Sustainable Garment Care

Machine-washing, tumble-drying and ironing require energy, water and chemicals in the form of detergents, etc. and all contribute to a garment’s environmental footprint. There are all kinds of little things you can do to reduce your footprint and save money in the process.

Don’t wash your clothes too often
Do you really need to wash that garment? In many cases, you can get away with dabbing away that stain, or airing a garment outdoors.

Wash a full load
Fill your washing machine properly, but don’t overfill it. If you stuff the drum too hard, the machine will suffer and the clothes won’t get clean.

Cool it: don’t wash on a hot cycle if not needed
Did you know that you can save up to 50% in electricity by reducing the wash temperature from 60°C to 30°C? Running a prewash is only necessary for heavily soiled clothes, and the temperature given on the care label only refers to the highest temperature the garment can withstand.

Use an eco-labelled detergent in the right amount
Use an eco-labelled detergent and don’t use too much. Your laundry won’t get cleaner from more detergent.

Avoid fabric conditioner
Fabric conditioners contain pollutants that are harmful for the environment because they don’t biodegrade. You’ll also be saving transportation, packaging and money by dispensing with fabric conditioner.

Hang-dry your laundry
Avoid tumble-drying your laundry and save a lot of energy.

Iron only when necessary
To avoid wash creases, hang your clothes up to dry as soon as the wash cycle has finished. One tip is to hang laundry in the bathroom when you have a shower. The steam helps to smooth out any creases and wrinkles.

Avoid dry cleaning
Avoid handing your clothes in for dry cleaning, as most dry cleaning methods are harmful for the environment. If dry cleaning is the only option, look for a dry cleaner offering a greener service.