5 Options to Laundry

Washed out, not worn out

The washing machine has been called the pinnacle of the industrial revolution, since it liberated women from the straining task of washing by hand. For us it’s been a true revolution, but for our clothes it’s been a far from a welcome change. The laundry process is everything but gentle. The laundry- and spin cycle cause a tremendous tear on the fabric and seams. Colors lose their luster, the fabric becomes thin and brittle, and the seams unravel. That’s why garments are washed out long before they’re worn out. Modern washing machines are developed to be less energy- and water consuming than older ones, but still, as much as 20% of a garment’s total climate impact comes from the laundry process. The solution is to wash less often. The reward is not only spending less time doing laundry, but above all your clothes will last significantly longer.

5 Great Alternatives to Washing

Mist Out Bad Smells

For heavy odors; like the smell of sweat, fried food or cigarette smoke, there’s an excellent alternative to washing: Steamery’s Clothing Mist is a spray made of good bacteria that neutralize the bad bacteria that cause the odors. Spray directly on the source – in the armpit of a t-shirt, or inside your sneakers – and the smells are gone immediately. It’s like magic, but we call it biotechnology. It’s especially useful for clothes made of synthetic blends, where airing is basically useless.

Hang Your Clothes Outdoors to Air

This is the most simple and natural way of getting rid of odors. Hang your worn clothes out to air over night, and they will smell fresh in the morning. This trick is effective for all garments made of natural fibers; like cotton, linen, hemp, viscose, silk, wool. For synthetic blends we recommend you try the Clothing Mist instead. Synthetic fibers (polyester, acrylic, nylons and elastane) don’t breathe and hence, fresh air doesn’t do much good.

Brush off Dust, Hair and Dirt with a Clothing Brush

Clothes with superficial stains (stains that haven’t penetrated the fabric), dust and hair are still not dirty enough to be washed. You will come a long way with a reliable Clothing Brush. Try to brush off dirt stains from jeans or children’s outerwear, fur and hair from wool coats before putting them in the laundry basket. You will be surprised!

Steam Wrinkles and Creases

Your clothes will bare traces of your hectic days, looking dull with creases and wrinkles. Clothes worn only once are often tossed on the floor – an unworthy waiting room – before heading to the final destination that is the laundry basket. Despite they are only worn and not dirty. Steam and put them back in the closet instead! We promise, they will feel as good as new again.

Treat the Stains Only, Not the Garment

Spills from lunch, berry stains from snacking, grass stains from the playground or red wine stains from Saturday’s dinner party. The stains on our garments are actually clues to our everyday life. If you’re acting fast and treat the stain before it’s settled, you don’t necessarily have to wash the whole garment.

The general rule is that stains from fat; like butter or any type of oil, should be treated with a fat dissolvent, for example colorless washing up liquid or bile soap. Stains like blood, ice cream, berries or grass can be removed with Oxi Spray. Spray directly on the stain, let it bubble and rinse with water, and or gently dab with a sponge.
You can also try to soak the stain with detergent. We recommend our Color Laundry Detergent, containing an efficient mix of surfactants that are tough on the most common types of stains.

Try these methods before throwing your clothes in the laundry basket. Once you kick the habit of washing clothes that are only worn – and not dirty – you’ll never go back to doing unnecessary laundry again.