You’ve finally decided to purchase that striking Reformation dress, but in every garment’s lifetime comes a time when it needs to be washed. Apparel that’s been produced chemical-free, cruelty-free and of natural materials, such as bamboo, tencel, cotton, should receive deserved quality after care. The opposite is, well, just wrong.
Words: Evelin Kangur
Image: Tangent Garment Care
And please, please keep a long distance from dry-cleaners, as according to European Chemicals Agency based in Helsinki, main chemical tetrachloroethylene is toxic to aquatic life and may cause cancer.
Some of the basic rules to sustainable garment care: 1. make sure you really need to wash the item, or ask if hanging it outside for air is enough 2. always wash a full load in the washing machine 3. lower the temperature 4. avoid dry-cleaning, or find the nearest green dry-cleaning service.
To make your laundry day less harmful for the environment, try these plant-based detergents:
1. Tangent GC
Image: Tangent Garment Care
Tangent Garment Care is born of the idea of an elegant gentleman taking meticulous care of his staple wardrobe and wanting to bring back value to art of dressing. Ingredients include essential oils, aloe vera, soya beans and sunflower - sounds almost like your last salad, non?
Hailing from Stockholm, the fine wash brand’s oeuvre is now supplemented with organic skin products and shoe care. Your olfacotry senses will thank you!
2. The Laundress
Image: The Laundress
Founded in NYC with the aim to abandon dry cleaning forever, the founders Gwen & Lindsey state: “90% of items labelled with dry-cleaning are actually washable”. The Laundress will surely transform you to an eco-conscious domestic goddess: not only do they produce amazing scented and specially-crafted detergents to suit the needs of natural materials (think of knits you want to keep superbly soft), but offer a huge range of natural home care and accessories as well. For a luxe touch, try their collaboration with Le Labo.
Image: Amazon.com
3. Dr. Bronner’s
You may have heard of the company’s linchpin Emanuel Bronner, not your simplest soapmaker, who used his production as a platform to voice his moral and religious beliefs. Now run by a fifth generation Bronner’s, who continue the heritage of zero-waste, preservative-free, all-natural cleaning and body products. Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Bioderadagble Cleaner is hard on stains, but not on your skin. For a cheerful cleaning round, watch a documentary about Emanuel Bronner - available on a popular video streaming site near you.
Although many of the detergents are sold at a price above average, they’re concentrated and require only a small dose to wash your finest assortment of clothing. Actually, we believe it applies to every cleaning and washing product.