Tag Archives: Laundry

With the increased awareness of the environment and sustainability practices, there comes the question as to whether cold water may be used to wash cloth diaper laundry. The environmentalist in me would like to say yes, don’t waste energy on hot water. After all, many detergents are now geared toward cold water washing. I use cold water on my dark laundry, and on anything that does not need a deep cleaning. I did try to use cold water on my towels, but they had an odor afterward. Maybe it was the detergent I was using, maybe it is the amount, maybe it just needs a longer cycle with more water. But if I have to wash my laundry longer and/or use more water, would that take out the sustainable benefit achieved from not using hot water?

Cloth diapers are certainly in a different category that most other laundry. They have … Read More

There is no way around the fact that commercial washers and dryers have made laundry much easier and more convenient. Just pop the clothes in, and take them back out when they are done! Most of us truly live in a world of convenience. But have you ever asked yourself what this extra convenience is costing you? Also, what do people do if they do not have an automatic dryer?

Many foreign households do not even own a dryer. They either hang their clothes outside, or have a line in their laundry room. Since dryers do not usually exist in their country, I don’t think that they feel like they are lacking in any way. My family did not have an automatic dryer when I was young. I have many fond memories of dancing with the sheets in the wind!

You may wonder what the benefits of line drying are, … Read More

I just got my first box of soap nuts, also known as soap berries, in the mail. I wrote a blog on them several months ago and had been meaning to buy some. I couldn’t find any locally but truth be told, I didn’t look very hard. I ended up ordering some online…my favorite kind of shopping– in my jammies with out pushing a shopping cart with children clinging to the sides or begging for junk. I ordered a box of Eco Nuts.

When the package finally arrived a few days later, I marveled at how light it was. The box of Eco Nuts was small, about the size of a large grapefruit except square. It said it contained enough soap nuts for 100 loads of laundry. It had cost about the same as the liquid detergent I usually buy, $11.50 plus tax. The detergent I buy will … Read More