Greener Home Laundry

For the everyday items you wash at home, there are easy, earth-friendly solutions that will get your laundry greener and cleaner.

All-natural laundry cleaning agents
These tips are best for machine washable fabrics. Always test new laundry methods in an inconspicuous spot first.

Energy savers

Save the environment—and your wallet—with a few easy changes to your laundry routine. Wash clothes in cold or warm water instead of hot. According to the California Energy Commission, 85-90% of the energy used by washing machines goes to heat the water. And washing in cold gets your clothes just as clean as hot. Tide …

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Lemon Juice

Bleach: Lemon juice is an all-natural bleaching agent. Pour lemon juice on stains (test for colorfastness in a hidden spot first) and hang in the sun to dry, then machine wash as usual. For an allover white brightener, replace the bleach in your wash cycle with one cup of lemon juice. Soak solution: For very …

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Baking Soda

Odor eliminator: Adding ½ cup baking soda to the rinse cycle will neutralize odors and leave your laundry smelling fresh without fragrance. Brightener: To give your regular liquid laundry detergent a stain-fighting boost, add ½ cup baking soda to your regular wash cycle. Baking soda helps neutralize the pH in your wash water, improving the …

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Salt

Bleeding: adding ½ cup salt to your regular wash cycle can help prevent colors from running or bleeding. Yellowing: For white cotton or linen items, a one hour soak in boiling water with one tablespoon salt and ¼ cup baking soda will remove the yellow tinge. For nylon, soaking in warm water with Epsom salt …

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Vinegar

Fabric softener: adding ½ cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle will soften clothes. For pillows and blankets, add two cups to the rinse cycle to keep them fluffy. Lint and pet hair prevention: adding ½ cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle will prevent lint build up on clothing and reduce the amount of …

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