Laundry is such a mundane part of all our lives that, as with other daily tasks, we forget how much energy and resources it requires.  Detergents and softeners and harsh bleaches go down your home's drains and eventually find their way into waterways where they affect wildlife and plants (Chlorine bleach, when sent down the drain can produce organochlorines.  These are suspected carcinogens and reproductive, neurological and immune system toxins.  Non-chlorinated bleaches containing hydrogen peroxide, sodium percarbonate or sodium perborate are viable alternatives). Large amounts of energy is consumed to heat the water, turn the motor, and especially dry the clothes. 

So what can we do to launder responsibly?  First and foremost, always fill a load. Never wash only a few articles at a time. Wash in cold water, and hang dry your clothes on a outside line or an indoor drying tree instead of using the dryer.  Electric dryers are the biggest energy suckers in your home drawing around 3000 watts! (Everytime you run the dryer for an hour, that's 3 kilowatt hours tacked onto your energy bill!)

Wash in cold water. Heating water is the second-highest energy demand in the home after heating and cooling.  Reduce your laundry's energy demand by 80-90% by switching to cold water washing. The new detergents made for cold water mean that your clothes will still end up squeaky-clean. 

• Switch to greener detergents or alternatives.  Hundreds of thousands of tons of detergents find their way into our waterways every year. 
  Start using biodegradable laundry soap.  
• Use alternatives to soap such as a laundry ball or a wash ball. These balls are small plastic containers, filled with clay balls, that you put in the drum of the washing machine. They wash your clothes by ionizing the water.
• Another alternative you can try is soap nuts.  Soap nuts are grown in India and Nepal so transporting them to Canada is to be considered... They contain 'saponin' which is a natural, biodegradable alternative to soaps and detergents.  They're available in many eco-shops. 

Consider not using dryer sheets by trying these alternatives.  Dryer sheet are made of synthetic ingredients and fragrences derived from petro-chemical sources.  Also the one-use-per-load aspect is very wasteful if you consider that there are many great alternatives.

• If you're blessed with the space to air dry your clothes, buy hangers or an indoor drying tree and do it!
• Use the timer on your dryer carefully to avoid warming dry clothes.   .
• Use a dryer ball to reduce drying time and stop static.
• Use a reusable anti-static sheet.

Cut cost dramatically by investing in new energy-efficient laundry machines. Side-loading washing machines are more energy efficient, using 40% less water and 50% less energy by relying on gravity (instead of an agitator that works against the pressure of water) to toss clothes. 

We all know that regularly emptying the lint trap in our dryers helps it run more efficiently. But did you know that if you use dryer sheets, emptying that lint trap might not be making any difference?  The use of traditional dryer sheets releases a scented film onto your clothes which then accumulates in the lint trap and may clog up the mesh.  So even if you've just emptied the lint trap, that mesh might still be clogged and making your dryer work overtime. 

Empty out the lint trap as usual then take the removable mesh catcher to the sink and run water trough it.  If the water accumulates or has a hard time running through, you've got yourself a film problem!  Use warm, soapy water and an old toothbrush to clean and unblock the mesh.  Do this once every 4-6 months to keep your dryer running as efficiently as possible.