Green Cleaning Guides

The Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Laundry: A Greener Clean for Your Clothes & Planet

Written by Kay Baker, MS, OTR/L — CEO & Co-Founder • Reviewed by Matthew Keasey, Ph.D. — Chief Science Officer • Last reviewed: October 14, 2025

Transparency note: This article cites government sites, standards bodies, and peer-reviewed sources wherever possible. Educational only — not medical or legal advice.

That mountain of laundry. It’s a weekly reality. A seemingly endless cycle of sorting, washing, and drying. But what if that routine chore could be a weekly win for your home, your family, and the planet?

Sustainable laundry is a holistic approach to cleaning clothes that minimizes environmental impact while maximizing effectiveness. It’s about being conscious of everything from the detergent you use to the water temperature you choose. The goal isn’t to achieve an impossible standard of perfection; it’s to make simple, powerful swaps that add up.

Welcome to the heart of Positive Cleaning™. Let's transform your laundry room from a hub of consumption into a force for positive change.

The Big Problem with the Big Jugs: Rethinking Your Detergent

Let's be real: the detergent aisle is a sea of brightly colored, single-use plastic. For decades, we've been told that a powerful clean comes from a heavy jug filled with a mysterious blue liquid. But what are we actually paying for? Mostly water, plastic, and a cocktail of questionable chemicals.

Many conventional detergents contain optical brighteners that don’t clean but just coat fabrics to appear brighter, and a host of synthetic fragrances. This is why the first, most impactful step in a sustainable laundry routine is to rethink your detergent. The good news is, you have incredible, plastic-free alternatives. But this choice can feel like its own maze of sheets, pods, and powders. To break it down completely, we've created an honest comparison in our guide: Laundry Sheets vs. Pods vs. Liquid: An Honest Breakdown.

Of course, the biggest question people have is straightforward. Do these new options even get clothes clean? We hear that skepticism, and we love it, because it means you care about results. That's why we tackled the question with data and science in our deep dive: Do Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergents Actually Work? The Science-Backed Truth.

And what about those plastic-wrapped pods? Many are held together by a material called PVA. It's marketed as "dissolvable," but the full story is more complicated. We believe in full transparency, which is why we’ve explored the issue here: What is PVA in Laundry Pods? The Plastic Film You Didn't Know You Were Using.

Some people, wanting to avoid the store altogether, turn to homemade solutions. While the spirit is right, the science can be tricky. For those curious about the homemade route, it's vital to understand the pros and cons. We've covered it all in our guide: DIY Laundry Detergent: Recipes, Risks, and When to Buy Instead.

The Stain-Fighting Revolution: Natural Powerhouses

A splash of coffee, a smear of grass, a drip of pasta sauce, stains are a fact of life. Your first instinct might be to reach for a chemical-heavy, pre-treater spray. But your kitchen pantry already holds a powerful, non-toxic arsenal.

Simple ingredients like baking soda, white vinegar, and even lemon juice can tackle a surprising number of stains. The key is knowing which tool to use for which job. Because this is such a practical part of any laundry routine, we've built a complete reference for you. For a room-by-room, stain-by-stain playbook, you’ll want to bookmark our guide: The Definitive Guide to Natural Stain Removal (for Every Kind of Stain).

Smarter Washing Habits: Simple Tweaks, Big Impact

Your final area of impact comes from how you do your laundry. A few small habit changes can drastically reduce your energy and water consumption, lowering your bills and your carbon footprint simultaneously.

One of the biggest myths in laundry is that you need hot water to get clothes truly clean. For most everyday loads, this simply isn't true. Modern detergents are formulated to work brilliantly in the cold—and since about 90% of a washer's energy use goes to heating water, switching the dial is a huge win. We know it feels counterintuitive, so we explored the science behind the savings in our guide: Does Washing Clothes in Cold Water Really Get Them Clean? We Dive into the Data.

Other simple habits include:

• Washing Full Loads: Maximize water and energy efficiency by waiting until you have a full machine.

• Choosing the Right Cycle: A "heavy-duty" cycle isn't necessary for lightly soiled clothes.

• Pre-Soaking, Not Re-Washing: For heavily soiled items, a 30-minute pre-soak is often more effective than running a second wash cycle.

Your Laundry Room, Your Power

Creating a sustainable laundry routine isn't about adding more work to your plate. It's about building a better, simpler, and more thoughtful system. A system that gives you sparkling clean clothes while protecting your family from harsh chemicals, reducing plastic waste, and preserving our shared planet.

It's a powerful feeling. Welcome to the Positive Cleaning™ laundry room.

Start Your Sustainable Laundry Journey

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the single most impactful change I can make in my laundry routine? Switching from a conventional liquid detergent in a plastic jug to a zero-waste, concentrated option like laundry powder, tablets, or strips. This change reduces plastic waste, chemical exposure, and carbon emissions from shipping.
  
  

• Will my clothes feel as soft without fabric softener or dryer sheets? Yes! Wool dryer balls are a fantastic natural fabric softener. They work by tumbling between clothes, separating them to allow more air circulation, which prevents stiffness and can even reduce drying time.
  
  

• How much money can I save with a sustainable laundry routine? The savings can be significant. By switching to cold water, using concentrated detergents, and ditching single-use products like dryer sheets, many families save on both their energy bills and their shopping bills over the course of a year.

• Is it okay to start small? Absolutely. The best approach is to start with one swap that feels easy to you. When your current detergent runs out, replace it with a sustainable one. When your dryer sheets are gone, try wool dryer balls. Progress over perfection is the key!