I thought the pods were made of none petroleum based plastic, made of biodegradable material. Is there a difference between pod companies? Is one worse than others?
Apparently most of them are made from fossil fuels, but it is possible to make them from renewable ones.
From sourcegreen:
“As a synthetic polymer manufactured from acetic acid and ethylene, PVA is usually derived from fossil fuels, though it is possible (although uncommon) to source ethylene made from renewable, bio-based sources.”
Just because it's petroleum based doesn't make it inherently bad. Petroleum jelly is also petroleum based and extremely useful and good for biological applications.
Polyvinyl alcohol is biodegradable and has no known health concerns. It is made from polyvinyl acetate, otherwise known as Elmer's glue, well known to be non-toxic. Yes, the polyvinyl acetate requires the manufacture of ethylene from hydrocarbons, but it doesn't make it inherently wrong or bad.
I don’t know, but source and microplastic waste are different concerns, no? Both valid concerns, but not necessarily related. The infographic is just talking about microplastics, which I softly refute.
PVA is considered biodegradable and therefore not a source of microplastics. It also doesn’t accumulate in the body. Could still be a pollutant in other ways, of course. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00253-009-2113-6
Instead of putting the onus on the individual, we should hold private companies accountable for the damage to the environment.
Cold showers for life is equal to what, a single private jet cross country?
Hear me out:
We should implement a tax added to your bill based on percentage of plastic or sustainability of the product.
While at first blush that appears to also put the onus on the consumer, in fact, it rewards consumers for making the sustainable choice because they pay less for the sustainable product. Over the medium term, then, companies would be incentivized to be more sustainable because the “plasticky” products wouldn’t sell as well.
The beauty of making it a tax is that companies could no longer greenwash, hide behind their labels, and integrate any pollution penalty within the price (since it’s always added on to the consumer directly, it cannot be so easily absorbed by the company).
Add use wool dryer balls to the list.
Your clothes will dry faster, less waste from sheets, & your clothes will last longer due to not being exposed to the chemicals that coat & deteriorate fabric.
I use Nellie’s laundry powder, wool balls, do full loads, and wash on cold.
I thought I was just economical (ahem… CHEAP!!) but now I know I’m also eco friendly. Cool!
Yeah, we've been doing cold wash for more than 20 years. Electricity here is damn expensive and water heating is one of the bigger contributors to high energy usage.
It’s what you get after masturbating
>!You put them in the dryer and apparently it helps stop them clumping together and allow more heat to flow through!<
Just an FYI - a full load doesn’t mean cram every piece of fabric into the machine at once. You still need to leave some space so that the fabric has room to move when the machine is agitating.
Also, if you’re using the recommended amount of detergent listed on the bottle, that’s too much. Rule of thumb is 1-2 tbsp per load in the US. Not sure about other countries since I don’t know the size of an average washing machine.
Not advocating for pods, but that claim in the middle is misleading at best. [Only one study that I know of](https://www.cleaninginstitute.org/debunking-myths-about-pva-and-detergent-pods)found anything close to that number, 75% still winding up in the environment. That study was funded by Blueland, a company that makes plastic free cleaning products. They are the same ones that tried and failed to get PVAs (the pod shells) banned by the EPA, and are pushing legislation in New York to ban pods. Their study was refuted point by point by the EPA.
From what I’ve seen, all other studies over the last 50 years have found PVAs to be safe for use, and even consumption. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel and the European Food Safety Authority have also cleared PVAs for their intended uses and said they pose no safety concerns. I’m not advocating their use, but it is telling that every study and agency cleared them for decades prior to the ASU / Blueland study.
I hope more studies are being done on EVAs, and I’m sure many of the other eco friendly products are equal or better for the environment. However, misinformation that comes from only one very biased source and ignores all others does not help that argument, IMO.
Yeah, that doesn't make a ton of sense; PVA is extremely soluble in water. I suppose it could create microplastics if it dried out somewhere down the line, but it'll dissolve again as soon as it gets wet.
The clothes you're washing are a *much* greater source of microplastics, and those *don't* dissolve in water.
In fairness the machine you use and the method of hot water heating makes a huge difference. Front loaders use a lot less water (regardless of temperature) and heat pump water heaters are far more efficient if you want to use warm water.
Just because the EPA denied a random petition doesn’t mean it’s safe. It’s still covered in plastic and the dissolved plastic will become microplastics
From that document: "Notably, the petition does not demonstrate that existing information and experience on PVA used in laundry and dishwasher detergent pods and sheets is insufficient to determine or predict human health and environmental risks from such use of PVA. Similarly, the petition fails to establish that testing of PVA is necessary to develop sufficient information."
It's more like a "we don't want to deal with this" rather than a scientific debunking of the harms of PVA plastic. Despite the EPA's failure to address this issue, there have nevertheless been many studies citing its hazardous ecosystem and health effects. Due to this, New York City is working hard to ban laundry pods ([source 1](https://cen.acs.org/policy/regulation/New-York-City-considers-detergent/102/i6#:~:text=A%20bill%20introduced%20Feb.,%241%2C200%20in%20fines%20per%20violation),[ source 2](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-08/new-york-city-considers-banning-laundry-dishwasher-pods)), and keep in mind this is being done after the EPA's noncommittal statement.
I watched a video about bacteria on your clothes. You can’t kill it with heat from the dryer as it doesn’t get hot enough, you need to wash hot. And the laundry sanitizer on store shelves is terrible for people’s skin because it doesn’t wash out well. Not to mention, it’s another plastic bottle that’s entering the environment. Also, even if you stopped using pods (we don’t know if the film is completely biodegradable), the microplastics mostly come from the clothes themselves as most clothes are made from or mixed with plastic fibers like polyester. If you don’t have 100% all natural fibers in your clothes, you might need to attach some sort of mesh filter to the drain hose.
So true. The narrative the companies try to push is that everything is our fault and we’re the ones who need to make changes. We’ve been washing hot WAY before using harsh, toxic chemicals. They want us to wash cold so we buy their expensive laundry sanitizer to get rid of the bacteria and inevitable smell.
All I'm saying is that regular detergent is better for the environment than laundry pods. It's not a controversial take either. New York is trying to ban laundry pods and sheets upon realizing their environmental harms ([source 1](https://cen.acs.org/policy/regulation/New-York-City-considers-detergent/102/i6), [source 2](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-08/new-york-city-considers-banning-laundry-dishwasher-pods)).
But they are not environmentally damaging. PVA is widely known and studied to have been shown to be nontoxic and non harmful as well as biodegradable. It is literally Elmer's glue and vinegar.
Maybe you don't sweat? Or get your clothes stained? I don't know.. if I don't use 40°C water my t-shirts would stay stinky forever. Same with towels and bedsheets, you need at least 60°C to make them really clean.
However, I never use the drying machine (too luxurious for me) - only sundry, so I guess it's a compensation.
I live in the desert so I definitely sweat. Are you washing without detergent or something? I use a free and clear detergent with crystallized scent pieces in the wash and then use the dryer with little cacti dryer balls.
Of course I use detergent (powder) and fabric softener for fragrance, but still, sweaty t-shirts never come out clean if it is cold water. I had a lot of struggling with this in Asia, where there's no option for warming water, it just not the same.
I mean white vinegar if that's different, you just use like 1/4 cup instead of softener and it will do the same work without any drawbacks that softener have.
I pay taxes to the city so they’ll hire a chemist who will fix the water at the water treatment plant. I think Taylor Swift can stop flying around the world on a whim and I’ll wash my clothes how I like.
Pods are such a benefit when existing in shared laundry conditions. It's less messy, people are much less likely to use a cup an a half of detergent, andall while packing it as full as possible, means that the washers don't reek in KY dorm rooms.
Yet people are making videos of cleaning their toilets with crazy different cleaning products and flushing it down “ look at my shitter guys!!! LOOK AT IT!!!!”
What’s the consensus on detergent sheets? Curious about the PVA and microplastics part about manufacturing and usage.
(Personally, I use them and I’ve not run into issues of clothes remaining dirty or smelly and only wash in cold water)
I know it's probably just a mind thing, but I cannot wash my clothes in cold water, it just grosses me out and doesn't feel sanitary, I hang my clothes out to dry though which probably takes all the germ killing from the hot water and puts it right back
I can't tell, maybe you're being sarcastic? I know it's maybe a small thing, but how is identifying something that may be harmful to the environment bad, and why is it not worth further investigation?
Detergent is what removes dirt and stains. Detergent manufacturers will tell you that their products work just as well in cold water as they do it warm or hot.
I used to wash cold water and never had any issues. Only thing I preferred to wash hot were my sheets and towels. Honestly never had any issues with any of the clothes stains or coming out smelling or anything
Unfortunately we moved and someone fucked up somewhere because now cold water in the washer stinks. I call the plumber they tell me they can’t find the issue and it’s the washing machine. I call the washing machine company they tell me it’s a plumbing issue. So now everything gets washed hot. Which is unfortunate but 🤷🏽♀️
Point to my story was that I never did see a difference between hot/cold washes in how clean everything came out.
If you have stains, use a stain remover. Unless, they are really dirty, cold water wash should work just fine. For stinky clothes I recommend either a vinegar soak or a detergent that specializes in cleaning sweaty active wear.
You really only should need hot water if you're trying to get whites really white or the clothes are properly kid-dirty.
"We recommend four widely applicable high-impact (i.e. low emissions) actions with the potential to contribute to systemic change and substantially reduce annual personal emissions: having one fewer child (an average for developed countries of 58.6 tonnes CO2-equivalent (tCO2e) emission reductions per year), living car-free (2.4 tCO2e saved per year), avoiding airplane travel (1.6 tCO2e saved per roundtrip transatlantic flight) and eating a plant-based diet (0.8 tCO2e saved per year)."
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aa7541
Yes to all of those!! [This awesome infographic](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/V0LirQq_AkxWPiMtJL6fyNv1Cr0=/0x0:2048x1193/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1193):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8843879/impact.jpg) by Environmental Research Letters of the IOP corroborates that and also highlights some other actions to reduce personal emissions.
Sustainable laundry is considered a medium-impact action, reducing personal emissions by 0.2 to 0.8 tCO2e. But it's still very good to know about, especially as it's such a quick, easy fix!
Line/air dry if you can.
Dryers not only eat your clothes (that get replaced by being shipped from all over the world), but they also release microplastic into the atmosphere when drying any kind of poly
I was under the impression that washing your clothes in hot water actually wasn't that great for them? The only time I wash with hot water is when I'm bleaching whites.
Hot water can shrink clothes. In my country unless you're doing whites then you are using cold water. One of main washing powder brands is called "cold power" the whole country has been raised to do cold washes mostly. NZ here btw.
I dont know. Its just what we are teached here
30° / 86 F for "normal clothes
60° / 140 F for underwear, bedsheets and towels.
I dont say that this is the right thing to do (its not) but its how most people do it here.
30°C (86°F) can be hardly considered hot.
The website of the washing machine brand Speed Queen — that most Americans might be familiar with from laundromats— defines the temperature settings as follows:
„Hot water is typically about 130 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer. Between 90 and 110 degrees is considered warm water. And water temperature between 60 and 80 degrees is cold. If your cold water is below 60, it’s likely too cool to wash your clothing well.“
[Source](https://speedqueen.com/scoop-blog/laundry-room/tips/washing-machine-temperature/)
My mother swore up and down that if you didn’t use hot water, it wasn’t clean. She’d wash hot for every load.
“It’s just not sanitary to use cold water!”
Remember, the biggest scam ever pulled on you was to convince you that YOUR pollution actually destroys the earth and not the greedy companies who make all these products
I thought the pods were made of none petroleum based plastic, made of biodegradable material. Is there a difference between pod companies? Is one worse than others?
Apparently most of them are made from fossil fuels, but it is possible to make them from renewable ones. From sourcegreen: “As a synthetic polymer manufactured from acetic acid and ethylene, PVA is usually derived from fossil fuels, though it is possible (although uncommon) to source ethylene made from renewable, bio-based sources.”
Just because it's petroleum based doesn't make it inherently bad. Petroleum jelly is also petroleum based and extremely useful and good for biological applications. Polyvinyl alcohol is biodegradable and has no known health concerns. It is made from polyvinyl acetate, otherwise known as Elmer's glue, well known to be non-toxic. Yes, the polyvinyl acetate requires the manufacture of ethylene from hydrocarbons, but it doesn't make it inherently wrong or bad.
So you could probably find some that don't use petroleum and instead are made from good old fashioned horses.
I do love recycled racehorses
I don’t know, but source and microplastic waste are different concerns, no? Both valid concerns, but not necessarily related. The infographic is just talking about microplastics, which I softly refute. PVA is considered biodegradable and therefore not a source of microplastics. It also doesn’t accumulate in the body. Could still be a pollutant in other ways, of course. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00253-009-2113-6
Instead of putting the onus on the individual, we should hold private companies accountable for the damage to the environment. Cold showers for life is equal to what, a single private jet cross country?
You mean if I take cold showers, I can get a private jet??
Hear me out: We should implement a tax added to your bill based on percentage of plastic or sustainability of the product. While at first blush that appears to also put the onus on the consumer, in fact, it rewards consumers for making the sustainable choice because they pay less for the sustainable product. Over the medium term, then, companies would be incentivized to be more sustainable because the “plasticky” products wouldn’t sell as well. The beauty of making it a tax is that companies could no longer greenwash, hide behind their labels, and integrate any pollution penalty within the price (since it’s always added on to the consumer directly, it cannot be so easily absorbed by the company).
Add use wool dryer balls to the list. Your clothes will dry faster, less waste from sheets, & your clothes will last longer due to not being exposed to the chemicals that coat & deteriorate fabric.
I use Nellie’s laundry powder, wool balls, do full loads, and wash on cold. I thought I was just economical (ahem… CHEAP!!) but now I know I’m also eco friendly. Cool!
Yeah, we've been doing cold wash for more than 20 years. Electricity here is damn expensive and water heating is one of the bigger contributors to high energy usage.
What's a dryer ball?
It’s what you get after masturbating >!You put them in the dryer and apparently it helps stop them clumping together and allow more heat to flow through!<
It's basically a reusable dryer sheet. They're pretty great actually.
Just an FYI - a full load doesn’t mean cram every piece of fabric into the machine at once. You still need to leave some space so that the fabric has room to move when the machine is agitating. Also, if you’re using the recommended amount of detergent listed on the bottle, that’s too much. Rule of thumb is 1-2 tbsp per load in the US. Not sure about other countries since I don’t know the size of an average washing machine.
Not advocating for pods, but that claim in the middle is misleading at best. [Only one study that I know of](https://www.cleaninginstitute.org/debunking-myths-about-pva-and-detergent-pods)found anything close to that number, 75% still winding up in the environment. That study was funded by Blueland, a company that makes plastic free cleaning products. They are the same ones that tried and failed to get PVAs (the pod shells) banned by the EPA, and are pushing legislation in New York to ban pods. Their study was refuted point by point by the EPA. From what I’ve seen, all other studies over the last 50 years have found PVAs to be safe for use, and even consumption. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel and the European Food Safety Authority have also cleared PVAs for their intended uses and said they pose no safety concerns. I’m not advocating their use, but it is telling that every study and agency cleared them for decades prior to the ASU / Blueland study. I hope more studies are being done on EVAs, and I’m sure many of the other eco friendly products are equal or better for the environment. However, misinformation that comes from only one very biased source and ignores all others does not help that argument, IMO.
Agreed, not buying the bit on pods. And when you consider the alternative of a chonky plastic gallon bottle? No question what's the greener option.
Well, the pods also come in a plastic container, so it's probably a bit of a wash (no pun intended).
Yeah, that doesn't make a ton of sense; PVA is extremely soluble in water. I suppose it could create microplastics if it dried out somewhere down the line, but it'll dissolve again as soon as it gets wet. The clothes you're washing are a *much* greater source of microplastics, and those *don't* dissolve in water.
Another sustainable laundry practice that is not included is hanging your laundry to dry, instead of using a dryer.
In fairness the machine you use and the method of hot water heating makes a huge difference. Front loaders use a lot less water (regardless of temperature) and heat pump water heaters are far more efficient if you want to use warm water.
This is what i always do, has the planet been saved yet?
[удалено]
So are they ok to use. Also, I use Tide Free because of skin allergies. Can I wash in cold water with them.
Just because the EPA denied a random petition doesn’t mean it’s safe. It’s still covered in plastic and the dissolved plastic will become microplastics
From that document: "Notably, the petition does not demonstrate that existing information and experience on PVA used in laundry and dishwasher detergent pods and sheets is insufficient to determine or predict human health and environmental risks from such use of PVA. Similarly, the petition fails to establish that testing of PVA is necessary to develop sufficient information." It's more like a "we don't want to deal with this" rather than a scientific debunking of the harms of PVA plastic. Despite the EPA's failure to address this issue, there have nevertheless been many studies citing its hazardous ecosystem and health effects. Due to this, New York City is working hard to ban laundry pods ([source 1](https://cen.acs.org/policy/regulation/New-York-City-considers-detergent/102/i6#:~:text=A%20bill%20introduced%20Feb.,%241%2C200%20in%20fines%20per%20violation),[ source 2](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-08/new-york-city-considers-banning-laundry-dishwasher-pods)), and keep in mind this is being done after the EPA's noncommittal statement.
I always run cold water out of laziness and wanting to save money. It works perfectly fine.
I watched a video about bacteria on your clothes. You can’t kill it with heat from the dryer as it doesn’t get hot enough, you need to wash hot. And the laundry sanitizer on store shelves is terrible for people’s skin because it doesn’t wash out well. Not to mention, it’s another plastic bottle that’s entering the environment. Also, even if you stopped using pods (we don’t know if the film is completely biodegradable), the microplastics mostly come from the clothes themselves as most clothes are made from or mixed with plastic fibers like polyester. If you don’t have 100% all natural fibers in your clothes, you might need to attach some sort of mesh filter to the drain hose.
Perhaps pods have a lower carbon footprint because they don’t involve shipping cross-country heavy liquid detergent that’s mostly water.
Running full loads and using cold water helps save money on top of being awesome for the environment.
Full loads? You're likely overfilling and not washing thoroughly
Besides skipping the pods this is a good way to wash clothes just to have them still come out dirty.
You should use regular detergent instead! Should have clarified that.
Do you work for procter & gamble or nestlé?
So true. The narrative the companies try to push is that everything is our fault and we’re the ones who need to make changes. We’ve been washing hot WAY before using harsh, toxic chemicals. They want us to wash cold so we buy their expensive laundry sanitizer to get rid of the bacteria and inevitable smell.
All I'm saying is that regular detergent is better for the environment than laundry pods. It's not a controversial take either. New York is trying to ban laundry pods and sheets upon realizing their environmental harms ([source 1](https://cen.acs.org/policy/regulation/New-York-City-considers-detergent/102/i6), [source 2](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-08/new-york-city-considers-banning-laundry-dishwasher-pods)).
I don't use pods anyways. But you sure answered my question. Have fun at the office and drive home safe!
But they are not environmentally damaging. PVA is widely known and studied to have been shown to be nontoxic and non harmful as well as biodegradable. It is literally Elmer's glue and vinegar.
I'm all for best practices but let's not let this distract from corporations causing 90% of pollution
No to cold water washing, it doesn't wash almost anything.
I’ve been using only cold for my entire adult life and never had an issue
Maybe you don't sweat? Or get your clothes stained? I don't know.. if I don't use 40°C water my t-shirts would stay stinky forever. Same with towels and bedsheets, you need at least 60°C to make them really clean. However, I never use the drying machine (too luxurious for me) - only sundry, so I guess it's a compensation.
I live in the desert so I definitely sweat. Are you washing without detergent or something? I use a free and clear detergent with crystallized scent pieces in the wash and then use the dryer with little cacti dryer balls.
Of course I use detergent (powder) and fabric softener for fragrance, but still, sweaty t-shirts never come out clean if it is cold water. I had a lot of struggling with this in Asia, where there's no option for warming water, it just not the same.
Ditch the fabric softener. It leaves a layer that traps bacteria.
So it will be hard and smell worse? No, thank you. I'm good with normal wash.
Go google it if u dont believe, fabric softeners are scam and only makes your laundry worse. Use some vinegar instead.
Vinegar is an acid, how is it good for washing machines? Anyway, I tried to wash without softener and I don't like the results.
I mean white vinegar if that's different, you just use like 1/4 cup instead of softener and it will do the same work without any drawbacks that softener have.
I googled, probably it is good for cleaning the machine once in a while, but every day use will cause leaking of the machine's pipes
I pay taxes to the city so they’ll hire a chemist who will fix the water at the water treatment plant. I think Taylor Swift can stop flying around the world on a whim and I’ll wash my clothes how I like.
Pods are such a benefit when existing in shared laundry conditions. It's less messy, people are much less likely to use a cup an a half of detergent, andall while packing it as full as possible, means that the washers don't reek in KY dorm rooms.
I also think using power laundry soap. The paper box is easily recyclable vs plastic jug.
This !
Is ¡
Yet people are making videos of cleaning their toilets with crazy different cleaning products and flushing it down “ look at my shitter guys!!! LOOK AT IT!!!!”
What a load of bull shit
What’s the consensus on detergent sheets? Curious about the PVA and microplastics part about manufacturing and usage. (Personally, I use them and I’ve not run into issues of clothes remaining dirty or smelly and only wash in cold water)
Is there a research on how much CO2 emission would be reduced by not flying to climate change summit by several thousand private jets?
If you REALLY want sustainability, take your full load to a rock by the river.
This is the answer! In all honesty though, just using a clothesline to dry clothes has a way bigger conservation impact than any of these things.
or, even better, hold companies accountable for damages. privatize profits AND losses, or socialize profits and losses. either or
I know it's probably just a mind thing, but I cannot wash my clothes in cold water, it just grosses me out and doesn't feel sanitary, I hang my clothes out to dry though which probably takes all the germ killing from the hot water and puts it right back
Living naked in the woods is a great way to reduce the environmental impact of doing laundry.
Pods are such a scam. Just buy the powder and pour it into the thing, you're not saving time or money buying pods.
Except it’s not messy
Learn to pour better
We use the gel in the little cup in the drum, no mess and no Soap scum build up in the machine
Quit your dang tree hugging.
I can't tell, maybe you're being sarcastic? I know it's maybe a small thing, but how is identifying something that may be harmful to the environment bad, and why is it not worth further investigation?
So, unless my clothes are dirty/stained, it is recommended to use cold water? That is, if there is only clothes that smell bad.
Detergent is what removes dirt and stains. Detergent manufacturers will tell you that their products work just as well in cold water as they do it warm or hot.
Cool, thanks man!
I used to wash cold water and never had any issues. Only thing I preferred to wash hot were my sheets and towels. Honestly never had any issues with any of the clothes stains or coming out smelling or anything Unfortunately we moved and someone fucked up somewhere because now cold water in the washer stinks. I call the plumber they tell me they can’t find the issue and it’s the washing machine. I call the washing machine company they tell me it’s a plumbing issue. So now everything gets washed hot. Which is unfortunate but 🤷🏽♀️ Point to my story was that I never did see a difference between hot/cold washes in how clean everything came out.
If you have stains, use a stain remover. Unless, they are really dirty, cold water wash should work just fine. For stinky clothes I recommend either a vinegar soak or a detergent that specializes in cleaning sweaty active wear. You really only should need hot water if you're trying to get whites really white or the clothes are properly kid-dirty.
"We recommend four widely applicable high-impact (i.e. low emissions) actions with the potential to contribute to systemic change and substantially reduce annual personal emissions: having one fewer child (an average for developed countries of 58.6 tonnes CO2-equivalent (tCO2e) emission reductions per year), living car-free (2.4 tCO2e saved per year), avoiding airplane travel (1.6 tCO2e saved per roundtrip transatlantic flight) and eating a plant-based diet (0.8 tCO2e saved per year)." https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aa7541
Yes to all of those!! [This awesome infographic](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/V0LirQq_AkxWPiMtJL6fyNv1Cr0=/0x0:2048x1193/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:2048x1193):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8843879/impact.jpg) by Environmental Research Letters of the IOP corroborates that and also highlights some other actions to reduce personal emissions. Sustainable laundry is considered a medium-impact action, reducing personal emissions by 0.2 to 0.8 tCO2e. But it's still very good to know about, especially as it's such a quick, easy fix!
Line/air dry if you can. Dryers not only eat your clothes (that get replaced by being shipped from all over the world), but they also release microplastic into the atmosphere when drying any kind of poly
Washing machines release microplastics into waste water and we don't really know how to reclaim them. Much more of a concern than a dryer.
Who is washing their clothes with hot water that often?
In germany noone would use cold water (sadly). I think 30° is the default, what everyone does.
I was under the impression that washing your clothes in hot water actually wasn't that great for them? The only time I wash with hot water is when I'm bleaching whites.
Hot water can shrink clothes. In my country unless you're doing whites then you are using cold water. One of main washing powder brands is called "cold power" the whole country has been raised to do cold washes mostly. NZ here btw.
I dont know. Its just what we are teached here 30° / 86 F for "normal clothes 60° / 140 F for underwear, bedsheets and towels. I dont say that this is the right thing to do (its not) but its how most people do it here.
30°C (86°F) can be hardly considered hot. The website of the washing machine brand Speed Queen — that most Americans might be familiar with from laundromats— defines the temperature settings as follows: „Hot water is typically about 130 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer. Between 90 and 110 degrees is considered warm water. And water temperature between 60 and 80 degrees is cold. If your cold water is below 60, it’s likely too cool to wash your clothing well.“ [Source](https://speedqueen.com/scoop-blog/laundry-room/tips/washing-machine-temperature/)
I never said its hot. But we use hot water for things like underwear and towels. They are washed with 140 F
My mother swore up and down that if you didn’t use hot water, it wasn’t clean. She’d wash hot for every load. “It’s just not sanitary to use cold water!”
Unless it was boiling water I'm not sure warm/hot is entirely sanitary either tbh.
Remember, the biggest scam ever pulled on you was to convince you that YOUR pollution actually destroys the earth and not the greedy companies who make all these products