Whether it’s a sudden allergen in your sheets and towels or a change to a greener lifestyle, you might be wondering where to start with a natural laundry routine. So here are 5 tips on how to switch now:

Use Green Laundry Detergents

This tip might be obvious, but it definitely makes a big difference! Cleansing products containing natural ingredients will be cleaner on your skin, extend the life of your clothes, and be better for the planet!

Have you ever washed your clothes with strawberry shortcake scented detergent? If not, you’ve got to try the Laundry Tarts version. It’s vegan, hypoallergenic, and works whether you have hard or soft water, a regular or HE machine. Bonus!

Attitude Little Ones Laundry Detergent in Pear Nectar is specifically formulated for baby clothes and baby’s sensitive skin. Plus, it comes in a gorgeous scent!

Try Concentrated Products

Another way to green your laundry routine is to use less product! Concentrated formulas like Method Laundry Detergent only use a quarter of the product of conventional detergents but are just as powerful. Plus it comes in a couple different scents or unscented for the extra sensitive individuals among us (like me)! Or for another hypoallergenic version with a scent, try Seventh Generation’s Concentrated Laundry Detergent in Fresh Citrus.

DIY Your Detergent

If you really want to control how your clothes are being washed, there’s nothing better than a DIY. All you need is baking soda, borax, natural bar soap and a recipe to make your own lightly scented or completely unscented version of a natural laundry soap in liquid or powder.

Wash in Cold Water

Another great tip is to wash in cold water whenever you can. Doing so will greatly decreased laundry energy consumption, especially if you use an HE washer. To really ratchet down your energy use (and those bills!) you can hand wash, line dry, and avoid dry cleaning whenever possible.

Switch Up Your Fabric Softener

Most of these tips have centred on the washing machine, but you can also go green with your drying routine as well! Many fabric softener sheets can trigger allergies for sensitive folks, but try unscented felted wool dryer balls from Moss Creek to reduce static and drying time without irritation.

If fragrances don’t bother you, feel free to add your fave essential oils to dryer balls. Or if you are looking for a green alternative that makes your clothes smell yummy, try The Honest Company Dryer Sheets. Or check out Pure Ecosheet Reusable Dryer Sheets for something truly eco-friendly! You can also add liquid fabric softener to your wash like  before your clothes even hits the dryer!

Have you switched to a natural laundry routine? What are your tips for switching to green?