Check out the article below for more tips for washing laundry from the Holland Sentinel. Though they are specifically referring to sheets and towels, these tips can be applied to any type of laundry.

We use sheets and towels daily, but given proper care, they can last for years. And while prolonging the life of the items we own isn’t as obviously green as, say, recycling, this practice helps conserve resources and save money.

The life expectancy of your linens depends on how much use they get, says Linda Cobb, who offers cleaning advice under the name The Queen of Clean.

Putting sheets right back on the bed will cause them to wear out a little faster, says Cobb, but the tradeoff is saving time with folding, particularly those tedious fitted sheets. A few other simple steps can help prolong the life of these household staples.

1. Use the right product

Your choice of detergent certainly matters for laundry items, but also the environment.

“Harsh detergents and bleaches break down fabric fibers,” says Cobb, who personally recommends the Vaska line. She recommends using “quality, safe, natural laundry products” to extend the life of linens.

2. Read the label

Check labels and wash sheets and towels at the recommended water temperature; some items call for a gentle wash cycle or should not be bleached. Most Americans also use too much detergent, according to the Whirlpool Institute of Fabric Science, especially as washers become more efficient and detergents more concentrated. Excess suds can re-deposit soiling matter on your laundry.

3. Don’t let soiling build up

Unlike blue jeans, which benefit from fewer washes, going too long between launderings for sheets and towels causes dark discoloration to build up that won’t necessarily wash out. Cobb recommends pre-treating any spots so stains don’t set in.

4. Thoroughly dry items before putting them away

Still-damp sheets and towels can harbor bacteria and mold, according to the American Cleaning Institute, formerly the Soap and Detergent Association. This is also true of damp linens stuffed in a hamper, or towels that don’t dry out fully between uses.

5. Line dry when possible

That fuzzy buildup in your dryer’s lint tray is made up of fibers that used to be part of your sheets and towels. This is normal for newly purchased items, says Cobb. But each trip to the dryer eats away, ever so slightly, at your linens. If weather and local ordinances permit, hang out your linens to dry and cut down on both energy use and wear and tear. If you do use the dryer, be sure to clean out the lint trap after every use.

Did you know?

Concentrated versions of laundry detergent and fabric softener use 15 to 50 percent less material than traditional packaging, according to the American Cleaning Institute.

If you happen to be buying new linens, Egyptian cotton is known for having a long lifespan. Organic cotton and cotton-bamboo blends are generally grown using sustainable methods.

Spring Cleaning Tips for Green Cleaning

Use Recycled Paper Towels

Sunrise Recycled Paper Towels. A greener way to clean for spring! Buy a case of recycled paper towels from ToiletPaperWorld.com for an even lower price for an earth-friendly cleaning choice.

Microfiber Cleaning Cloths

Another economical and eco-friendly choice for cleaning is Microfiber Cloths – on sale this week only at ToiletPaperWorld.com. Microfiber cleaning cloths are reusable cleaning cloths, and can be washed up to 100 times!

See all spring cleaning products that are on sale.  Remember, ToiletPaperWorld.com offers free shipping on orders over $75!

That’s why we enjoy reading the Easy Eco Blog. “Our goal,” the authors state, “is to help the environment, while saving you money and improving the entire world’s quality of life.” The site is full of great advice on going green and saving green while doing it. This week, they’ve been posting about choosing and installing solar panels. Easy Eco Blog is always informative and well worth adding to your RSS reader of choice.

No More Cases of Bottled Water
Buy one good stainless steel or other reusable water bottle that you or members of your family could use every day, refilling as necessary, and it’s paid for itself in under two weeks. Not to mention, by avoiding buying cases of bottled water, you can avoid the unnecessary cost as well as the hassle of trying to recycle the used bottles, which in some cases, end up in a landfill anyway.

Clean Up the Way You Wipe Up
Rather than running for your Paper Towels every time you make a spill, try using sponges or dish cloths to mop of the mess. While paper towels may not be able to be eliminated from your household, you can however buy them smarter. ToiletPaperWorld.com carries Paper Towels, including environmentally friendly brands, that are perfect for outfitting your home.

Ditch the Single Serves
Single serving food items may be great for convenience, however, they actually cost you much more on your grocery bill and create unnecessary waste. To combat this problem and still get your family fed for the best value, use reusable food storage containers and buy their favorite foods in bulk. The savings will appear immediately.

With the recent push in environmentally ethical living, it’s become essential for the average household to give something back to our planet. Whether it’s through recycling or waste reduction, each household has a responsibility to run itself efficiently in a way that doesn’t leave a huge environmental footprint. If your home is thinking about making the first steps to “going green,” start out in the bathroom by enacting this clever tip.

Did you know that there is a greener way to hang your toilet paper in your bathroom? While this tip isn’t about buying recycled toilet paper or switching to a more eco-friendly brand, it is incredibly important for everyone to know.

There was an actual study posted by Current Configuration at TreeHugger.com last year that noted over hang is better than under hang – yes, it’s true. Current Configuration, a blog focused on improving quality of life, looked at tear mechanics and found that people tear less paper off when they hang their toilet paper with the hang side over rather than under, a valuable yet easy fix for many homes around the world. Current Configuration writes:

“Toilet paper has a natural curve, a way of being that lends itself to certain orientations on the toilet paper spool. If handled with skill and knowledge, it can provide an abundance of both sanitation and comfort, quilted together in each square of pillowy ply.”

You don’t have to change the type of toilet paper you buy to do service to Mother Earth. Sometimes all it takes is a different orientation to make all the difference. If your looking for another way to green your bathroom, consider buying your toilet paper in bulk from ToiletPaperWorld.com. Not only does this save on frequent grocery runs, but it also saves on packaging.