Save the World, Money, and Energy: Kaizen Tips for Your Laundry Routine

*drum roll*

Get ready toooo….hang dry!!!

A super strange topic to blog about, but I wanted to write about my new kaizen habit of air drying my laundry. 

The level of my excitement of using a drying rack and stainless steel hangers for the first time for the rest of my life (or so I sincerely hope) was unreal.

I know. It’s weird to feel giddy about using these, but I was so ready to extend my sustainable lifestyle from the kitchen to the laundry room.

Being more sustainable seems to be synonymous with doing manual labor apparently!

HEAT: BAD FOR PLASTIC, HAIR, & CLOTHES

We all heard at some point that heat shrinks our clothes, as well as drives up the gas and electric bill. I also live in an apartment complex so sharing washer and dryer machines with other residents isn’t ideal, however, it’s much better than having to go to a laundromat.

If your machine is like mine,  you’re limited on options. You can’t select the drying time, the temperature at which to dry, or have different settings like for intimates.

Also, can someone please de-mystify the phenomenon of missing pairs of socks? Either laundry gnomes steal a sock, or they return with holes.

I’m leading the revolution in my household. 

NO. MORE. LOST. SOCKS.

Laundry day for me seems I’m weaving a maze. I won’t lie. It was a difficult transition. I wasn’t aware of how many kitchen and bathroom towels we used.

I mean, I *knew*, but I really had no idea.

Why do we use so many towels, you ask?

Well, a part of me has started to condemn paper towels and napkins. Yep, we’re that kind of house. 

LIFE LESSONS FROM A DRYER

My spouse asked me: “Isn’t it easier to just put them in the dryer?”

My eyes narrowed as I continued to make sense of this damp pile of clothes.

The audacity.

Yes. Of course, it’s infinitely* easier to just take your clothes from the washer to the dryer. 

But before you dismiss it altogether, hear me out.

Line drying my clothes taught me:

• to slow down and enjoy the present moment, even if I am just clipping socks.
• how to have a sensorial experience (feeling weight of clothing item, texture, etc.).
• to be more intentional with what I use and put in the hamper.
• to value energy, time, and money. 
• to use the natural elements instead of generating electricity. 
• *KAIZEN TIP: Increase humidity levels for your house plants by air drying your laundry. 

It’s no mystery that automaticity can help streamline things in our lives. We can direct our energy toward what matters. 

Danger sets in when we start being less present like when we drive the same commute for so long, our eyes turn glossy, and we stop paying attention to what’s around us.

Paying less attention = being less present

How to be more present? 

Tune into (aka notice) your senses, like what you see, touch, smell, hear, and taste. Practicing mindfulness is beneficial for grounding us in the present moment, whether we mindfully walk, mindfully eat, mindfully do X, Y, or Z. 

Me? I like to mindfully dry my clothes. 

COLD WATER: NOT JUST FOR DYED HAIR

No, I’m not suggesting you take cold showers.

I’m talking about cold washes.

About 80%-90% of energy is just for heating up water for warm and hot washes. Not to mention that older, top-loading models tend to be less efficient than front-loading machines.

Lace, intimates, and cotton do well in cold water. Cold washes can still remove most stains and dirt.

In fact, cold washes are ideal for blood and sweat stains, whereas heat will set them in fabric. 

Note that warm washes play a vital role in destroying and stopping the spread of germs.

If you happen to be living during a pandemic (like at the time of writing this), and you or someone in your household is ill or have been exposed to contagious pathogens (say someone was COVID positive), then warm and hot washes can be useful, though choose hot water washes sparingly.

In other cases, though, cold water is just as good if not better. 

It won’t use energy to heat up water, thereby, saving you money on gas and electricity.

Less energy used = better for earth.

Better for earth? Better for me, and that's my hope for you!

What do you think about line drying? Is it something you’ll try one day?