Minimalists have a secret behind their saintly grins: less stuff equals less maintenance. This is true of all our possessions, but perhaps especially appreciated on laundry day.
The fast fashion industry tries to woo us into overconsuming. The glut of cheap clothing flooding the market also means an abundance of frayed hems, undone seams and trendy pieces that quickly lose their appeal.
What if we bought less, but better quality?
The initial sticker shock might be tamed by dividing the cost over how long and often an item will be used. Be wary of tricking yourself into frivolous purchases though, and instead opt for wardrobe pieces you know you’ll still love in a few years. Your drawers will be easier to sort through, as will your laundry.
Sometimes we make life harder than it needs to be. To keep clothes looking and smelling fresh, the trick may be to do less. Use a shorter wash cycle, often called delicate or hand wash, as this means less agitation of fabrics. Turn the temperature down – high heat can shrink clothes and set in unseen stains.
Air out and spritz odorous armpits with an essential oil-infused spray rather than washing. Spot clean stains rather than the whole garment. Avoid the habit of washing after only one use.
A little extra care might be in order from time to time to extend the life of your clothing. Pre-soaking stinky armpits in a washbasin with white vinegar – scented if you wish – will force embedded odour to take a walk. Hanging up clothes on the line or in a warm ventilated space indoors means massive energy savings and also lowers pilling of fabrics. Use wool dryer balls to speed up time needed in a dryer.
Bringing vintage clothing back to life is a skill that will save you an incredible amount of money, which in some economies equates to your time as well. De-pill funky thrift store sweaters with a clothes “shaver” or an electric de-piller – an oddly satisfying task.
Repair a tear with a patch. Sew on a colourful button. Remove lint from your grandpa’s hand-me-down fedora. Much like a well-maintained car, loved-up clothing will love you back for years to come.
A word on lint. To the surprise of many, it is infused with microplastics in the form of tiny threads shed by synthetic clothing and linens. Because of this, lint should never be added to a compost pile or used as a (toxic) fire starter. This might give you pause when you wonder where the filters on washing machines are.
As lint traps on washing machines are not yet regulated, they are largely absent. Each wash cycle flushes microplastics to wastewater treatment facilities that are not designed to filter these pollutants out. You can buy drain filter attachments, or more simply, wash clothes in a “guppy” bag, which captures lint before it drains away.
Even better: favour natural fibres such as wool, linen, hemp, bamboo and organic cotton. They have the added bonus of allowing your skin to breathe.
Fall is a great time to streamline your wardrobe. Curate your closet with more quality than quantity and you just might be able to skip a load on laundry day.
Le’s Talk Trash is contracted by qathet Regional District to deliver its waste reduction education program. For more information, email [email protected] or go to LetsTalkTrash.ca.
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