Are you looking for ways to reduce waste on laundry day? Over the last few years, I have made simple swaps to successfully eliminate all single-use plastic from my laundry room. Read on for easy tips for zero-waste laundry days.

This post was originally published in 2019 as Zero-waste laundry – Part 1 and Zero-waste laundry – Drying.

Easy tips for zero-waste laundry days

When it comes to household chores, laundry is one that seems to be endless. Since I was constantly doing laundry, it felt like a logical place to start when looking for ways to reduce waste. Surprisingly, developing a zero-waste laundry routine has been one of the easiest changes I’ve made.

Eliminating plastic waste on laundry day comes down to five things.

Stain remover bars

Most stain removers on the market are packaged in plastic and many of them contain unnecessary chemicals. My all-time favourite zero-waste product is the Soap Works stain remover laundry bar. I first wrote about this amazing product in Bars! The simplest plastic-free swap you can make!

This naked bar costs just over $2, and works as well as any other stain remover product I’ve used. Plus, it literally lasts for years. If you haven’t tried it yet, pick one up. It will be the best $2 you’ll ever spend!

Plastic-free laundry detergent

When I first set out to reduce plastic waste on laundry day, I switched from liquid detergent to powder thinking I could at least recycle the cardboard box the powder comes in. I quickly abandoned this because I was using a lot of powder and spending more money, and each box of washing powder comes with a plastic scoop.

Then, I started refilling my own jugs with natural liquid laundry soap at Molloy’s, a local bulk soap supply store. This swap has saved dozens of plastic jugs over the last few years.

I’ve been so happy with the refill product that I haven’t explored other plastic-free options. Have you tried laundry detergent trips or the Ecoegg? If you have, I’d love to hear about your experience.

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Ditch the fabric softener

Long before I started to focus on sustainability and waste reduction, I ditched fabric softener!

In the past, I used liquid fabric softener and dryer sheets. These are really good examples of items the corporate marketing machines have convinced us we need, but what do they really do? I decided to stop using these chemical-laden products several years ago and I’ve never looked back.

One of the reasons people use fabric softener is to reduce static. Eliminating fabric softener has meant some small changes to how I dry my laundry. Keep reading to find out how I reduce static.

Hang clothes to dry

Now that the laundry is clean, we need to get it dry. Dryers are hard on clothes, use a lot of energy, and create static. You can avoid all this by hanging your laundry to dry.

After years of apartment living in my single days, I was really excited with the idea of drying my laundry outdoors. Nothing beats the smell of freshly-dried sheets and towels off the line! Not long after we got married, we installed an umbrella-style clothesline. It doesn’t need a lot of space and fits two to three loads of laundry. It’s also easy to move so it’s out of the way when we have company.

In the summer, I rarely use my dryer. Unfortunately, in Canada our outdoor drying season is, at best, about 7 months long. The rest of the year, I use my dryer but I have invested in a sturdy indoor drying rack and a few hanging dryers for my precious rock concert t-shirts and other items that I don’t want to shrink or damage.

Dryer balls

When I must use the dryer, dryer balls are a well-kept secret to reducing static. They reduce drying time and eliminate the need for dryer sheets and fabric softener.

I had a set of plastic dryer balls that I used for several years. They worked well but I got a little tired of hearing them clunking around in the dryer. A couple of years ago, I replaced them with a set of six wool dryer balls that I picked up at Marshall’s and I love them. They are much quieter and I find they work even better than the plastic balls.

With these simple changes, I estimate I’ve reduced over 100 single-use plastic containers, cut down on electricity use, reduced exposure to chemicals, and extended the life of my clothes. I won’t go so far as to say I look forward to laundry day, but at least I feel good that my laundry is having minimal impact on the environment.

Have you tried other products to reduce waste on laundry day. Tell me your zero-waste laundry tips below.