Blog Update!
For those of you not following me on Facebook, as of the Summer of 2019 I've moved to Central WA, to a tiny mountain town of less than 1,000 people.

I will be covering my exploits here in the Cascades, as I try to further reduce my impact on the environment. With the same attitude, just at a higher altitude!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Laundry poll

I got a new clothes drying rack the other week and it made me wonder about how many of you line dry your laundry. Which led me to wonder about your laundry habits in general.

We always wash in cold water, have a high efficiency washing machine, use an eco-friendly detergent that comes in a cardboard box and use a bleach alternative. Where we fall behind is in the drying arena (except for all my pants which gets line dried since I am not a fan of high waters).

We try to dry some outside during the summer, but it's so humid the rest of the year that we end up getting musty smelling clothes if we dry too many of them inside. Since it takes so many days for them to dry, we run out of space fairly quickly.

But, enough of my excuses. As you can see, I, for one, need some encouragement on getting motivated to hang laundry outside.

What about you? What are your laundry habits?

1. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? Is it an eco-friendly brand or traditional?
2. Do you worry about the plastic packaging and choose cardboard packaging and powders instead?
3. Do you have a high efficiency washer (HE)?
4. Do you wash your clothes in cold water?
5. Do you ever line dry your clothes?
6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban?
7. Are you happy with your laundry routine or do you wish you could do more to lower your impact in that area?

67 comments:

Lisa said...

1. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? I use ECOS or Soap Nuts

2. Do you worry about the plastic packaging and choose cardboard packaging and powders instead? I use the plastic right now but looking in to the powder. I can recycle the bottle and I don't have to use much so don't get many bottles.

3. Do you have a high efficiency washer (HE)? Yes

4. Do you wash your clothes in cold water? All but bedding and undies

5. Do you ever line dry your clothes? Can't due to very bad allergies

6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban? nope

7. Are you happy with your laundry routine or do you wish you could do more to lower your impact in that area? I wish I could use a clothes line.

craftydabbler said...

There is a lot of room for improvement in my laundry habits.

We use BioKleen Free, it is eco-friendly. It comes in a cardboard box with a plastic bag inside holding the detergent. We do have an HE washer. We wash in cold water or scalding hot water on a sanitary cycle. I am a sporadic line drier. I have drying rack from IKEA. There is no clothesline ban here. I would like to line dry more, and I would also like to keep on top of the laundry more. I am way behind right now.

Crazy Charm said...

1. I use All Free and Clear because I have very sensitive skin and cannot have any kind of scent, dye, etc. be it natural or synthetic.

2. I use the plastic and recycle. I find that powders that come in the cardboard box are more likely to leave a residue on my clothes.

3. No

4. No. There are a lot of things that I have to wash in warm or even hot water due to my allergies.

5. I line dry just about everything (except towels and bedding) inside due to allergies. I find that my clothes last longer this way, too.

6. We do have a clothesline ban.

7. My allergies dictate my laundry routine, but for the most part, I think I do as much as I can while still keeping myself healthy :)

sarah gilbert , cafemama said...

I've been thinking about laundry too lately as I've been doing all of it with my husband away for a year (he's the laundry guy in our house...)

1. I use biokleen liquid laundry detergent ... and 2. I refill my plastic bottle at the co-op. We 3. have a high-efficiency washer, though I'd love a front-loader! We 4. wash in cold unless it's super stinky (three boys!)
5. We line dry nearly always when the weather is halfway nice; our next-door neighbor does, too, so our back porches are almost always festooned with t-shirts and underthings :) 7. I'm hoping to get a wood stove this fall so we can better dry the clothes inside (at least, some of them) during the wet season. I'm really keen on cutting down on our use of natural gas after reading about the dangers of fracking and the big to-do here in the Pacific Northwest over the natural gas pipelines. I want to cut back wherever possible.

Jenn said...

1 - usually biodegradable powder from trader joe's - but I find it doesn't dissolve very well in cold water.

2 - yes - that's why I go back and forth between box and bottle...

3 - nope - just a top loader that was here when I moved in.

4 - always in cold

5 - always line dry, rain or shine (indoors if rain)

6 - nope

7 - yep - just wish I had a HE washer

Anonymous said...

1. I am using up a bottle of Arm & Hammer, but have purchased ingredients to make my own laundry soap. I just need a bucket.
2. I have used plastic in the past and am switching. I will then only have cardboard from the ingredients.
3. Really have no idea. I never looked, the washer came with the house and I have no manual.
4. I used to to wash everything in cold, until I read that hot kills more allergens and I have severe allergies.
5. No. Only items I hand wash.
6. I don't know. Why would any area ban such a thing?
7. I want to to lower my laundry impact. I keep thinking about line drying, just haven't purchased a clothes line.

The 4 Bushel Farmgal said...

1. I mix Borax with washing soda.
2. Yes, trying to reduce plastic use.
3. No washing machine at home. Hand wash small and mid-size items. Laundromat for large/heavy/bulky.
4. Cold water except sheets/towels.
5. Drying rack except sheets/towels.
6. Condo has clothesline ban.
7. Dreaming of the day I'll have a clothesline again :)

Cat J B said...

I can't fathom being in a place with a clothesline ban! Australians would be up in arms, if that ever happened here lol...

Anonymous said...

1. Eco-friendly, cardboard box, no bleach alternative except the sunshine.
2. see above
3. Yes, front loading HE. Recycles rinse water
4. Cold water only
5. We don't even have a dryer.
6. No
7. I'm very happy with our laundry routine.

On hot rainy days we set up the drying racks in our multipurpose room (usually referred to as "that room") and get a fan going. The fan helps keep the musty smell at bay. It takes 1 fan on low for 4 racks of clothes. It really helps.

In the winter we put the racks by the wood stove. We just tuck it away if someone is coming over.

die Frau said...

We use BioKleen Free, too. We have a regular old Kenmore washer because we just can't afford the space-age looking HE washers, though I'd love one. We do wash almost everything in cold unless something has a giant stain and requires a warmer wash.

I have a clothesline in my basement and outside. I admit I tend to dry things partially in the dryer during the school year, when I'm teaching, and then throw them on the line because it doesn't take as long. I try to use the outdoor line as long as I can (we live in Buffalo, NY, so my time is limited) but I keep the socks and delicates on the line in the basement for privacy. (We have a dehumidifier going in the basement so things don't smell musty).

I love, LOVE how sunshine-dried clothes smell.

Kim A. said...

1. We use a traditional brand (tide) but we use cold-water detergent because it saves energy to wash cold.
2. No.
3. We have an Energy Star.
4. Yes.
5. We only use our dryer about two laundry loads a year, when we have long rain spells.
6. No.
7. It's pretty good I guess.

contessa20 said...

1. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? Is it an eco-friendly brand or traditional? - I use Maggie's Soap Nuts.

2. Do you worry about the plastic packaging and choose cardboard packaging and powders instead? - Nope. I bought the Soap Nuts 2 yrs. ago and I still have a TON left so they aren't purchased all that often. The packaging itself is plastic free. They come in a cloth bag and when mailed are inside of a cardboard box with brown paper as filler.

3. Do you have a high efficiency washer (HE)? - No.

4. Do you wash your clothes in cold water? - Most of the time, yes. I do use hot water for sheets and towels.

5. Do you ever line dry your clothes? - No.

6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban? - Yes.

7. Are you happy with your laundry routine or do you wish you could do more to lower your impact in that area? - I wish we were able to line dry outside but our neighborhood forbids it. I tried line drying indoors but it made the clothes smell musty and it took forEVER for things to dry. Unfortunately, unless the clothesline ban is lifted we will always be stuck using the dryer.

MadameMim said...

1. Finishing up the mega jug of Tide I got about a year ago, then I'm using my homemade soap and washing soda recipe...
2. The one I have is plastic, but I'll be reusing that indefinitely.
3. No. When this one dies, I'd like to get a HE one, but until then, it's a 10ish year old standard one.
4. For everything except "accident" sheet from the little one. I don't know, it just makes me feel better...but those instances are few and far between, possibly over as she just turned 5.
5. I hang up play clothes that get washed, sheets (especially fitted ones, cause all the clothes get stuck in huge ball of damp fabric), and towels. The towels I throw in the dryer after they are dry to get the "crispiness" out, and I think it helps the other things dry faster, but maybe that's just in my head.
6. No, and I stupidly tore mine out the day we moved in about 4 years ago. In my defense, it was way in the back and I wouldn't have walked out there too often...I want to get another one closer to the house.
7. I'm fairly happy. I wish I could line dry a bit more, but other than that, I think I'm doing okay. Always room for improvement though.

Unknown said...

1. I make my own laundry detergent!
2. I make mine out of products that are packaged in cardboard :)
3. No, just a newer top loading machine.
4. Almost always.
5. I try. I have a few lines in an upstairs bathroom and on our upstairs balcony.
6. No...but I don't have room for one in our yard.
7. I wish I could have a better line set up and that I could put a line in the basement for winter. But that would just make our clothes smell like mildew and take days to dry!

owlfan said...

1. regular detergent, but I keep thinking I should make my own.

2. I usually use powder. I recycle the containers either way.

3. No - still using my 20 yo washer. When it dies I will get something more energy efficient

4. i use a little warm at the beginning to dissolve the powder better, then cold for virtually everything. I do maybe 1-2 loads of hot per year.

5. Yes, line dry almost everything. I fluff for about 2 minutes in the dryer to get out the wrinkles/stiffness in towels. When my dryer died a few years ago, I went months before getting a new one. My in-laws thought I was NUTS.

6. Yes, my HOA has a clothesline ban, but I dry on my back deck anyway. In the winter I use a clothes rack in front of my heating vents and it works as well or better than the sun - dry clothes overnight and much needed humidity in the house.

7. I want to try my own detergent. Eventually I want a HE washer, but not enough to ditch a working washer.

Elizabeth said...

1. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? I make ours from Ivory soap, borax & washing soda.
2. Do you worry about the plastic packaging and choose cardboard packaging and powders instead? Before I started making our own, yes, I did .
3. Do you have a high efficiency washer (HE)? No. If/when this one dies (it's 11+ years old and going strong) I'd like to switch to an HE.
4. Do you wash your clothes in cold water? All except diapers ... they get a hot wash/cold rinse.
5. Do you ever line dry your clothes? 95% in spring/summer/fall; 50% in the winter.
6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban? No.
7. Are you happy with your laundry routine or do you wish you could do more to lower your impact in that area? If I didn't work outside the home, I think I might try handwashing at least some of our laundry. But I don't. ;) I'm too cheap to ditch a washing machine that works fine, but I do have lust in my heart for HE washers.

MadameMim said...

I was just reading contessa's comment and it got me thinking about you clothesline ban people...

My laundry room is a little closet thing off my carport, no insulation or anything, and that is where I line dry the thing I line dry. If you had a shed or some kind of outbuilding, you could dry in there. I'm sure most people use there sheds for, you know, storage, but my MIL has a practically empty one so that's what got me thinking about this...anyway, just an idea...

phabulous_philly said...

1. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? Is it an eco-friendly brand or traditional?

I use nature clean 3x concentrated unscented.

2. Do you worry about the plastic packaging and choose cardboard packaging and powders instead?

I use cardboard pakaging - just made the switch

3. Do you have a high efficiency washer (HE)?

Yes

4. Do you wash your clothes in cold water?

Always even though my whites aren't as white as they could be.

5. Do you ever line dry your clothes?

I wish but I live in an apartment with no balcony or patio area and not enough room inside ( however I hang all my clothes on our smith machine - my bf uses the dryer and of course we dryer dry all of our towels )

6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban?

No

7. Are you happy with your laundry routine or do you wish you could do more to lower your impact in that area?

I wish I could hang all my clothes on a traditonal line - I also wish that there was some way for me to clear out the dryer vent as we have a very indirect line outside and I am pretty sure it's full of lint as my dryer times are quite long for an HE machine

Maria said...

1. I make my own laundry detergent.
2. The ingredients that you use to make your own detergent come in boxes, no plastic.
3. No HE washer - it is an older one and I will probably need a newer one soon.
4. Cold water except when I really need my whites white..
5. Line dry and dryer. I have an umbrella style line outside and it can hold about three loads.
6. No clothesline ban.
7. I wish I was home more to monitor what goes in the washing machine - my hubby doesn't like to sort :) or hang things outside...

Adrienne said...

1. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? Is it an eco-friendly brand or traditional?

Sometimes I get an eco friendly brand if i find it on sale; otherwise I use All Free & Clear. I have to be careful what I get or my clothes will end up making me break out in a rash- even some of the eco friendly brands.

2. Do you worry about the plastic packaging and choose cardboard packaging and powders instead?
See above- the plastic has to be of secondary concern.

3. Do you have a high efficiency washer (HE)?
I live in an apartment and have access to a really low efficiency (I suspect) coin-op washer & dryer.

4. Do you wash your clothes in cold water?
Yes, except for towels.

5. Do you ever line dry your clothes?
I don't have a clothesline due to living in an apartment; I do have a drying rack and most often I partially dry things in the dryer and hang them to dry the rest of the way.

6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban?
Not that I know of.

7. Are you happy with your laundry routine or do you wish you could do more to lower your impact in that area?
I wish the washer & dryer available to me were more efficient (and also did not beat up my clothes so much)... I don't know of anyplace that has coin-op high efficiency machines.

Prairiemom said...

I am a huge fan of soap nuts. I have been using them for over 2 years now. The supplier I get them from uses a waxy coated box with plastic, which isn't ideal. If I bought them over the interned I could probably find better packaging, but I never remember, and just end up running to the coop when I run out.
I also use a HE washer, and wash everything in cold, except for baby diapers, which I wash on warm.
We managed to find a way to use our laundry grey water too, by routing our washing machine hose into our sump hole instead of just letting it drain into the waste water pipe in the wall. When the hole fills up, our sump pump pumps it out into the yard and I use it to water my lawn. I haven't had to use our sprinklers for 3 summers now.
I line dry when I can, but I live in SD, so our line drying season is really short. I can get away with it maybe 4 months out of the year. In the deep winter I can line dry in my house because the air is so dry. I hung a few extra shower bars in our guest shower to accommodate our clothes without being a total eye sore.

Anonymous said...

1.I make our laundry soap from washing soda, borax and grated Fels Naptha soap.
2.I do worry about plastic packaging - the ingredients I purchase are in cardboard and paper wrappers.
3.We do not have a high efficiency washer.
4.We wash everything in cold water
5.We line dry or rack everything (in the summer). In the winter, bedding goes into the dryer (this just kills me).
6. No clothesline ban just yet. I've heard talk.
7.I am pleased with our routine, for the moment. Am always open to ways to improve.

Anna @ Blue Dirt said...

1. I make my own with soap that I make myself. If I'm out of soap I buy biodegradable HE stuff from my natural foods store.
2. Not so much, I recycle the plastic, and usually make my own at home.
3. Yes, mega sized.
4. Normally I do, except for whites I use hot. Lately I've been using warm since we're building a house and all the clothes are SUPER dirty.
5. No, except for air drying delicates. I have a retractable one to install on the new house.
6. No
7. I guess I'm happy with it. Just wish there was less of it.

Erica said...

1. I use Biokleen laundry detergent. I order it in a 50 pound cardboard box with a plastic bag of powder inside. It's "green" and superconcentrated.

2. I used to use liquid because I felt like the powder didn't always clean my clothes when I washed on cold. But when we got a HE front loader with a little chute to put the powder in that mixes it with water, it works just fine, so I never buy the stuff in plastic anymore.

3. Yes. We have a Maytag Epic HE front loader. I love that machine, baby. When we bought it we had heard about problems with molding and odors around the seal, but we have never experienced any of that, even in our moldy Oregon climate. I do leave the door ajar anytime it's not being used, so it don't get to stankin.' I think our choice of detergent and choice not to use any fabric softener might help with that issue, too.

4. I wash bedding, undies, socks, towels, and rags in warm water. Everything else in cold. Although I recently found out that my husband has been surreptitiously using cold for everything when he does that wash. It gives me the willies, though I know it's probably shouldn't.

5. I always line dry except in winter (and in this year's wet, wet spring). This will sound dorky, but I really enjoy it. I did invest in an awesome clothesline, and that makes a huge difference. Or rather, I should say my husband, who has an engineering degree, picked it out, which is probably good, because the homemade one I envisioned involved an elaborate system of poles, pulleys, and clamps stuck to the siding. Here's the link for the clothesline - it was expensive, but totally worth it. http://www.breezedryer.com/catalog/Rotary_Clotheslines-27-1.html
My childhood memories of rotary clotheslines are mostly of the half-broken aluminum ones propped up on their side on someone's patio, and I didn't want to go there. This one is very, very sturdy. It cranks up and down to adjust the height, which is good, because hanging laundry is a chore that I, my 6'5" husband, and my 9-year-old daughter all fight over. Of course, they don't do it up to my standards...Anyway,it also spins in the wind, which looks pretty and I think also keeps it from breaking, because we get some killer winds. Wind is not a bad thing, it keeps the wrinkles out, but sometimes our wind is ridiculous. I am going on and on, but I seriously love hanging that dang laundry. I love everything about it - the chance to get outside every day, the way it smells, the slightly crispy feel of towels...I have a system that works pretty well. I wash the laundry at night, that way I'm ready to hang it first thing in the morning. I often sort and fold it as I take it off the clothesline, which is easy since the clothesline rotates - I can grab all the girls' laundry and fold it at once, then mine, then hubs, etc. And for some reason, the kids don't bug me when I'm out there hanging or taking down laundry, the way they do when I'm, say, balancing the checkbook or making a shopping list. They just come out in the backyard and play. DO IT! You won't regret it.

6. No clothesline ban. Where I live they're just happy if you don't park large appliances and rusty cars in your front yard.

7. I am pretty content with my laundry routine, though I need to continue reinforcing the training I have done with the children not to throw everything in the wash upon first wearing. The eldest is getting there, but it's a constant process of reminding and reminding again.

SusanB said...

1. I'm about halfway through a big plastic pail of cheap powder -- probably another two years to go, I'm looking forward to having the pail.
2. See above.
3. No, just a 1993 toploader that came with the house -- pretty efficient since it takes a big load.
4. Personal whites get washed in warm/cold; everything else is cold/cold.
5. Line or rack dry everything except maybe one or two loads during the winter of heavy stuff if the weather does not cooperate
6. No ban
7. Pretty happy if the word can be applied to laundry

Bullwinkle said...

1. laundry detergent -
2. My plastic container is refillable at my local co-op
3. high efficiency washer (HE)? ?? don't know - it is a giant front loader (new) when we moved in.
4. cold water? Always
5. line dry? Always with exception of sheets that do not fit on the clothes rack. (I haul the rack inside/outside depending on weather.)
6. clothesline ban? No. I live in an area that encourages clothes lines :)
7. happy with your routine?

Would it be possible to get less dirty??? Right now, we (the area) is having a horrid flea (and hot humid) problem. I have a critters (one is a diabetic and tastes yummy - to fleas). I am so sick and tired of F'ing laundry I'm considering toxic alternatives ...what was that last question??

Anonymous said...

I'm in Montana and you can dry year round here. In the winter you have to get your load out on the line early in the day, and thick items will probably need a bit of additional time on a rack indoors.

Sometimes I wish it weren't so dry here, but it's great for laundry ;)

1. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? Is it an eco-friendly brand or traditional?

I've tried a lot of things, and made my own out of that soap/washing soda/etc recipe online. It's only so-so for getting things clean so I mainly use Seventh Generation HE soap. I just use the smallest amount I can that still gets things clean. I use Ecover softener on the items that would otherwise be full of static or super scratchy.

2. Do you worry about the plastic packaging and choose cardboard packaging and powders instead?

No, I have stressed about the laundry as much as I'm willing to at this point.

3. Do you have a high efficiency washer (HE)?

Yes, and it's a front-loading machine as well. The downside to that is the gasket/drain hose situation. I tried all the 'green' methods to keep it clean and fresh and none of them worked. I very grumpily use the HE washing machine cleaner in it once a month. (and yes, the door is *always* left open for the machine to dry out. I can't imagine how horrific the mildew musty odor would be in a more humid climate.)

4. Do you wash your clothes in cold water?

Some of them. Others I wash in warm. I almost always rinse in cold, unless there's a load of something that was particularly fouled. With kids and pets you sometimes have gross messes.

5. Do you ever line dry your clothes?

Fairly often, except during times when I'm swamped- it takes me a lot more time to line dry except during the heat of the summer, so if I've got too much else on my plate I just use my dryer.

6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban?

No. It was one of the things on my list to avoid when we were looking at houses. It meant we got an older home but the freedom of not having an HOA has been worth it.

7. Are you happy with your laundry routine or do you wish you could do more to lower your impact in that area?

For the immediate moment I'm satisfied, but I do want to look into more ways to be less-impact about it (and save money). I saw a really cool hand-crank washing machine at a living history farm, but honestly I'd rather not use something like that unless I had no alternative.

~Maeve

Erica said...

Me again, I just thought of another thing I want to improve about our laundry routine - get an energy efficient dryer for the winter. We will wait until our normal one needs to be replaced, which may take a while. It's just not possible in an Oregon winter to air dry the clothes indoors, especially when you are not heating your house much. Maybe if we had a woodstove...

Kim from Milwaukee said...

1. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? Is it an eco-friendly brand or traditional? I use a powdered homemade detergent, which I lovelovelove!
2. Do you worry about the plastic packaging and choose cardboard packaging and powders instead? yes, the homemade detergent ingredients come in paper/cardboard, which I can compost.
3. Do you have a high efficiency washer (HE)? no
4. Do you wash your clothes in cold water? yes
5. Do you ever line dry your clothes? yes, either outside or inside
6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban? no
7. Are you happy with your laundry routine or do you wish you could do more to lower your impact in that area? I use the dryer if I need to, so I'm not 100% line drying, but I give myself a little leeway since it's only once a week that I do laundry.

Jenny said...

1. I just started making my own laundry detergent. It is so easy (posted a tutorial on my blog)
2. I make my laundry detergent in a huge glass jar and reuse it. All the ingredients come in cardboard packaging
3. Nope
4. Everything used to be washed in cold water but I found the homemade detergent works better in warm so I switched for heavy soiled clothes.
5. I line dry everything I can {until the weather doesn't cooperate and the clothes pile up}
6. I don't know what I would do if I did.
7. I am super happy with my laundry routine. Just wish it wasn't so humid and I could get more hung on the line lately. Would also like to use my homemade soap- need to get back into soapmaking.

Stephanie said...

1. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? Is it an eco-friendly brand or traditional? Make my own with a little borax, washing soda, and a bar of Dr. Bronners
2. Do you worry about the plastic packaging and choose cardboard packaging and powders instead? Everything I use comes in cardboard
3. Do you have a high efficiency washer (HE)? Yes
4. Do you wash your clothes in cold water? Yes, except for cloth diapers, those need a hot wash.
5. Do you ever line dry your clothes? 95% of my loads, but I do live in one of the sunniest places on the planet.
6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban? Technically, but it is okay to use retractable lines.
7. Are you happy with your laundry routine or do you wish you could do more to lower your impact in that area? Other than I do too much of it, yes I am happy with it.

Cathy said...

1. I use phosphate free detergent and a bleach alternative.

2. No, I don't worry about the packaging too much (I prob should) because I can recycle plastic and cardboard.

3. No, I don't have a HE washer (I rent).

4. Yes, I wash in cold water exclusively. Once a month I wash all undies in warm water.

5. I ALWAYS line dry my clothes. This is not easy bec I live in SE Florida, where the humidity is very high, esp in Summer. Sometimes I have to finish drying inside; I just move the racks inside under a ceiling fan. Sometimes I have to finish in the dryer, but it only takes about 10 minutes at most.

6. No clothesline ban. There's a FL law that supercedes the bans in condo communities. We aren't allowed to hang clothes on the railings of our balconies, which is fine with me bec I think that looks tacky.

Cathy said...

7. I am happy w/ my laundry routine. I use my dryer so infrequently that we use it for storing bulk purchased stuff.

cathy said...

Cathy again:
7. My boyfriend brews beer, and we capture the runoff water from the cooling cycle (he has to use water to rapidly cool the boil) and divert it into the washer-this fills the washer w/ water that would have otherwise been wasted.

Anne said...

1. I usually use soap flakes from my leftover soap pieces, with an occasional vinegar rinse. If I do buy detergent, it's the Trader Joe's brand.

2. Since I seldom buy any detergent, I don't worry too much about the packaging.

3. Yes, we have a high efficiency washer.

4. We usually wash our clothes in cold or warm/cold cycles?

5. We always line dry our clothes, except for bath towels, underwear and socks. We have a five-line set-up in our laundry room, so we can do this all year round.

6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban? I don't think so.

7. I'm quite happy with our routine. I find that line drying actaully saves me tons of time ironing cotton dresses and cloth napkins, etc. Plus, it's just more enjoyable folding stuff that's coming down off the line, rather than out of a laundry basket.

KatPw said...

1. We make our own laundry soap from Dr. Bronner's bar soap, borax, and washing soda. We keep it in a mason jar.

2. I try to avoid plastic packaging as much as possible. The products I use to make my own laundry detergent all come in recyclable packaging (the soap bar is wrapped in paper and the borax and washing soda come in cardboard boxes).

3. My washing machine is a few years old but it's still going so I have not upgraded to a HE yet.

4. We was in cold water, except for bedding and underwear.

5. I grew up with line drying and prefer it so we have a clothes line in the backyard and also in our basement boiler room for winter/bad weather drying. I really need to get a drying rack for small stuff. I have allergies, but line drying does not seem to be a problem.

6. We are allowed clothes lines.

7. I'm happy with our routine.

Aimee said...

cold water wash. I used to have an expensive high efficiency front loader but after the fourth time it broke down I went and bought an old used top loader and like it much better. I have a clothesline and use it whenever weather permits, but try not to feel too guilty about using the dryer when it doesn't. I buy whatever brand of eco-detergent is on sale, and use Dr Bronner's when I run out.

Bitts said...

1. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? Is it an eco-friendly brand or traditional? traditional-ish -- Arm & Hammer gel
2. Do you worry about the plastic packaging and choose cardboard packaging and powders instead? It comes in a bottle but I recycle or reuse the bottles around the house.
3. Do you have a high efficiency washer (HE)? no -- washer is 14 years old!
4. Do you wash your clothes in cold water? aldult clothes. Kids' clothes + sheets & towels get hot hot hot because of so many stains & germs
5. Do you ever line dry your clothes? no
6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban? no
7. Are you happy with your laundry routine or do you wish you could do more to lower your impact in that area? Wish I could line dry -- DH is highly against the idea and won't put up a clothesline.

brenda said...

I use Soap Nuts, Since we wash just about everything in cold water, I make a liquid from them - works better that way for cold water. I buy Borax and bleach alternatives in cardboard boxes or not at all. I do not have a high-efficiency washer. There is no closeline ban in my area. If there was the neighbors down the street probably wouldn't be able to use their front fence for drying - which, I gotta say- looks really tacky. I've tried line drying. I live in the Phoenix area, so it's certainly warm enough. Dust storms can be a problem because they come up quite suddenly. But the main reason I use the dryer most of the time is two-fold. For some reason, the birds love my back yard. I got really tired, really fast, of scraping bird crap off of my clothes. And my big beautiful pooch thinks laundry that is flapping in the breeze is inviting him to play with it.

Lise said...

1. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? Is it an eco-friendly brand or traditional?
Something "green"-whatever's on sale at the co-op.

2. Do you worry about the plastic packaging and choose cardboard packaging and powders instead?
Huge guilt about the plastic. Am on my last bottle; just waiting for it to be gone, at which point I'll start making my own powdered.

3. Do you have a high efficiency washer (HE)? Yes.

4. Do you wash your clothes in cold water? Unless there's a lot of poop involved! :-)

5. Do you ever line dry your clothes? Almost always. A week of rain means too much laundry for me to be able to dry effectively inside, so I might use the dryer in desperation. But I line dry right through the winter.

6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban? No.

7. Are you happy with your laundry routine or do you wish you could do more to lower your impact in that area?
I wish I'd never bought the dryer; too easy to fall back on.

Lola said...

What kind of laundry detergent do you use? I make my own laundry soap and I love it.

2. Do you worry about the plastic packaging and choose cardboard packaging and powders instead? Yes, that is why I refill the same plastic bottle over and over with my soap.

3. Do you have a high efficiency washer (HE)? No, my apt is a rental so I have what it came with.

4. Do you wash your clothes in cold water? Yes. It also spares me from separating whites from color :)

5. Do you ever line dry your clothes? No, I live in an apartment but in my home country, Argentina, EVERYONE line dries clothes. Only when I came to the states I started using the dryer cause there was no other legal option.

6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban? i have no idea

7. Are you happy with your laundry routine or do you wish you could do more to lower your impact in that area? I wish I could use a clothes line.

Ami said...

1.Finishing a huge bottle of ECOS and then was going to experiment with a Fells Naptha recipe or a combination of borax and washing soda I read about in Encyclopedia of Country Living.
2. I do, so I'm switing to make my own and if that doesn't work well enough, I'll schlepp to the co-op to do refills with Bio-Kleen.
3. Had to replace the Dishwasher instead. Washer's next on the list.
4. Cold for all except the soap phase of diapers and "toweletts" I use in the bathroom.
5. line dry all loads when the weather is above freezing and not raining. Some things go onto the radiators in the winter. Pre-think when loads go in based on weather forecast.
6. Would never live in a place where someone can tell me what to do in my own back yard.
7. When we replace the washer, I will be completely satisfied!

Azulao said...

Seventh Generation

Recycle the bottles, so don't worry too much

No, no HE.

I would prefer to use cold but the hubby insists on warm for most things. AND he wants a second rinse! He is paranoid about getting clothes CLEEEEEN.

Always line dry. Always. But we live in the desert.

I don't know. We hang them on a wooden rack in the back yard.

Wish the hubby could be convinced that warm water and second rinses are not needed for people who work in offices. He's from a place in the world where dirt and germs are a much bigger problem.

Chile said...

I'm not reading through all the comments so this may be a repeat suggestion: have you tried blowing a fan on your hanging clothes when inside during the humid weather? It should help them dry faster.

I have to line dry now as we don't have a dryer. When rain threatens (lots lately), I move the damp clothes inside to finish drying.

In answer to your other questions, I use Ivory for underwear and an environmentally friendlier soap for everything else. I choose cardboard when available and recycle the plastic containers otherwise. I also use very little soap so it takes a long time to empty a container.

My new sucky washer is HE front-loader and will eventually be plumbed to re-use the graywater from it.

I only wash in cold water, although I may soak really soiled items in a small amount of hot water before laundering.

Laundry routine is ok right now, although I look forward to an actual clothesline mounted outside instead of a clothesline strung across the porch used in conjunction with several drying racks.

If my shoulder issues ever improve, I hope to get back to doing more laundry by hand. Not an option right now.

Ashley said...

1. I got a sample of soap nuts to try, but until I convince the rest of the house that it's worth it to have it shipped in (that's the only way we'll get it) then we'll have to stick to the not-so-friendly stuff.
2. We get the cardboard/powder due to the cost.
3. We no longer have a HE washer. We had one, but didn't realize we needed the he-friendly detergent and ruined the washer.
4. All the time
5. We line dry my grandma's pjs and bed pads, which make up a third of our normal laundry.
6. I hope there is no ban. I'd ignore it anyway. Our drying racks are in the garage where it is plenty hot.
7. I wish I could do more (and by do more, I mean do less laundry). We wear things until they HAVE to be washed, but I know with a touch of fabric softener and the willpower to stick to my former laundry routine, I could air-dry more clothes.

Anonymous said...

1. I use Soap Nuts (they're awesome).

2. The Soap Nuts come in a reusable muslin bag. I do have a box of borax I use occasionally for oil stains that comes in a card board box. I don't think I would buy anything for the laundry that came in plastic.

3. Yes we have an HE washer.

4. I wash towels, underwear and socks in a warm/cold cycle which is one load a week. Everything else I wash in cold which is about 2 loads a week.

5. I would love to line dry all my clothes, but we live in a condo and there's no outside space for a line (that and the HOA would throw a fit). I do air dry pants and any shirts that I stain treated just to be on the safe side. Once we buy our own home I plan on having a line outside. I also plan on not buying a home that has an HOA.

6. I think think there is a ban in all the HOA neighborhoods. Luckily not all the neighborhoods in our town have an HOA.

7. I wish I could line dry all our clothes, but I do love having a HE washer and only washing one load a week on warm/cold.

Sharonnz said...

1. I usually use Ecostore but have just started making my own.
2. Ecostore comes in cardboard.
3. Yes. I love my washer.
4. Nope, use the lowest warm temp of washer.
5. Always. Line drying is a big part of Kiwi culture;-) I'm using drying racks inside now, during our winter months
6. I would never live in an area where I couldn't line dry my washing;-)
7. Pretty happy with the evil necessity. I'm trying to make the kids wear their clothes more often before washing now too.

Anonymous said...

1. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? Is it an eco-friendly brand or traditional? I use eco-friendly detergents mostly. However, I'm on my last box of sale stockpiled Country Save. The eco-friendly brands haven't been on sale lately, so I caved and bought a box of Arm & Hammer. I've made my own detergent in the past but with our water, it doesn't seem to clean things very well.

2. Do you worry about the plastic packaging and choose cardboard packaging and powders instead? I tend to purchase powders in cardboard packaging.

3. Do you have a high efficiency washer (HE)? Yes.

4. Do you wash your clothes in cold water? Most everything but towels, bed linens and personal items.

5. Do you ever line dry your clothes? In the warmer months, I put our clothes drying racks out on our porch where we get a nice breeze. I don't have anywhere outside to have a permanent clothesline.

6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban? No.

7. Are you happy with your laundry routine or do you wish you could do more to lower your impact in that area? I'm looking to have my DH install a clothesline in our basement. Our yard is in the shade with a lot of tall trees and there isn't really anywhere to have a permanent outdoor clothesline. I would also like to tweak the homemade laundry detergent recipe to see if I can concoct something that works with our hard water.

Colleen said...

1. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? Is it an eco-friendly brand or traditional? Charlie's plus OxyClean. Zout if necessary.
2. Do you worry about the plastic packaging and choose cardboard packaging and powders instead? Plastic is recyclable, the soap in the cardboard makes it not, so I use plastic or Charlie's comes in a bag.
3. Do you have a high efficiency washer (HE)? Yes, and it sucks. By Kenmore. I often have to wash twice, I have to use a laundry booster, have to wash in warm and hot, have to dissolve the oxyclean before adding, and have to do an extra rinse.
4. Do you wash your clothes in cold water? Sometimes.
5. Do you ever line dry your clothes? yes, sometimes.
6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban? No, but my husband thinks it's trashy looking so we battle over the wonderful umbrella clothes line I have. He takes it down, tangles it, I untangle, put it up, he takes it down..... etc.
7. Are you happy with your laundry routine or do you wish you could do more to lower your impact in that area?
I wish I'd spent the extra $200 and gotten a Bosch, and I wish I had a drywell that I could empty the gray water into, or a micro-water recycling system so I could water the plants with it. Now I just wish my clothes looked nice, well cared for and presented well, but they never really do. And I think the washer wears the clothes out faster. I also quit using the dryer balls for the same reason. My towels and kids pants started fraying at the edges.

MKD said...

1. We use ECOS brand in the big costco sized jug.
2. Thankfully we can recycle the cardboard box or the plastic jug (and you can recycle them too since you are lucky enough to be in Seattle where you can recycle everything!!!
3. We do have an HE washer & dryer.
4. We wash in cold as much as possible; however, with our dogs stuff I do wash in hot.
5. Yes I line dry clothes on a wooden drying rack outside and we have a clothes rack outside for the hotter days.
6. Nope. Thanks the Lord!!
7. The only thing I don't like about our laundry routine is sometimes our clothes have an off, musty type smell or sometimes a sour wet clothes smell even when they are dry. I thought it was maybe the detergent, but I think it might be our water up here in puyallup. But when I dry them in the dryer I don't get that smell. So as horrible as it sounds I would opt to use my dryer more to not have the stink smell on our clothes rather then use fabric softener.
We do use Seventh Generation Dryer sheets they I'm mixed on those. THey look and feel like paper and while they have a scent they don't do much to bring a scent to the clothes themselves.
so thats a long way of saying I wish I could line dry more, but here in WA as you know it doesn't always work out that way.

Sarah said...

1) Make my own
2) N/A
3) No. Sigh. We rent and are stuck with the crap (free crap though) that we've been given
4) All but bedding and cloth diapers
5) All the damn time! We live in Kitsap County, and it seems to take our clothes 1 day in the winter to dry. The trick is to set the drying racks up in front of a heating register or vent. I put them slightly damp in the dryer for 15 min to get the "crunchiness" out of them. No offense. =D
6. Nope. I would never live in such a place!
7) Wish I had an outdoor clothesline, and a HE washer

Kim said...

1. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? Is it an eco-friendly brand or traditional? -- I make my own! Eco-friendly!

2. Do you worry about the plastic packaging and choose cardboard packaging and powders instead?-- Not since I started making my own. The ingredients I buy to make the detergent all come in recyclable paper/cardboard packaging. The only thing I have to purchase very time I make it is a bar of castille soap...otherwise I've still got the original boxes of other stuff. (And I've been making it for 2+ years now.) I store the made detergent in old 7th generation (or something like that) liquid detergent containers.

3. Do you have a high efficiency washer (HE)? -- Nope. We rent and our place came with a very NOT energy efficient washer. Hate it. But not much I can do about it. We're moving 5,000 miles across the country in a week though, and I'm hopeful we'll get a better washer there.

4. Do you wash your clothes in cold water?-- Always. Not just better for the environment and my utility bills, but also for the clothes.

5. Do you ever line dry your clothes?-- Sometimes. Again, we rent, so it's hard to do it outside. Plus, right now we're in AK so it's impossible to do outside in the winter. I'd say I consistently rack dry (not line dry) about 1/4-1/3 of the laundry inside, year round. (It's actually nice, since it's so arid in the winters...adds some humidity to our house.)

6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban?-- Not that I know of. But our landlord won't allow us to put up actual lines outside.

7. Are you happy with your laundry routine or do you wish you could do more to lower your impact in that area?-- Mostly happy. But I'd love to have a HE washer and dryer...and I'd love to live somewhere where line drying was easier and more practical to do. But hey...I'm moving to North Carolina in a week! :-)

WrethaOffGrid said...

1. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? Is it an eco-friendly brand or traditional?

I make my own laundry soap, equal parts grated bar soap, borax and washing soda, I use a couple of tablespoons per load.

2. Do you worry about the plastic packaging and choose cardboard packaging and powders instead?

None of the ingredients I use to make my laundry soap come in plastic packaging.

3. Do you have a high efficiency washer (HE)?

I don't use a washing machine at all, I wash my clothes by hand in a bucket and hand them on a line to dry.

4. Do you wash your clothes in cold water?

I often use cold water, unless I feel the items being washed need warmer water.

5. Do you ever line dry your clothes?

Yes.

6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban?

No, I'm in a very rural area, it's difficult to see the neighbor's house much less any clothesline.

7. Are you happy with your laundry routine or do you wish you could do more to lower your impact in that area?

I am very happy with my laundry routine, I don't know if there is anything I could do to lower my impact... :)

Rosa said...

1. CountrySave, or whatever powder is on sale at the coop.
2. Mine comes in a cardboard box - i originally chose it by price, not packaging.
3. Yes, when our 30+ year old washer died, we replaced it with a HE front-loader.
4. Usually cold water.
5. I line-dry about 9-10 months of the year on my 3-season porch. There are times when it's consistently rainy, or so cold/humid it takes several days for things to dry, and I end up using a dryer for one load a week or so. The other 2-3 months of the year it's so cold nothing dries.
6. No clothesline ban.
7. I would feel better if I did a better job not getting behind in the spring and fall when stuff dries slowly.

Benk said...

1. Biokleen Laundry Liquid.

2. I find this so effective, and can get away with using so little, that I don't mind adding a bottle to the recycling every quarter.

3. Ummm. We have a front loader, does that count?

4. Generally, I use cold water, but once in a while I'll do a hot wash for cleaning rags that have got a bit smelly.

5. Yes, we always line dry our clothes. Our dryer died a couple of years ago, and I haven't even got round to working out why. We have a outdoor line and live in the southwest of the US, so it's outdoor drying all year.

6. No clothesline ban, thank goodness. It was the first thing we put in when we bought the house.

7. I would like to use a home-made detergent, but I've just never managed to make it work. The liquids I made all "goop"ed up so much I couldn't pour them, and the powders didn't dissolve unless I used warm water.

N said...

1. I use half home-made detergent and half distilled white vinegar. I also use the vinegar for fabric softener.

2. I make most of our cleaners for body use and household use, since my daughter and I are allergic to just about everything! But when buying the ingredients to make the detergents/cleansers, I look for recyclable/reusable packaging.

3. We do, along with an HE dryer that we never use, unless it's to dry our sleeping bags!
4. Yes.
5. Always!
6. No. I live in Southern Utah, where the summer temps are always over 100 degrees, but I am one of few in my neighborhood who take advantage of the dry heat to line dry.
7. I feel like we are as low impact as possible!

Unknown said...

1. We use 7th generation ultra concentrated liquid.

2. Thinking about switching to powder though for the compostable packaging. We do recycle the bottle.

3. Don't have an HE washer b/c we bought old appliances and we repair them ourselves with used parts. As soon as we can afford a new one (or, more likely, ours breaks again) we'll of course get HE.

4. Almost always in cold. Occasionally we wash stained stuff in hot (with a cold rinse) to activate the oxygen bleach.

5. We line dry unless it's raining. I dry some of my jeans because they get so stretched out when I wear them they fall off. Some of my jeans get line dried b/c they're too tight. In fact tomorrow we're replacing our crappy cotton rope clothesline with a coated steel clothesline on pulleys! That will make my life so much easier.

6. No clothesline ban as far as I know. That would be insane.

7. I'd like to make my detergent situation better. I'm going to be making my first batch of soap soon and maybe I'll make laundry soap after that. If we lived somewhere drier we could use the clothesline more but that can't be helped. A more efficient washer would be nice. I've thought about getting a manual washer. Probably won't, but I'm basically a housewife so I have the time to do it and supposedly they don't take too too long for each load. Plus I'd get awesome arms. I can see that in the future when we're on solar and every kilowatt counts.

Zip said...

1. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? Is it an eco-friendly brand or traditional?
-> Ecover

2. Do you worry about the plastic packaging and choose cardboard packaging and powders instead?
-> powder in cardboard package

3. Do you have a high efficiency washer (HE)?
-> yes

4. Do you wash your clothes in cold water?
-> yes, but not the sheets due to dust mite allergie

5. Do you ever line dry your clothes?
-> always, no dryer

6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban?
-> don't think so, but it rains a lot, so the clothes dry in the guest room

7. Are you happy with your laundry routine or do you wish you could do more to lower your impact in that area?
-> perfectly happy

auntjone said...

1. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? Is it an eco-friendly brand or traditional? Traditional but I'm almost out and plan to buy eco-friendly.
2. Do you worry about the plastic packaging and choose cardboard packaging and powders instead? No but will take it into consideration. I recycle plastics religiously.
3. Do you have a high efficiency washer (HE)? No but when my current washer craps out I want an HE model.
4. Do you wash your clothes in cold water? Yes unless something is particularly dirty or germy, then I use warm at least. Very rarely do I use hot.
5. Do you ever line dry your clothes? when I have time/energy.
6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban? No, thank goodness.
7. Are you happy with your laundry routine or do you wish you could do more to lower your impact in that area? I wish I had more time/energy to line dry. I hang up alot of my clothes inside to avoid shrinkage, but would like to hang up 100% of our laundry outside to reduce electricity usage.

Anonymous said...

1. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? Is it an eco-friendly brand or traditional?

seventh gen liquid

2. Do you worry about the plastic packaging and choose cardboard packaging and powders instead?

yes and no

If I could get washing soda locally I would use that

but i get a good deal on seventh gen liquid via amazon and can stock up as I like. With powders, in this very humid climate, that's a bit harder to do.

I don't have a good answer here yet.

3. Do you have a high efficiency washer (HE)?

No, but when this one gives out and/or I can afford an upgrade, it will definitely be HE.

4. Do you wash your clothes in cold water?

Always

5. Do you ever line dry your clothes?

Virtually always. When it's too wet outside, I hand them on fold-out racks inside.

6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban?

No

7. Are you happy with your laundry routine or do you wish you could do more to lower your impact in that area?

Would most like to switch to HE washer.

Erin said...

1. I go between making my own laundry detergent and using method.

2. Method comes in plastic, but its small & I recycle. When I make it myself most of the ingredients come in cardboard boxes.

3. HE energy star machine

4. Everything in cold except the cloth pull-ups done in hot.

5. I line dry all summer, and I have a thing about not using the air conditioners when using the dryer. So if I need to dry for some reason during the summer (usually a quick load needs to be done right after camping) I at least make the trade-off. I'd like to dry in the winter, but my home is 140 years old and the basement just isn't conducive to that. There isn't room anywhere else.

6. No ban.

7. I wish I could line dry during the winter. If I ever figure out where to put a wood stove, I will probably give a rack nearby a try and see how that goes.

Kitrina said...

I wash all my laundry with cold water, except for my diapers.
I only line dry my diapers right now.
There's alot I'm wanting to change with my laundry routine. First, we're looking into getting an HE washer soon. I'm wanting to start line drying all of my families clothes soon, and I'm looking into a more eco friendly detergent.

Emily said...

1. Charlie's! Started using it for our cloth diapers, but we love it for everything now.

2. We use Charlie's powder, which comes in a simple paper sack.

3. Yes.

4. Everything but our cloth diapers.

5. We used to line dry our dipes, but we just moved and haven't put up our clothesline yet.

6. Nope

7. We need to get our clothesline up!

Sonja said...

1. I use ecover in a cardbox and some other stuff (also ecological) for wool and so on which comes in a plastic bottle but one little bottle has lasted for the last 4 years.

2. see above. Since that stuff out of the plastic bottle takes good care of my delicate clothes so that they will last decades, I don't feel bad about that.

3. I have no clue what that is, we simply have a good washing machine. Here the machines are rated from D to A+++, and ours is an A I believe. However I think I remember that european washing machines use less water than the standard american ones.

4. We wash clothes at 30°, 40° or 60°, depending on what (cotton, linens, etc), and every once in a while we do a 90° cycle to clean the washing machine from the inside. That is highly recommended for the pipes and so.

5. Line dry of course. Our climate is not so humid, and dryers are very uncommon. Usually only allergic people or those with lots of children have them or use those at the laundromats. Energy is expensive here.

6. *laughs out loud* A ban for that? You've got to be kidding me. The german government overregulates pretty much everything ( to the point where you can either cry or laugh to not go insane), but to be banning clotheslines? Too absurd to even think about that.

7. I'm happy with our laundry routine.

shabadeux said...

1. All Free and Clear

2. I should probably worry more, but I don't. I haven't been satisfied with how powders clean my clothes. I have aspirations of making my own detergent but it seems like such a pain...

3. No

4. Yes, all but my bedding

5. Yes, I have clotheslines in my basement that are great!

6. I'm not sure. I'm in an apartment building. I love that there are clotheslines up in the basement but I'm sure hanging them outside is against the lease.

7. I wish I could have an outdoor clothes line. I'd probably dry linens on it. Right now they go in the dryer.

Lisa Nelsen-Woods said...

1. What kind of laundry detergent do you use? I make my own powdered version.

2. Do you worry about the plastic packaging and choose cardboard packaging and powders instead? Nope. See #1.

3. Do you have a high efficiency washer (HE)? Yes.

4. Do you wash your clothes in cold water? Always have.

5. Do you ever line dry your clothes? Sheets during the winter for added humidity. Everything wrinkles & takes twice as much time to iron. I'd put them in the dryer for 15 min to dewrinkle/fluff towels but in 15 more minutes it'd be dry & the task wouldn't 2 day. Summer & Spring pollen make line drying miserable for me. Dryer wins.

6. Do you live in an area with a clothesline ban? Yes. But when I line dry I do it on hangers on the shower curtain rod in my bathroom.

7. Are you happy with your laundry routine or do you wish you could do more to lower your impact in that area? I average 3 loads a week in cold w/ homemade detergent. I think that makes up for using the dryer & not having to use the iron.

Anonymous said...

1. I make mine myself with borax, baking soda, and grated Ivory soap.
2. I don't worry about packageing.
3.no- I have a Lehman's hand washer.
4. Cold water
5. Line dry everyday unless too cold, then dry inside on rack and hangers
6.No bans on lines.
7. I would like to have a wringer washer. And I get a little irritated with 19yo daughter changing clothes 3x a day.