Laundry is such a integral part of all our lives that, as with other daily tasks, we forget how it can negitavely affect the place we call home.  Detergents and softeners are dumped into waterways, copious amounts of energy is consumed to heat the water, turn the motor, and dry the clothes. 

What can you do to reduce your impact?
Always fill a load. Never wash only a few articles at a time.

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. 

Hang-dry your clothes. Your clothes dryer draws the most wattage of any appliance in your home by far (around 3000 watts)!  Using your dryer for 2 hours on laundry day will increase that day's energy consumption by 5-7 kwh.  That a lot of energy considering an energy-conscious family's average daily consumption is around 10-15 kwh.

• 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 might not be worth it.  They contain 'saponin' which is a natural, biodegradable alternative to soaps and detergents.  They're available in many eco-shops. 
• 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.

Cut electricity use and costs by using the dryer less. 

Consider not using dryer sheets by trying these alternatives.  Dryer sheet are made of synthetic ingredients and fregrances derived from non-renewable 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 dryingtree 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.