Since I transitioned from a fashion and lifestyle blogger to a “sustainable with style” blogger (my term), I have realized through all the noise of sustainable, cruelty-free, organic, non-toxic, and eco-friendly talk out there, it is truly difficult to navigate what is the most sustainable option in your choices. For instance, is it better to be ‘cruelty-free’ or ‘ethically made’? Is being made of ‘organic cotton’ better even if organic cotton requires double the amount of water usage? When it comes to beauty, we understand most of the key toxic ingredients (sulphates, parabens, phthalates) but with clothing the water is murkier overall, and as a veteran of the industry, even I have a hard time understanding which shopping choices are better. However, the only thing we can all agree on is that shopping less overall is probably the best path to a more sustainable, nontoxic world.
Increase the Life of your Clothing with The Laundress
I have made a serious effort to reduce the amount of clothing I buy overall, as well as learning to increase the lifespan of my clothing. One of the best ways to increase the lifespan of your clothing is to wash it less, and to wash it smarter. I do this by using The Laundress products. Their line of nontoxic and fabric-focused laundry solutions helps me to tackle each garment’s needs, which means no longer throwing everything in a large pile and washing it all the same way. My lingerie lasts longer if I use their Delicate Wash and the same goes for using Denim Wash for my jeans. I only throw an item of clothing in the laundry if it actually smells or has a stain on it, not simply if it looks rumpled or I’ve worn it a few times. That way, I can decrease the amount of washes over time. Unnecessary laundering can break down fibers prematurely and fade fabrics as well as increase the amount of water used for each wash cycle.
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As a kid (and young adult) who was not allowed to own ‘dry clean only’ clothing, I had no idea what a waste of money and environmental resources dry cleaning was. Did you know that 90% of all ‘Dry Clean Only’ labeled items can be laundered at home? Once I moved into the fashion industry I started buying wool and cashmere, but was too stingy to get it dry cleaned so I looked into alternative, at home methods. The Laundress was the pioneer in this particular category for years, selling fantastic Wool and Cashmere Shampoo, Wool & Cashmere Spray, a de-pilling Sweater Stone and Mesh Wash Bags so that you can do your non-toxic cleaning at home. I love the Sweater Stone for some of my sweat pants and other knit items as well, which makes them look fresh and new.
I appreciate that The Laundress offers nontoxic solutions for all of your clothing items, from Denim Wash to Sport Detergent (buying this next for Mr. R’s workout clothes), Delicate Wash for silk, linen and other synthetics and finishing solutions like Ironing Water and Stiffen Up. These tools empower you can really focus your efforts on preserving and lengthening the life of each item of clothing, and not wearing them down wash after wash. Sometimes just a few sprays of Fabric Fresh to freshen and a Crease Release to remove light wrinkles will do the job without washing!
Having a baby makes you start to think more about the chemicals and toxins you use daily in your home. You question everything from the wipes you use to wipe down your child’s high chair after each meal to the toothpaste they use for fear of excessive swallowing, so laundry detergent is naturally one of the first concerns. Many ‘clean’ baby detergents leave your children’s clothing still smelling funky, don’t get the stains out, or worse, leaves them stiff and scratchy, not what you want for your little ones! I love that The Laundress offers a whole range, not just one product, including Baby Detergent, Baby Fabric Conditioner, Baby Fabric Fresh and more, all gently formulated and scented in Baby – a light powdery scent. I use the line to care for clothing, sheets and towels so they’re safe to be cuddled in, and well, clean. I absolutely love the New Mom Starter Kit which is such a great present for a baby shower! It comes with everything from the baby line plus The Laundress’ safe All-Purpose Bleach Alternative and Stain Solution because babies and stains just go together.
I use The Laundress products throughout my house, from my white laundry to my white carpet, to the surfaces and air in my bathroom. Seriously, I (maybe ignorantly) installed white carpet in my entire upstairs when we moved into this house before we had a baby, and have spilled more coffee and things on the floors that I am able to admit. But I have used a tiny amount of the nontoxic, biodegradable All-Purpose Bleach Alternative with a bucket of water to scrub out those stains numerous times. It’s also a really great way to clean the bathroom without worrying about the toxicity of bleach!
Use my special code STYLESAFARI for 25% off EVERYTHING on TheLaundress.com!
Thank you to The Laundress for sponsoring this post. Although product and compensation was provided, all opinions are my own
