Getting a plastic-free laundry is easier these days with many new products, especially laundry detergent, in the market to help you make the changes. There is a plastic-free alternative to all your laundry needs, from metal pegs to ocean-friendly wash bags!
5 swaps to build your plastic-free laundry
Swap plastic pegs for metal or wood
We’ve all gotten used to plastic pegs for washing, but what happens when they break? If you swap them for metal pegs, they’ll last longer and keep grip longer. Given the heat of the Aussie sun, it might be safer to opt for wood pegs to avoid finger burns after hanging in the sun. If you want to make an extra swap when hanging out your washing, swap your plastic basket for a cane or other plastic-free option.
Wake up to woollen dryer balls
If you can’t hang your clothes in the sunshine to dry, which is the eco-friendliest option, due to living in an apartment or similar, you’ll probably use a dryer. With this dryer, you may use dryer balls to help stop your clothes from bunching and allow them to get dry quickly. Woollen dryer balls are not only a plastic-free laundry staple, but they’re also more durable plastic ones. Note you may need to clean your lint filter a bit more with wool dryer balls, but you should really clean it after every load anyway.
Swap a sprayer for a stain remover stick
In a similar way to soap or shampoo bars, a simple swap you can make to get a plastic-free laundry is by swapping your usual plastic spray bottle of stain remover for a stick. If you’re not ready for a stick, you can always make your own stain remover and get a glass bottle sprayer to rid your laundry of the plastic spray bottle. The other benefit of switching the sprayer for the stick is you can take aim on your stains easer using the stick.
Opt for a more ocean-friendly wash bag
Modern clothes are often made out of mixed fabrics, including things like polyester that can create microplastics when washed. Microplastics are a big issue in ocean pollution, with approximately 84,000 to 578,000 tons currently floating around the ocean already. To help prevent this problem, you add a microplastic preventative wash bag to your plastic-free laundry.
Stop buying big plastic bottles and try one of these plastic-free laundry detergents
One of the biggest plastics in your laundry is likely your laundry detergent which often comes in big plastic bottles that then get tossed. The good news is that if you want to do a plastic-free laundry, there are many options to keep your clothes clean without plastic bottles.
Soapberries
These are small dried berries that you place in a small cotton bag and then toss in the machine with your washing. The berries come from the Himalayas and contain a naturally occurring chemical called saponin. This non-synthetic and biodegradable surfactant breaks down the dirt from your washing.
Laundry sheets
Laundry sheets are a great addition to your plastic-free laundry. All you need to do is pop the sheets in your washing machine with your load. They break down during the wash and then wash your washing. There is a range of brands on the market to choose from.
Laundry stick
Similar to a shampoo bar, a bar of soap, or a stain remover stick, a laundry stick is a block of soap that can be used to wash your clothes. You can slice up the bar, dilute it in water, and become a laundry detergent without the bulky bottle. Most laundry sticks last for hundreds of washes.
Refillable bottles
There has been a boom in refillable cleaning products that are also planet positive. Some brands may still use plastic, but they often have eco-friendly business values and easy ways to recycle it. Even with this inclusion of plastic in the products, the refillable factor makes them more appropriate for your plastic-free laundry than the bottles you have to keep buying at the store. Or you can just choose a brand that doesn’t use any plastic at all.
Make your own
This isn’t the option for everyone, but you can make your own washing powder or laundry detergent. There are plenty of simple recipes online and often from ingredients many people already have in our homes. Another benefit of making your own laundry detergent besides building a plastic-free laundry, you also get to choose your own scent.
We hope you can consider some of our swaps to do a plastic-free laundry; progress is better than perfection when it comes to making your home more plastic-free. If you have a toilet in your laundry, make sure you keep it plastic-free with our eco-friendly toilet paper.
Check out our tips for making a plastic-free kitchen and plastic-free bathroom.
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