Last updated on July 14th, 2024 at 10:13 pm
Tips for Doing Plastic-Free Laundry — Including One that Will Surprise You
Choosing plastic-free laundry products can save a significant amount of waste. For example, up to 1 billion laundry jugs are discarded in the United States annually, with 70% ending up in landfills, and many escaping to pollute oceans and waterways.
There are many great laundry products available for you to switch to in order to be completely free of plastic when doing laundry. And there’s one additional action you can take to decrease plastic pollution that you likely haven’t ever thought about.
Collect your clothes in an eco-friendly laundry basket
Admittedly, buying a plastic-free hamper or laundry basket made from natural materials will most likely cost you more than plastic. Plastic is cheap, right?
But as I’ll say a thousand times, cheaper isn’t always better. If you’re like me, you’ve tossed broken plastic laundry baskets or suffered through ones with broken handles, or those misshapen foldable hampers.
On the flip side, I’ve got a really nice rattan laundry hamper from Pottery Barn that I splurged on in the early days of being a poor newlywed, and that thing still looks new after over 20 years. (Yes, I got married when I was 8 years old.)
Look for hampers and baskets made from natural materials, such as rattan, wicker, seagrass, or bamboo. But make sure to pay special attention the material actually specifies it is indeed natural and not synthetic.
An additional challenge for a truly plastic-free option is the basket liner. The majority of these canvas liners are often a cotton-polyester blend, rather than pure cotton or linen, so be sure to check the label.
Here are some good options I have found.
Plastic-free hampers
- Made Trade has a wide variety of handmade natural hampers.
- Etsy has some great options, including a round palm leaf storage basket or wicker laundry hamper with lid.
- Target has a couple good choices
Plastic-free laundry baskets
- Yamazaki Rectangular Wire Laundry Basket from Pottery Barn
- Curved Seagrass Baskets from West Elm
- Best Choice Products Portable Large Hand Woven Wicker Braided Storage Laundry Basket Organizer w/ Handles from Target
Use eco-friendly laundry detergent, sans plastic
As previously mentioned, waste from plastic laundry jugs is significant. In addition, up to 90% of liquid detergent contains water. That increased volume, size, and weight leads to higher emissions in producing and transporting these jugs. Choosing other forms of eco-friendly, zero waste laundry detergent is a big part of achieving a plastic-free laundry room.
I have tried all of the following detergents and you can’t go wrong with any of them. Know that you may not see suds/bubbles with these detergents but that does not mean it isn’t working effectively. Many soaps and detergents have unnecessary ingredients added specifically for this effect.
Learn more about what ingredients to avoid in laundry detergents and other household cleaners here.
Detergent tablets
- Blueland Laundry Detergent Tablets – A starter pack includes a cute refillable tin to hold your tablets. Refill tablets come packaged in commercially compostable packaging. All of Blueland’s products are plastic-free. This great company is a Certified B Corp and has numerous other eco-certifications: Climate Neutral certified, EPA Safer Choice, Cradle to Cradle, Made Safe, EWG verified, USDA Biopreferred, Leaping Bunny.
- Also available at Amazon
Liquid detergent
These plastic-free liquid detergents are all ultra concentrated, so a little goes a long way.
- Dirty Labs Bio Enzyme Laundry Detergent – This powerful liquid detergent contains Phytolase®, the company’s advanced enzyme cleaning technology. The scents are very pleasant and they also offer a fragrance-free option, all packaged in an aluminum bottle. The downside of this product is the price: a 21.6 oz bottle that washes 80 loads runs $26. Eco-certifications include EPA Safer Choice, USDA Certified Biobased, National Eczema Association, and EWG Verified.
- Also available at Amazon / Whole Foods / Grove / EarthHero
- Grove Power Clean Ultra Concentrated Liquid Laundry Detergent – Grove is a Certified B Corp that is also certified cruelty-free. Their detergent is made with 98% plant-based ingredients and comes in several nice fragrances or fragrance-free, packaged in an aluminum bottle.
- Dr Bronner’s Castile Liquid Soap – This castile soap is a workhorse that can clean just about anything. Note that this new paper carton refill option can be hard to find anywhere but from the company itself. It isn’t entirely plastic-free as it does have a plastic lining. But I feel it deserves a mention as this company does a lot of things right: Certified B Corp, USDA Organic, Non-GMO, NSF, Certified vegan, Leaping Bunny, Fair for Life, Certified Kosher.
Laundry powder
- Meliora Eco Laundry Powder – Fragranced or unscented, this sodium carbonate-based detergent powder is made with ingredients that are MADE SAFE® Certified, Leaping Bunny certified, and vegan. It comes in an uncoated paper and steel canister, with a stainless steel measuring scoop. Refills are packaged in a sturdy kraft paper bag with natural water-based lining and tin tie closures.
Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA): A deceptive ingredient?
Laundry detergent pods and sheets marketed as eco-friendly options have really come onto the scene as of late. On the surface, these popular products seem like the solution to end bulky plastic jug, but they may not be as eco-friendly as they claim to be.
Detergent pods are encased in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), which is also an ingredient in detergent sheets. PVA (also known as PVOH) is a fossil fuel-based synthetic polymer that is water-soluble. A debate rages on whether it is truly biodegradable, as many companies claim. Others, including one study by ASU, say otherwise, that PVA only breaks down into tiny microplastics, contributing to plastic pollution.
Other studies found that PVA is not filtered out by wastewater treatments and is biodegradable only under specific conditions, which do not include the natural marine environment.
The Washington Post explores this controversy if you wish to learn more. For me, it comes down to this: PVA is based on petrochemicals, which alone have an negative environmental impact. I don’t want to use them if I don’t have to, and in detergent, PVA is an unnecessary ingredient used solely for convenience. Since debate remains on biodegradability, I’d rather err on the side of caution. And there are more than enough eco-friendly, plastic-free laundry detergents to choose from.
Go for a plastic-free bleach alternative
Everyone knows that burning feeling chlorine can create in your eyes and throat, right? Anything that creates those kinds of reactions are obviously not the healthiest chemicals to have around. By itself, chlorine bleach fumes can be harmful and exacerbate conditions like asthma, but mixing it with other cleaners or chemicals such as vinegar, ammonia, or rubbing alcohol can create deadly gasses.
So what are the natural bleach alternatives for laundry? You probably already have them in your house.
- vinegar
- baking soda
- hydrogen peroxide
- lemon juice
- sunlight
Read more about how to utilize these ingredients from The Spruce.
If these don’t do it for you, there are a few great, plastic-free alternatives to bleach you can purchase. These can be used on both whites and colored laundry in combination with your detergent.
- Meliora Oxygen Brightener – This powder is made from two simple ingredients–sodium carbonate peroxide and sodium carbonate (washing soda)–that act as both a laundry booster and an oxygen cleaner making it a great bleach alternative. It is packaged in the same paper and steel canister as their laundry powder. Also available at EarthHero
- Blueland Oxi Laundry Booster – You can buy starter pack that includes a tin to store this booster powder, and subsequent refills come in a comercially compostable pouch.
- Also available on Amazon
- Dirty Labs Bio Enzyme Laundry Booster – Like their detergent, this fragrance-free booster powder utilizes enzymes to help remove stains and odors. It comes in a cardboard canister with a wooden measuring spoon. Also available at Amazon / Whole Foods / Grove
Try a stain remover stick
Stain remover sticks dominate the plastic-free options. I have yet to try these but they are on my list as soon as I run out of my Puracy spray, which has recently become the only plastic-free spray stain remover option.
- Ethique Flash! Multi-purpose Stain Remover Bar – Main ingredients include sodium bicarbonate, kaolin clay, and lavender oil. Packaged in a paperboard box.
- Meliora Soap Stick Stain Remover – Simple ingredients: sodium cocoate, glycerin, organic cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, water. Packaged in paperboard box printed with vegetable-based inks
- Zero Waste Store Stain Remover Stick
- Puracy Stain Remover – I LOVE this stain remover. It has gotten out stains that I thought were a lost cause—blood, dirt, grass, grease, and even old stains that have made it through the laundry a time or two. The ingredients are 98.95% plant-based, including 6 enzymes, contain no petroleum based chemicals, and are fully biodegradeable. I am very happy to see it has become available in a plastic-free packaging option. The company’s new ‘Clean Can’ line has several of their products packaged in aluminum cans. You can buy a bundle that comes with a [plastic] sprayer that screws onto the can, or just pour the contents into your own sprayer. At this time the cans are only available on the company’s website.
Skip the dryer sheets
Are dryer sheets bad?
Most dryer sheets are made from nonwoven polyester material (aka plastic) coated with softeners and other chemicals. These leave a film on your clothing in order to achieve non-static or softening properties. There are more eco-friendly dryer sheet options out there, made with plant-based, biodegradable materials, however, they are still single-use. Skip these as well and go with a reusable product.
So what can you use instead of dryer sheets? Wool dryer balls.
Wool dryer balls
Wool dryer balls are exactly what they sound like: round balls made of wool. These reusable balls are hypoallergenic and in my experience, they work just as efficiently as dryer sheets to decrease static cling and keep clothes soft. They work well to remove pet hair, too. I worried that hair would wrap around the ball and be a pain to clean, but this is not the case.
The balls can also help reduce drying time, saving energy.
If you prefer fragrance, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oils to them. This does cause some discoloration (as seen in the photo), which is normal.
Wool dryer balls can be found in many stores, such as Target or Walmart. I own some that I purchased from Grove and Blueland.
For those who are allergic to wool or prefer a vegan option, there are several.
- Try dryer balls made from other materials.
- Full Circle’s Anti-Static Dryer Balls are composed of recycled plastic water bottles.
- These Whitmor Dryer Balls are made of plastic and are very highly rated.
- Vove Natural Hemp Dryer Balls
- Airing out clothes in natural sunlight keeps them static-free and smelling fresh.
Tip: Using safety pins or a ball of aluminum foil can discharge static electricity if you find these balls do not do well enough alone.
Hang clothing on plastic-free hangers
Hangers made from metal or wood make great alternatives to plastic hangers.
- Seropy – stainless steel
- Mawa – metal or FSC certified wood hangers
- Also available on Amazon
- Koobay – paper or aluminum
- Cedar Elements – cedar
- Also available on Amazon
- Etsy – all types of natural materials, including rattan
Try a reusable plastic-free lint remover
Say goodbye to those wasteful tape lint rollers and get yourself a reusable lint remover. There are a couple plastic-free lint roller/pet hair remover alternatives you can try.
- Redecker lint brush – beechwood handle with natural rubber bristles
- Ruri’s Portable Lint Remover – copper head and beechwood handle
- Fur-Zoff Pet Hair Removal Tool – made from recycled glass
Go simple to clean your washing machine
I’ve used the Affresh washing machine cleaner tablets, but I don’t like that they are individually wrapped in plastic. The cheap and plastic-free option is to run a full load with hot water and 2-4 cups of vinegar. This also works amazingly for dishwashers too.
And the unsettling surprise…
The actual clothes you are washing create significant plastic pollution.
You probably didn’t know that each load of laundry releases up to 700,000 tiny microplastics from clothing made from synthetic materials like polyester, nylon, and elastane. These tiny particles are not biodegradable. It is estimated that 35% of microplastics in the ocean and 71% in rivers come from synthetic clothing. And by 2050, it is estimated that the amount of plastic in the ocean will outweigh the sea life.
So how do you combat this?
First, start paying attention to clothing labels when you are shopping, and only buy articles made from natural materials such as cotton, linen, wool, silk, cashmere, hemp, or bamboo. This can be a tough challenge as 69% of today’s clothing is made with synthetic materials, namely polyester. Learn all about sustainable fabrics and how to find sustainable clothing.
Unfortunately, if you’re like most people, including me, you’ve already got closets and drawers full of synthetic materials. There are several options you can use to trap microplastics and keep them out of wastewater.
- Install a microfiber filter on your washing machine. The PlanetCare microfiber filter is a bit pricey, but third-party testing shows this filter catches 90% of microfibers. When the filter is full, you send it back to the company and they refurbish it to be used again.
- If you can’t install a filter on your washing machine or you use a laundromat or communal machines, you still have choices.
- Wash synthetic fabrics in a washing bag from GuppyFriend. Testing showed it captured about 90% of particles.
- Also available at Grove / EarthHero / Zero Waste Store / REI
- Another option is the Cora Ball, a ball made of recycled plastics that attracts and traps fibers. You simply place in each load of laundry and clean it as needed. Testing shows it traps about 30% of microfibers, but also helps prevent them from shedding in the first place. The company will recycle them for you when they wear out.
- Also available at EarthHero
- Wash synthetic fabrics in a washing bag from GuppyFriend. Testing showed it captured about 90% of particles.
Final thoughts on plastic-free laundry
Are you super pumped for your next laundry day? I know I am.
Ok, so maybe laundry isn’t the most fun activity. But it’s something every one of us has to do, therefore making even one of these habit changes can have a pretty sizeable impact. I think it feels pretty good knowing how I can just about eliminate plastic waste in an entire area of my house, because in many other places it feels impossible.
If you want to learn about other ways you can save money and resources while doing your laundry, click here.
