February is here and I have been trying to tidy up my apartment and get things organized. One area that I tackled was the laundry area – this space seems to get so much clutter in. Well, I call it a space: I live in a small one-bed apartment in NYC, so it’s more of a closet. No, wait, make that a cupboard. However, I’m just grateful to have an in-unit washer/dryer to be honest! Anyhow, I digress… as I was doing this, my friends at Tide got in touch about a new type of packaging they designed for original Tide. Many of us, me included, now order items online; Tide noticed this and designed new, more eco-friendly packaging – Tide Eco-Box – that can easily be purchased online at Walmart.com. The new packaging contains 60% less plastic and doesn’t require a separate shipping box. Having a reduced shipping weight means fewer trucks on the road and less harmful pollution. Switching to the Tide Eco-Box was such a simple way to help our environment that impacts so much more than I imagined. This got me thinking about other laundry hacks I do that can help save money, time and are more considerate of the environment.
1. Use a lower temperature
I have found that my clothes come out just as clean when they are washed at lower temperatures. In fact, I found that my clothes even last a lot longer when I wash them at cooler temperatures. On a trip to the Tide labs last year I learned that Tide is designed to perform really well at lower temperatures and can still get rid of tough stains.
2. Use a concentrated detergent
One great thing about the Tide Eco-Box is that is has 30% less water in the detergent than the equivalent Tide press tap product. Using a concentrated detergent like this is better for the environment as it reduces shipping weight – it’s over 4lbs lighter than the equivalent 150oz product. The other great thing about the Tide Eco-Box is that as it has a built-in stand, twist dispenser and measuring cup so you always get exactly the right amount of detergent for your wash. The measuring cup has five levels on it which gives lots of flexibility for different sizes loads.
3. Switch to a High Efficiency washer
New High Efficiency (HE) washing machines can provide the same level of cleaning but with shorter washing times and use much less water than traditional machines. I have HE machines in my apartment and I love them; the front-loading machines are also super easy to get washing in and out of. The washing cycles can be as short as 30 minutes and my machine uses so little water that I can open the door whenever I like and the water is never above the door line. Tide works great in both types of machines, too, which is great if you make the switch.
4. Stick to two rules: full loads and quick washes
Every day I try to stick to the two rules of laundry. The first rule is to make sure my laundry loads are full loads, instead of doing lots of small loads which wastes water and energy. The second rule is to use a quick wash as my default. I often find that my clothes aren’t that dirty, and a quick wash is all I need, so in our house we changed our go- to setting to quick wash rather than a standard wash. These simple changes saved us money and help the environment. Plus, a quick wash means the washing is done quicker!
What are your laundry hacks? Please let me know anything you do to make this weekly chore more fun!
// This post was sponsored by Tide; all opinions are my own.
12 Comments
Smart ideas 💡 thanks will xoxo
@Jen – My pleasure! 🙂
First of all you look so cute in the blue cardigan and second I have to try this new tide product! 🙂
@Alicia – That’s so sweet, thank you. Definitely check it out!
We stan an environmentally thoughtful man 😉
@Daniel – Oh yes!
Will! I had never heard of those efficient washers before. I came to look for cute outfit ideas and I’m leaving having actually learned something important lol 😂. So thanks!
@Alexander – My husband taught me about them when we moved into our current apartment! I’m glad you were able to learn something (and hopefully get some outfit inspo., too!).
V. smart that it has a stand built into the base like that. Impressed.
@Kev – Right? So clever.
Interesting. Might have to check out Tide, but I do find it a bit more chemically than I like. I do wish they would just sell the liquid in pouches that could go into a permanent holder. I have seen them somewhere, I think Europe, but will check this out.
My favorite laundry hack is to use the delay timer. Our washer can get quite loud and it’s an annoying, whiny noise too, so we use the delay timer to get a load done while we’re out for the day, timing it so that it’s done when we get home.