There’s a laundromat called Celsious in New York City that is completely changing the way we think about laundromats. The place looks more like a beautiful new café rather than a sterile laundromat, and all the washing that takes place there is done in an eco-friendly manner.
The high-tech washing machines dispense water based on how heavy the load is, the dryers can sense the dryness of the clothes to never over-dry, and the soaps that are used are made from simple, natural ingredients. Plus, they make use of technology that removes microplastics from laundry loads.
But you don’t need to go all the way to New York City to do laundry the natural way. Instead, all you need to do is follow these tips from the owners of Celsious.
Ditch the dryer sheets and fabric softener
Swap the sheets out for reusable wool dryer balls and trade in your fabric softener for some plain-old white vinegar. Vinegar? Yes, vinegar! If you throw it into the fabric softener compartment, it will do the same thing. Plus, it’s a powerful odor control agent which is great for sports clothes.
Choose a non-toxic detergent
Make sure your detergent doesn’t have any nasty ingredients. Learn more about how to identify those here. “The way we all approach cleaning products should be similar to the way we choose food,” co-founder Corinna Williams said. “The fewer ingredients, the better.” A few brands that the Celsious duo vouchers for are Sonett, Tangent GC, and Meliora.
Wash on low
Do the planet a solid and wash your clothes at the lowest temp possible. After all, heating water accounts for the majority of your machine’s energy use—up to 90 percent of it!
Pretreat stains to help your clothes last longer
If you treat stains the moment they happen, then you won’t have to turn the heat up when you do the laundry.
