Washing Clothes Makes Them Dirty. Huh?

As if it were yesterday, in 1966, I remember my mom proudly announcing to my father that she found and purchased a new laundry softener that used half, oh boy half, the amount of her old softener. "You see, honey, I now will only use half a cap so I save twice the money", she exclaimed proudly. He quickly pointed out that she had purchased a laundry softener with the a cap twice the size of the old softener so in fact she was duped. I remember being crushed for my mom who, at that moment, felt very small and stupid. Are these games still going on with the marketing of laundry detergents and products? I fear that they are.

Many factors are contributing to or tendency to overuse laundry detergent. Now, it should be enough that this is bad for the planet but it also causes a build up in the clothes and adds an odor to your washer. When I confronted one of my friends about the enormous amount she just put in the washer, she exclaimed, "That's okay, I use the second rinse feature!" Huh? So we waste more water, a precious resource to cover up our overuse of chemicals. So be on the lookout and help your friends.

Laundry detergent caps with their hard to read marks add to the problem. Is anyone really noticing or remembering that they are using the now popular concentrated versions? We peer into the washer, convinced that the little itty bit of detergent will not work and we add just a tad more. It defeats the purpose.  Many studies have shown that the majority of people use more detergent than they need. Some even, egads, fill the cap to the top each time. I am sure kids and teenagers have better things to do than check the dose instructions.

There is help. A company called Method Products, who I am not affiliated with at all, has a great website that teaches green methods to do laundry. It is serious and well done. They convinced me to buy their products. Look forward to an update you when I use it for a period of time.

For those of us that have a septic tank and live on the water, we need to pay close attentions. For everyone, at any rate, why ruin your clothes so they look dull and dingy and harm the environment while wasting money. We can pay better attention!

Come see us at thebelist for tips to live healthy and green. They go together!