How to wash outdoor garments sustainably

Did you know that most people have inherited their washing habits from their parents? This means that the way we wash has not been updated even though we now have completely different washing machines, detergents and a different knowledge. Our dirty laundry has a negative impact on the environment and wears out our clothes. Here you will therefore get our best tips for reducing your environmental impact and extending the life of your clothes with a focus on outdoor clothing!

As part of its Better Living Program Electrolux has set an ambitious sustainability goal in clothing care: by 2030, clothes should last twice as long and their environmental impact should be halved. With this vision in mind, Electrolux conducted the survey last year The Truth About Laundry where 12,000 people answered questions about their laundry habits and which is presented in The Laundry Report to create an understanding of current attitudes and behaviors regarding people's views on clothing care and the extent to which they consider the environment. This is the largest European survey on laundry habits ever conducted.

We wash on a routine basis

The survey shows, among other things, that six out of ten Swedes (61%) have the same washing habits today as they have always had and as they once learned, despite the fact that today's washing machines have a completely different capacity and despite the growing awareness of the environment and climate. Our routine washing habits may also explain why over half of all adults (53%) are unaware that washing at higher temperatures causes clothes to wear out more and thus do not last as long.

”We care about our clothes and the vast majority of people realise that there are environmental benefits to making their clothes last longer. If we can educate people to take small but significant steps to update their washing habits, the results will be significant.”, says Vanessa Butani, Head of Sustainability Electrolux Europe.

How to take care of your outdoor clothing

So what advice should the customer who is wondering about washing instructions get? Here are tips for our most common outdoor garments.

For outerwear with a waterproof membrane, do this:

Empty pockets and close all zippers, Velcro fasteners and buttons to protect them and avoid damaging the garment.
It is okay to wash several items at the same time, but do not fill the washing machine completely.
Use liquid detergent (not powder) or products that are designed to clean membranes.
Do not add any fabric softener.
Select the washing program "synthetics wash" and 30˚C, set the spin speed to a maximum of 600 rpm.
You may wish to run the rinse program and spin cycle again to ensure that all soap residue is rinsed away.
Shell garments that have a waterproof membrane such as Gore-Tex® are best dried in a drying cabinet or tumble dryer as the heat reactivates the impregnation that is naturally present in the garment.
After a period of use, you can advantageously re-impregnate leather garments.

Wool underwear, do this:

Air out! Wool has natural, antibacterial properties and should not be washed after each use because washing wears out the wool fibers.
Please use detergent suitable for wool garments.
Do not use fabric softener, it destroys the wool fibers by drying them out and the wool fibers lose their natural elasticity and softness.
Wool garments should generally be air-dried, but it is fine to tumble dry wool socks or use programs specifically designed for wool.

Fleece, do this:

It is advisable to wash fleece garments inside out to avoid the outside becoming pilled and unsightly.
Please use a laundry bag to protect your garments and prevent microplastics from getting into the water.
Fabric softener prevents static electricity

General washing tips for sustainable washing:

Wash sparingly
Follow the washing instructions, but wash slightly cooler than stated.
Fill the washing machine
Use environmentally friendly detergent
Dose the correct amount of detergent
Do not use fabric softener, or make your own
Close zipper and Velcro
Use a laundry bag when washing functional clothing and synthetics

Movie: Electrolux

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