Cleaning our homes, and clothes can be problematic when we are trying to be eco-consciousness as well. There are so many issues surrounding what is and isn’t properly clean, and what is and what isn’t eco-friendly. It can be so confusing! Below I take a look at some of the and offer a few suggestions where I can.
Washing Temperature
One of the biggest debates around eco-friendly cleaning is the temperature you should wash your clothes at. Traditionally anything that has been heavily stained or used has been washed at a high temperature. This rids it of any nasties like dirt or bacteria. Burt, then we heard that washing in a high temperature is a waste of energy and is contributing to the overuse of fossil fuels and the global warming crisis.
So that means switching to low temperature washes, which might no leave your clothes as clean as you’d like.
Washing Powder
But of course, people are still worried about bacteria in their clothes. So one of the solutions to this low temp wash problem is to use more powerful chemicals in the wash.
So Then all the washing powder combines come out with stronger detergents that are activated at lower temperatures. But do we want more chemicals in our clothes? Also is there now even more polluted greywater going back into the system? What effect does this have on wildlife and plants?
Thre is some information out there on the problems with hot washes and laundry chemicals; it is best to get up to speed by researching these issues for yourself. Then you will be able to make an informed decision on which of the two evils is more dangerous.
Remember too that there are some other options though like washing nuts and Nepture, which allow you to do a load of laundry without using detergents at all. Or there are ecologically sounds detergents which have a minimal impact on the environment.
Water Hardness
Another issue the we can have with our washing is water hardness. There are certain areas in particular through the US that have extremely hard water. Hard water is when the water pick up mineral deposits.
This can mean that detergents don’t work as well, that stains get left on shiny surfaces, needing more products to polish them. Hard water can even affect the results that we get when we wash our hair and skin.
So what can we do to sort this issue out? Well there are such devices as water softeners. Which act to rid the ward of the mineral particulates. Some do this by using salt and other by using more ecologically friendly magnetic current. Read some water softener reviews online to get a sense of which product would work best for you and your lifestyle.
Personal hygiene
It is also difficult to maintain personal hygiene when we are trying to be ecologically conscientious. It very hard for people in this day and age to go without soap, shampoo or deodorant. Although some people do do it.
In fact, in the case of shampoo, there are many people that believe the hair is stripped of it’s natural oils. They advocate returning to its natural self-cleaning state, which happens after a few weeks of being unwashed. Read more about this here.
Luckily, there are natural alternatives that you can use. These include items such as deodorant crystals, all natural shampoos and soaps made without animal fats.
This post is very informative.