7 little bits of good for laundry day

At ecostore, we believe that creating a world of good starts with taking small steps. We call these simple changes to your every day “little bits of good”. Household laundry is a drain on Hong Kong’s water supply, but it doesn’t have to be, with these simple water-saving switches you can start making today!

 

1. Wash less

Did you know that most garments don’t need to be washed unless they’re dirty or smelly? Take jeans, for example. Some denim manufacturers indicate that their garments can be worn up to 10 times before they need washing. Wool products are similar, as their natural, breathable fibres do not absorb odour. If you spill something on your garment, consider spot cleaning (with a suitable product) rather than mindlessly throwing it into the wash.

 

2. Fill that drum

Wait until you have a full load before you flick the machine on. Most people wash about 3.5kg of laundry at a time, even if their machine can hold significantly more. By running your washing machine less frequently, you’ll save water as well as time, effort, detergent and power.* However, be careful not to overfill your drum as the items won’t get properly clean. Use your scales to figure out the correct load size for your machine.

 

3. Prep like a pro

Dealing with stains before you wash your clothes will mean that you don’t have to rewash them if a basic wash doesn’t cut it – reducing the amount of water required to get your garment back to beautiful. Choose stain removers that are appropriate for your garment, and remember that good old fashioned soap bars can be your best friend in the laundry. You can also consider soaking soiled items before washing them, but stay mindful of your water usage.

 

4. Air your clothes

Often, you can rid clothes of odours just by hanging them outside for a few hours. Depending on their colour fastness, you might like to hang them in direct sunlight for a quick burst of natural antibacterial action as well.

 

5. Choose concentrated detergents

Concentrated products like our Laundry Capsules and 3X Laundry Liquid have been made using less water, reducing the environmental footprint of your washing even further. And they have the added bonus of taking up less space and needing less carbon to freight.

 

6. Use cooler settings

On the subject of carbon, did you know that a hot wash uses 10 times the amount of electricity as a cold wash. Our concentrated laundry liquids work just as well in cold water, so you can save your hot washes for heavily soiled items.

 

7. Commit to one less load per week

If everyone in Hong Kong did their little bit by doing one less load per week, we would save a whopping 96.2 million litres of water. Not such a small step when you put it that way.