Green Options

It used to be a common sight, rows of clothing and sheets flapping in the wind along clothes lines. But as electric and gas dryers became more popular fewer and fewer families used the wind to dry their clothes. And unfortunately more and more areas decided that the environmentally friendly clothes lines were more a nuisance than anything.

According to an article in the LA Times however line drying your clothing may be becoming popular again. And with celebrities such as Olivia Newton-John and Rachel Bilson doing it too using a clothes line might stand a chance of making a real comeback. With the stats on just how much power using electric clothes driers takes up, it’s really no wonder that more and more families are looking for a environmentally safer alternative.

Organic bedding and mattresses can go a long way to giving babies a healthier sleeping environment and new parents a good night’s sleep.

Take the Coyuchi Organic Cotton Percale Fitted Crib Sheet from Toronto-based Grassroots Environmental Products.

“Coyuchi bed linens are made from 100% certified organic cotton, which means the cotton is grown and processed without the use of pesticides, chlorine bleach, or chemical softeners,” explains the company.

Grassroots recommends washing the organic cotton sheets with baking soda or one of their Nature Clean products.

Did you realize that while you’re trying to make your family’s clothes snuggly-soft and static-free you may be doing more harm than good?

It’s true:  many commercial dryer sheets are loaded with chemicals and fragrances that can be absorbed into the skin and have nasty side effects.

You won’t find a list of ‘ingredients’ on the package of most dryer sheets; but, according to SixWise.com, here are some chemicals that have been found in dryer sheets and mainstream fabric softeners:

• Benzyl Acetate:  Linked to pancreatic cancer
• Benzly Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant
• Ethanol: Can cause central nervous system damage
• A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems and central nervous system damage
• Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list
• Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders
• Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic
• Linalool: Narcotic that casues central nervous system disorders
• Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled

… and easily trade cost and environmental impact, for time!

“Do laundry”… what does that mean to most of us?  It means carting a large pile of clothes in a bin or basket to one’s home washer and dryer, or if you’re one of the many unfortunate bunch like me, you cart it to a nearby laundromat’s washer and dryer.  I’ve only “done laundry” once since moving into my new apartment, and as I don’t own a car–you guessed it–I packed my clothes into a massive backpack and pedaled it across my neighborhood to the laundromat, swaying all the way.  Obviously not an impossible scenario, but surely an uncomfortable one!

But as with so many other things about living a modern American lifestyle, my conscience shouts louder and louder each time I subscribe to certain activities that I know to be environmentally harmful.  The toxic chemicals in many common soaps aside, purely the use of electricity (when knowingly powered by coal plants, as is true for my region) is a harmful act.  I don’t like living with the idea that I must contribute to environmental devastation each time I want to wear fresh-smelling, tidy clothing!  Not washing clothes at all, ever (as many of my “crust-punk” friends do) is not a reasonable option for most of us.

The clock was ticking. I had only an hour or two to make my decision, before I had to leave for work.

Today was the periodically dreaded day when my laundry bin reached critical mass, and I realized I needed to do laundry.

Do I take it to a laundromat, dump it into appliances, and read a book while my clothes become easy-breezy clean?  The consequences of that are: energy use, travel energy, and cost!  Washing and drying clothes at a laundromat can cost up to $5 a load!

But what if we could re-invent our notion of what “doing laundry” means?  Forget “high-efficiency” washer and dryer appliances that, while an improvement in terms of water and energy use, still perpetuate widespread and probably-ultimately unsustainable practices.  Where can the energy–and water–come from that would be sustainably sourced?

Your hands.  And your sink.  (And for clothes-drying?  The air.)

It’s such a simple solution that I might almost have missed it!

Yes, drying laundry outdoors is becoming acceptable, even desirable, again. So it was only a matter of time before creative green types started looking for something more attractive than a commercially produced metal drying rack or plain old rope clothesline.

That’s why Groton, Massachusetts, resident Katharine Bell came up with the idea for a Clothesline Design Contest. The Groton Grange and Groton Local, a group that promotes sustainable living, ran with it, and the contest ended up 20 entries, including one from Australia.

The Energy Star Washing Machine vs. The Wonderwash vs. The Basin vs. The Future of Home Dry Cleaning

In this 4-way battle royal to earn the title “The Best Washing Machine for You and the Earth According to Joe”, a variety of factors need to be considered. Water use, electricity use, size of family, and–of course–convenience all need to be given a good look. And even though I am of the mindset that we have way too many unnecessary conveniences in our society, I am aware that some conveniences have proven to be beneficial time savers.

In reading for this post I had to turn to No Impact Man to see what his thoughts were on the subject, because, unlike my familiarity with the reel mower, I have never used an alternative to the washing machine. I was surprised to learn his thoughts.

The laundry machine is the one appliance I believe makes the difference between a life of drudgery and not. If cars are the Devil, as I think they are, then laundry machines are God.

Hanky Panky is taking its ultra comfortable line eco-chic. Now, their lace trimmed undies (that can convert any thong phobic into a fan) come in all organic supima cotton. Fabulously stylish and shockingly comfy, it’s nice to have one of my favorite lines taking some of their products organic. I’ll hope for the day that all companies take the hint and go ‘all in,’ but for now, I’ll stock up on this organic line (available at Neiman’s) to [...]

Excerpted with permission from Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth and Baby Care by Jossey-Bass, A John Wiley & Sons Imprint.

For such a little person, a baby sure goes through a lot of laundry: diapers, bibs, sleepers, undershirts, blankets, sheets, socks, pants . . . and of course all the items the baby spits up on that also need to be cleaned—often. That’s why having a baby in the house turns the mundane washer and dryer into wonder machines of incredible convenience. This increase in laundry loads is also a good reason for you to focus your green efforts on the laundry room.

The Green Washing Machine

If you’re buying a new washer, remember to look for Energy Star models. Traditional top-loading washing machines use about forty gallons of water per load, whereas Energy Star washers use only about 25 gallons per load. That’s a 40 percent savings in water, which translates into an energy cost savings of almost 50 percent.10Make that new machine a front-loader. Front-loading machines work on a horizontal axis that saves both water and energy. A top-loading machine must be filled with water in order to keep the clothing wet and then an agitator swirls the water around, but a front-loading machine uses less water because the tub does not need to be filled completely; the tub itself rotates, making the clothes tumble in the water.

Editor’s note: On Monday, we published the first part of Low Impact Living’s report on American water use at sustainablog. Today’s second part takes a look at how we tend to use water excessively in our own homes. Keep an eye out for part 3, which will give you tips for reducing your water consumption, or visit LIL for the original publication of the report.

Key Causes of Excessive Water Use

There are many sources of water waste across all sectors of the economy. But, as homeowners and consumers, which ones do we have the most control over? Low Impact Living suggests you consider the following ideas when thinking about lowering your water use.

Direct Household Water Use

The typical household with three members uses over 300 gallons of water per day, both inside and outside. If you live in a warm climate where lawn irrigation is needed, then typically this is your single biggest source of waste – most lawns are over-watered, irrigated with inefficient equipment, and planted with plants not suitable to the local climate.

Inside, toilets, clothes washers and showers are the largest water users, representing 19, 15 and 12 gallons per person per day respectively (see chart to the right). There are huge inefficiencies here as well, especially in older homes. New appliances and plumbing fixtures can often shave 50% off of your water use.

All told, an average water-conserving home could cut the 300 gallon average above to less than 150 gallons with no sacrifice in comfort or performance. Specific things you can do to achieve these savings are listed below.

Indirect Water Use

In addition to the water that you use directly, you also consume water via the products and services that you buy.

Editor’s note: With energy prices on the rise, efficiency has to be a key element of any new appliance purchase. Our friends at GreenBuildingTalk have the low down on several new products for your home that use energy more wisely… and keep those utility bills low. This post was originally published on May 6, 2008.

Consumers are demanding more energy efficient and environmentally beneficial appliances for their homes. Take a look at how several companies are meeting those demands.

Appliances companies are stepping up to offer us more efficient products, along with more styles and configurations. Green kitchen design was a big theme at the 2008 KBIS show, and I wanted to mention a couple specific products from the show that you may want to check out if you’re shopping for an appliance.

Fisher & Paykel’s Energy Star rated, top-loading EcoSmart, IntuitiveEco and AquaSmart washers, are good choices if you’re looking to save water and energy. The AquaSmart washer earned a MEF (modified energy factor) rating of 2.15, which exceeds the DOE 2007 standard of 1.72 by 25%. It also meets the CEE (Consortium for Energy Efficiency) criteria for Tier 2 efficiency adopted on 1/1/07. This makes it the most energy efficient top loading washing machine in North America. These washers are also eligible for utility rebates. Fisher & Paykel’s DishDrawer dishwasher offers the option of an economical, small load using as little as 1.98 gallons of water compared to 2.6 gallons on average for a normal eco cycle.

What’s more unsightly: a backyard clothesline or a dangerously warming world driven to the tipping point by greenhouse gas emissions? Ontario officials have decided on their answer, which is why they’ll be banning local bans on outdoor clotheslines this summer.