Eco-friendly washing made easy: 6 tips for washing laundry correctly

Perhaps you've often wondered how often you need to wash your textiles, including your UNFOLD blankets and pillows. I've compiled some facts about laundry that you can use as a guide.

The basic principle is this: with every wash, chemicals and plastic from our clothes and detergents leach into our environment. I'd like to show you how to wash your laundry more sustainably with these six tips:

1. Less (washing) is more

If you want to wash your clothes more sustainably, you should try to wash them as little as possible, as thorough airing is often sufficient. Small stains can easily be removed with a bar of gall soap. This protects the color, the fibers, and our environment.

2. Use the space in your washing machine

Fill your washing machine properly to save energy and water. Collect your dirty laundry in a basket and only start the machine when it's full. Skip the pre-wash cycle, as the right detergent will remove almost any stain.

3. Avoid tumble drying.

Ideally, let your laundry dry in the fresh air. Don't use a dryer, as it not only burdens your wallet due to high energy costs, but also the environment. And besides, your clothes smell much, much better when they've been dried outside!

4. Environmentally conscious washing with eco programs

Using the Eco program makes sense, even if it doesn't seem obvious at first glance, since the washing machine takes longer. However, it's worthwhile to take advantage of the time and temperature factors. It uses less water, which is also not as hot. For example, if you select 60 degrees and the Eco program, your laundry will be washed at a lower temperature. The result, however, is the same as with a 60-degree wash.

5. The agony of choice: Which laundry detergent should I use?

Use environmentally friendly washing powder, but note that washing powder should be used for white laundry and hot washes, and liquid detergent for colored laundry.

Alternatively, a washing egg can be used. Inside, negatively charged ions ensure that dirt is loosened during the washing process, even at lower temperatures.

6. Avoid microplastics

To prevent microplastics from entering wastewater treatment plants during washing, simply place your laundry in designated laundry bags or a filter that you can attach to your washing machine. Afterwards, you can dispose of the collected plastic items in your regular trash. This will help protect our oceans and the animals that are now full of microplastic particles.

The UNFOLD cuddly and travel blanket fits perfectly into a laundry bag measuring 50cm x 50cm.

In summary, your favorite products don't need to go straight into the washing machine after every use. Often, textiles can be easily wiped clean with a damp cloth or simply shaken out or hung up in fresh air.

If your UNFOLD products do get heavily soiled, they are extremely easy to care for. They can be washed at 30 degrees on a wool cycle and then air-dried.