We all know that feeling of wearing clean clothes: that lovely scent of freshness with a hint of detergent can really make my day when I put on new clothes in the morning. But what about clothes that you don’t need to wash that much!? How would that help our environment and which fabrics actually require less washing?!
Breathable fabrics (wool, silk, hemp, linen) are odor-resistant and require less washing. By wearing natural fibers, you can save energy by hand washing them in cold water. They dry quickly and can be air-dried. Wool fibers are stain-resistant to a high degree and are also wrinkle-free, hence they don’t need ironing.
If you’re reading this article you probably already know that washing your clothes less helps our environment in many, many ways. Luckily there are a few fabrics that don’t require (much) washing! Let’s find out which ones!
Does Washing Less Help the Environment?!
There are several things that reduce our impact on the environment when it comes to our wardrobe. Washing our clothes is one of them, and again, there are several things that can make a difference.
Wash Less, Save Water
One of the most obvious reasons to opt for clothes that require less washing is because of the water you can save by not washing. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an average washing machine uses 41 gallons of water per load. According to the Spruce, an average American family does 8-10 loads of laundry a week.
Shall I do the math for you? That is 328-410 gallons of water per week (1241-1552 liters).
By choosing clothes that require less washing, we can reduce the amount of water that we use significantly!
Washing Cold Saves Energy
By using cold water instead of hot water for your load of laundry, you can save energy that would otherwise be used for heating up the water.
According to the EPA, 90% of the energy used to wash one load of laundry, is used to heat up the water, while only 10% is used to get the motor running!
Another benefit of using cold water only is that you can use mild detergents instead of the chemical ones. Strong detergents often require hot water in order to dissolve properly and generally contain more chemicals than softer, biodegradable ones.
Air-Drying Saves Energy
Garments that don’t require drying in a drying machine save another whole bunch of energy.
According to Green America, a dryer is the third-most energy consuming appliance, so when you stop using it, you can save a lot of energy!
On top of that, your garments will last longer and look newer for a longer period of time without using the dryer. The dryer wears out your garments quickly!
Another benefit of NOT using a dryer is that it can save the environment by saving it from those softener sheet with all its chemical parts.
Avoid Ironing to Save Energy
Another appliance that eats your energy (and feeds your energy bill) is the iron. While it might make your clothes look neat and freshen them up, they also use a high amount of energy, especially to start.
According to Mark Gersave, who is quoted in the Female Network: “every person emits 190 kilograms of CO2 equivalent in greenhouse gases each year by ironing clothes”.
Opting for non-iron or wrinkle-free clothes (or embracing the power of natural wrinkles) can therefore help the environment.
The Below Fabrics Are a Guideline
Of course, the washing cycle, temperature, frequency, detergent, etc. will vary depending on the type of garment that you are washing. For example, sheets and bed linen are washed at a higher temperature to kill germs and other scary things; brightly colored garments are washed at a cold temperature; and undies and sports clothes should be washed after every wear, and the former will need hot water, too.
1. Alpaca Wool
Most wool fibers require little washing, and alpaca wool is no exception. Alpaca wool has several features that help it stay clean and fresh for a long period of time.
Alpaca wool is stain-resistant to a high degree. While it is not 100% stain-proof, most stains don’t stand a chance against alpaca wool!
I tested spilling red wine on a piece of WHITE alpaca wool, and most of the wine got absorbed by a piece of kitchen towel underneath it. The wine was actually repelled by the fabric and I could wick away any leftover drops very easily. Now in the end, a bit of a red wine stain was visible, but that could have probably been prevented by rinsing it off immediately (which I didn’t do).
Check out my video and see for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/embed/2duu7Wb5aJY?autoplay=0&mute=0&controls=1&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yanantin-alpaca.com&playsinline=1&showinfo=0&rel=0&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&enablejsapi=1&widgetid=5
Another reason that makes alpaca wool perfect for less washing is the fact that it doesn’t really absorb any smells. Again, while alpaca wool is not 100% odor-proof, it is definitely odor-resistant to a high degree. We can thank the unique fiber texture for this: as its tightly closed-off scales protect the core from penetrating smells.
Another reason for this is that alpaca wool is highly breathable. Breathable fabrics have the benefit that they move the air around constantly, so when bad smells are trapped inside the fiber, the fabric naturally disposes of them. Even when persistent smells get “stuck” inside an alpaca woolen garment, airing it will be sufficient to really get rid of it!
Alpaca woolen garments are also antibacterial. While there is no consensus on why or how exactly this works, alpaca woolen garments are generally found to be much less smelly after it has been worn during high-intensity activities, for example.
This helps garments to prevent it from smelling like sweat for example, since sweat needs bacteria in order to become stinky, and if alpaca wool is antibacterial, that means this won’t happen!
- Read the full article I wrote about this topic here, and learn all the details: Is Alpaca Wool Antibacterial?
So, with all that in mind, it is reasonable to accept that you barely need to wash alpaca woolen products!
But, when alpaca woolen garments do require a wash, there are another couple of benefits that make washing garments more environmentally friendly!
Alpaca woolen garments NEED to be hand washed. Not even the “hand wash” program of your washing machine will do. It needs to be hand washed, by hand, using your two hands.
It also needs to be washed in cold water, or lukewarm water at most, which means that you can save energy by avoiding hot water!
After washing alpaca woolen garments, drying will also need to be done naturally, so skip the dryer and avoid wasting money and energy. On top of the monetary and environmental benefits, you really don’t want to wash your alpaca woolen garment in the washing machine as heat and friction are the main causes of alpaca woolen garments to felt and shrink!
Dry your alpaca woolen garments laying flat on an even surface, between two towels.
- Read more about how to carefully wash your alpaca woolen garment in another article I wrote: How Do You Wash Alpaca Woolen Garments?
Whether you wash an alpaca woolen garment or not, it never needs to be ironed! First of all, ironing wool fibers is a bad idea as it can damage the fibers irreversibly. And second, it just doesn’t need it because alpaca wool is iron-free and wrinkle-resistant!
I made a video in which I explain in more detail how this works!
As you can see in the video, while alpaca wool might still get some wrinkles, hanging the garment (not when it’s wet!) will get rid of these naturally! All you need is some patience and not using your iron 🙂
Another bonus point that makes alpaca uniquely sustainably washable (that’s a thing now) is that it comes in 22 natural colors! With that in mind, there are so many options to choose from that don’t require chemical dyes! And that means that those chemical dyes don’t pollute the environment when they end up in the water!
2. Merino Wool
Merino wool is very similar to alpaca wool and has most of the benefits that alpaca wool has, therefore making it a very good fiber to wash in a sustainable way.
HOWEVER, there are many different types of merino wool and the sustainability of your merino woolen garment will vary highly per brand, per type of garment, per batch of wool, and many other factors!
As a general rule of thumb, you can assume that untreated fibers are more sustainably washable than treated fibers! Fibers are often treated to be washable, which is A) often done with chemicals and B) takes away the whole idea of not needing to wash a merino woolen garment!
Treating merino wool often means removing the lanolin and/or its protecting scales, which are exactly the things that add to the benefits that prevent merino wool from needing to be washed regularly.
The benefits of merino wool described below apply to the merino woolen garments that are used in their most natural state.
Merino wool is breathable and also has stain-resisting properties. Just like alpaca wool, it is not 100% stain proof. However, it does a great job at repelling most stains before they are given too much time to get absorbed. And no stains means no need to wash it!
Being breathable and hygroscopic helps to maintain a constant body temperature, which means that the wearer of a merino woolen garment is unlikely to sweat much. And if you don’t sweat much, it means it will be safe from sweat-stains and smells!
According to Masterclass, merino wool naturally contains lanolin and has antibacterial properties that keep a merino woolen garment (mostly) free from odor.
When merino woolen garments are washed, they are best washed in cold water, by hand. The fibers are best maintained by avoiding a washing machine. Given that merino wool is odor-repellent, stain-repellent and breathable washing is rarely necessary to begin with.
For drying a garment, the same rule applies: all natural is better than using those energy-eating machines. Air-drying will maintain the quality and shape of a garment and avoids using a dryer. Merino wool is best dried laying flat.
Given its high elasticity (even higher than alpaca wool) merino woolen items are very, very unlikely to show any creases or wrinkles. Ironing will therefore not be necessary!
3. Hemp
Hemp is a newish fabric that is actually really old, but recently “rediscovered”. One of the reasons for its popularity is the many sustainable features it has. So, how about washing hemp? Is it also sustainable?
While there are definitely some downsides to hemp, like it being very prone to wrinkling, there are also many benefits of hemp over many other fibers!
Hemp garments are best washed by hand, as this will maintain their quality for a longer period of time. Just like wool fibers, they are best washed in cold water. So, while you can wash a hemp garment in the washing machine, it is best for the environment and the garment to avoid it.
Hemp is also super easy to wash by hand, and you can just leave it soaking for one hour and then rinse it off. No rubbing, squeezing or spinning cycles needed when it comes to hand-washing hemp!
- Check out this step by step guide from Wama Underwear.
Washing hemp will also cause it to shed a bit, especially when a garment is new. BUT, if you compare this shedding to the microplastics that are shed by synthetic fibers, you could actually see it as a positive thing! 🙂
Clothing made with hemp is best preserved with line drying, aux natural. So, no need of a dryer, as hemp garments will dry well without it.
Another great benefit of hemp is that it has a beautiful natural color. Even hemp fabrics that are (naturally) dyed will still have this soft-ish look, which I personally LOVE! It also means that natural colors don’t have any scary chemical components that they can set loose in the water when they’re washed!
4. Linen
Linen is another one of those awesomely sustainable fabrics. Being very natural, it is also a fabric that can be washed in a sustainable way.
Just like hemp, however, linen is very prone to wrinkling! This is one of the major downsides of linen fabrics. Some prefer to iron linen, while others prefer to accept linen’s wrinkly nature as part of its beauty.
Linen fabrics are best washed by hand. They are also super breathable and are the perfect fabric to wear in summer. Since linen garments are so breathable, you as a wearer, are less likely to sweat, which means that linen garments are less likely to smell like sweat.
Linen garments are also said to be antibacterial and are therefore able to prevent bacteria from making a garment smelly.
So, there is very little need to wash linen clothes in a washing machine. Another reason why you want to avoid washing linen in a washing machine is because they need a lot of water in order to move freely. Since this is especially the case for linen garments that are washed in a washing machine, it is better to let linen garments soak in water. Doing this as part of a hand wash, you will save water!
Linen is best washed in cold water, although others say it should be washed in warm water and again others say that it should be washed in hot water. So, not sure about this one, actually, although it is certain that colors are maintained best when they are washed in cold water.
5. Leather
If you own any leather garments, you will probably understand instantly that you don’t need to wash them regularly, if at all. In general, stains are easily removed manually and most leather garments will maintain its typical smell of leather for a while (which I personally love, but that might be just me).
When leather does absorb smells, they can easily be removed with simple, natural home remedies like bicarbonate soda or vinegar.
- Check the WikiHow Page for more details!
Leather, however, can actually be washed in a washing machine! But for me, this really goes against all of my natural instincts and I would personally stick to not washing leather garments. I’d stick to never washing leather garments and totally taking advantage of the fact that they don’t really need it!
6. Silk
Silk is another one of those breathable fabrics that will not get smelly easily. While silk has a major downside that it shows stains very easily, it is, however, very easy to hand wash silk garments to remove stains.
Silk garments are best washed in cold water and in a hand wash – no machine wash. Silk garments are very delicate and despite the fiber being incredibly strong, you don’t want to risk ruining your silk dress or top by washing it in a washing machine.
Washing silk in the washing machine doesn’t only involve the risk of damaging the garment, but can also cause a silk piece of clothing to lose its shine and bright colors! And those are exactly the features that make such a precious fabric!
Another benefit of silk is that they remain their beauty when taken care of properly, while polyester garments might look like silk, they are a bazillion times inferior when it comes to quality: polyester is really prone to pilling and loses its shape easily!
Just like any other delicate fabric, you’re going to want to air-dry silk garments to dry naturally.
Silk is best hung to dry or put flat on a towel. The dryer doesn’t only use unnecessary energy, the direct exposure to heat also damages the fiber. By putting silk in the dryer you risk garments to shrink as well.
Another benefit of silk is that you can easily remove wrinkles. Silk in and of itself is pretty resistant to wrinkling, although some might appear after a wash.
Luckily, there is actually a very easy solution for it. If you hang a silk garment in a steamy environment (like in the bathroom when you take a shower), the wrinkles will decrease significantly!
7. Bamboo and Other Rayon/Viscose Fabrics
Bamboo is an example of a rayon or viscose fabric. Rayon are semi-synthetic fibers and have a natural source (like wood pulp or bamboo), but are treated chemically in order to be turned into a fabric.
The benefit of bamboo is that it is highly antibacterial and these features are carried over into rayon fabrics made with bamboo, according to Robert Owen. As a result, bamboo clothes will not smell easily and will actually remain neutrally fresh (or freshly neutral?) even after intensive wearing.
Another reason for rayon fabrics to be less prone to getting smelly is that they are very breathable as well. Rayon fabrics are often used for sports clothes because of this. While many sports clothes are actually treated to be even more odor-resistant, fabrics made with bamboo should be so naturally (check per brand, though!).
Just like most other natural fabrics, bamboo fabrics are kept best when they are washed in cold water. Another benefit is that harsh detergents that contain bleach or chlorine can cause white bamboo shirts to turn yellow-ish.
Why is that a benefit? Because you want to avoid those anyways and this is just another reason why!
Washing bamboo garments in a washing machine will also increase the risk of pilling, making your garment look old and worn. ANd if you do want to insist on washing your bamboo garments in a washing machine, the shorter the cycle, the better.
8. Cotton
Personally, cotton is one of my personal favourites when it comes to sustainable and comfortable fabrics. HOWEVER, cotton does absorb water like a sponge and takes quite some time to dry – making it the perfect breeding place for bacteria!
I personally don’t think my cotton clothes get smelly easily, I did read MANY comments online about cotton being one of the worst NATURAL fabrics to smell a lot and to smell easily!
However-however, despite the fact that it might get smelly easily, the washing instructions for cotton are pretty green: in cold water and best washed by hand. Hand wash, no machine hand wash program!
When it is time to dry a cotton item, it is best done by hanging the garment on a line or clothes rack. Drying cotton clothes in a dryer can cause them to shrink and wrinkle, so it’s a super win-win to do it the “old fashioned” way!
So, despite the negative possibility of cotton fabrics getting smelly easily, they are easy to wash!
One thing that the Internet uniformly did have against cotton, is the fact that it stains easily. So whether or not it will smell easily, cotton is not your best friend when it comes to stains.
Like I said earlier, when it comes to absorption, cotton is a winner, but this means that stains get absorbed quickly, too. Normally, the best way to remove stains is by acting quickly, but with cotton, you might be too late too soon.
What’s the Deal With Everything-Resistant Finishes?
I hear you wonder… Aren’t there another bazillion options that are odor-resistant? Stain-resistant? Wrinkle-free? Quick dry? Yes, there are.
However, those garments are often polyester or any other synthetic material in combination with highly chemical solutions in order to keep them something-proof.
There are several downsides to such finishes, like:
- Damaging for the environment when produced
- Damaging for the environment when washed
- Non-biodegradable
- Decreasing effectiveness
- Dangerous components can be absorbed through the skin
While some finishes are more damaging than others, I always prefer to stick to natural garments with all their great benefits! But if you’re curious about what’s out there, here are some examples:
- Fluorinated Durable Water Repellent (Read more on Patagonia’s website to see why they want to get rid of them, too!)
- Silver-ion-based odor-control additives (Yes, silver is actually highly antibacterial, meaning that it is highly effective to prevent odors: Lululemon uses it!)
- Plastic coatings to make (merino) wool machine-washable (Read more on Frank and Oak’s website to learn about the sustainable wash they use!)
- Anti-Wrinkle (anti-crease, wash and wear) Resins (Release formaldehydes into the environment)
- Quick-Dry and Moisture-Wicking garments: Polyester and Nylon fabrics or blends (You’re going to want to avoid those!)
