Garment Wash & Care

Some simple garment care can extend the life cycle of a piece and reduce it’s carbon footprint. The laundry process is one of the garment’s most energy-intensive phases (dryer most especially). This is then exasperated by excessive and unnecessary laundering, something higher among Americans, who average a load of laundry every other day [1]. Washing and machine drying release microfibers into our oceans and uses inordinately high amounts of energy and resources to heat air and water. These also reduce the garment’s integrity and life span. All of this can easily be avoided with the following:

Using cold water is a big step towards a smaller footprint. This uses less energy and protects the color. Detergents designed for cold water are available but any detergent works and low impact detergents are great options.

Hand-washing and/or the gentle cycles are also recommended by fabric experts to protect the integrity of the fabric.

Washing clothing as little as possible and spot treating stains as opposed to washing the entire piece. This is most easy with natural fibers which are capable of odor-wicking versus synthetics that usually retain odors longer. Overall, reducing washings can extend the longevity and integrity of the fabric.

Hang drying is always preferable - you reduce fiber deterioration, save electricity and reduce your carbon footprint.

Stella McCartney’s Clevercare resource is a concise guide to garment care and Chapter 22: Level up Your Laundry in Elizabeth Cline’s book The Conscious Closet is another useful resource.

[1] The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good by Elizabeth L. Cline, Chapter 22: Level Up Your Laundry, https://www.elizabethclinebooks.com/about - @elizabethlcline