to save water and energy on washing clothes is to possess a small wardrobe. You may begin by donating your older garments that you would not use in future and buy less in future.