Washing sustainably

Did you know that laundering accounts for approx. 3% of the garment’s total climate impact? The longer lifespan a garment has, the greater this percentage. This is why it’s so important to wash in the right way, not only to extend the garment’s lifespan but to reduce its climate impact. Here are our top tips for climate smart washing!

1. Sorting

Color

f you wash one-colour and multicolour clothes in the same load, there’s a risk that a one-color garment will discolour the lighter colours in the other clothes.

How to sort colors:

• All-white garments – only wash with other all-white garments; completely avoid all other colors.
• One-color garments – wash with garments in similar colors.
• Multicolor garments – wash with other multicolor garments. Wash garments with lighter and darker colors separately.

Did you know that?

Your garments may become discoloured if you leave them in the washing machine after the wash cycle has ended. When damp garments are left lying together, colour may run from coloured garments on to the others. This is why you should try to hang your clothes up to dry as soon as the wash cycle has ended.

2. Dosage

A full load

Washing a full load saves energy, which reduces your ecological footprint. There should still be some space (the size of a clenched fist) in the drum when you wash a full load. Remember it’s never a good idea to overfill your washing machine – it can damage your appliance and your clothes.

Correct amount of laundry detergent

Using too much laundry detergent means the excess is flushed down the drain, which harms the environment, and may also discolour your clothes. This is why it’s important to always follow the dosage instructions for the specific laundry detergent you’re using. And always use eco-label laundry detergents.

No fabric softener

We recommend that you avoid using fabric softener as it overloads the environment and the garment. It’s abrasive to the fabric of your clothes and shortens their lifespan.

Did you know that?

• water hardness varies in different parts of Sweden? If you have hard water, you’ll need to increase the dose. But the water is soft in most parts of Sweden and there is no reason to increase the dose.
• different washing machines have different energy classes? A washing machine with the highest energy class can save a lot of energy on each wash.
• newer washing machines usually have many different laundry programmes? Select the laundry programme that best suits your needs, so you can save energy and water on each load.
• certain garments, such as wool garments, usually only need airing rather than washing?

3. Drying

From an environmental perspective, it’s best not to use a tumble dryer or a drying cabinet, and your clothes will last longer if they’re allowed to dry naturally. But there’s one exception to this general rule. Outerwear garments actually need to be dried in a tumble dryer or drying cabinet in order to retain their water resistance. And you must allow them to dry completely. However, it’s important to dry them at the temperature specified in their washing instructions. If the garment should be washed at 40°C then that will also be the maximum drying temperature.

Fill your tumble dryer but never overload it, as your garments will dry unevenly and get wrinkled. And it’s best to only dry garments with the same drying times together. Synthetic and cotton fabrics have very different drying times, for example.

Washing jeans

If you take good care of a pair of jeans, they’ll be a go-to wardrobe staple for a long time, and their look and feel will only get better with time. Here are some handy tips for washing jeans.

• Follow the jeans’ washing instructions.
• Empty all pockets.
• Turn the jeans inside out; this avoids creating any unsightly stripes in the folds of the jeans.
• Always wash with similar colours – this is particularly important for darker denim.
• Use a bleach-free laundry detergent.
• Do not use fabric softener. Fabric softener may impair the elasticity of the jeans and is bad for the environment.
• Don’t leave jeans wet.
• Remove your jeans from the washing machine as soon as the washing cycle has finished. Turn right side out, shake and stretch the legs.

Let jeans air dry. Do not tumble dry them, as this may cause them to lose their shape.

Washing technical outerwear

If you wash a technical outerwear garment the right way, it will last longer. And how you dry the garment is just as important. Here are some useful tips to keep in mind! But remember that it will often be enough to wipe the garment with a damp cloth – it’s best for the garment and our planet.

Washing

Follow the washing instructions Wash at the correct temperature and with similar colors.

Close all parts

Close all buttons, zips, buckles and Velcro fastenings. This avoids unnecessary wear and tear on the different parts of the garment and the outer fabric.

Inside out

Wash the garment inside out to avoid wear and tear on the outer fabric.

No fabric softener

Don’t use fabric softener, as it can impair the garment’s water resistance.

Don’t leave it wet

Remove the garment from your washing machine as soon as the wash cycle has ended. This prevents colour running on to other parts of the garment.

Washing fleece

Avoid washing your fleece items if possible. You can spot-wash any stain and airing the garment is another good alternative. If it does need washing, we recommend using the Guppy Friend washing bag – this captures any microplastic particles that synthetic materials may release during washing, which stops them ending up in our lakes and seas. The bag also protects your clothes during washing, which means that they’ll last longer!

Dry

Always dry in a tumble dryer or drying cabinet, but at a low temperature. The garment will need heat treatment after washing to reactivate its water resistance. Do this by drying the garment at its recommended washing temperature in a tumble dryer/drying cabinet. This avoids unsealing taped seams. In time, the water resistance will gradually be washed away and this is unavoidable. The garment will need to be re-waterproofed. You can buy waterproofing sprays from most sport and outdoor clothing retailers – just remember they should be free from PFCs!

Washing UV-garments

To ensure that UV garments maintain their high sun protection, you need to look after them in the right way. Luckily, this is easy to do!

Washing

UPF 50 means that the garment gives 50 times more protection than if you were to wear no sun protection at all. Wearing a UV garment makes good sense – especially for children, as their skin is extra sensitive. This is why it’s so important to look after children’s UV clothes. Best of all, it’s really simple!

Rinse the garment after it’s been worn
Carefully rinse in cold tap water as soon as you’ve finished swimming for the day.
Turn the garment inside out
Follow the UV garment’s washing instructions
Use a bleach-free laundry detergent

Dry

Do not dry in the sun or tumble dry. Dry in the shade or indoors instead.

 

How to wash different fabrics

Different fabrics have different needs. Viscose is easily damaged when it’s wet; it’s usually enough just to air a wool garment after wearing it. Find out about different fabrics and keeping garments looking nice for longer.

Wool

Wool doesn’t attract a lot of dirt. This means you can often just shake and air a wool garment to keep it clean. But if the garment does need washing, use a laundry detergent for delicate fabrics and select the wool cycle on your washing machine.

Viscose

Viscose is a fibre that is easily damaged and may even tear when wet. This is why you should wash viscose on the delicates cycle in your washing machine and preferably use a mesh washing bag. When viscose is wet it contracts slightly, and turns hard and stiff, so reshape it very carefully while it’s still damp. Once the garment has dried, iron it so it regains its original shape and “lustre”.

Synthetic fabrics

Synthetic fibers don’t absorb dirt as easily and you can usually wipe outwear garments clean with a damp cloth. We even give you a free cloth when you buy an outerwear garment from us, for this very purpose! Synthetic fibres are also strong and elastic, making them more durable and less prone to creasing. But if you must wash the garment, select the synthetics cycle on your washing machine.

Fleece

We always recommend that you avoid washing clothes unnecessarily, since this is better for both our planet and the garment. This applies to fleece garments in particular, as washing fleece releases tiny microplastic particles that pollute our lakes and oceans. You can spot-wash any stains and another good option is to simply air your fleece garments. If the garment does need washing, we sell Guppyfriend – an eco-smart washing bag that captures microplastic particles, while the soft surface of the bag ensures that the garment is washed more gently. This extends the lifespan of the garment, so it can be worn for longer!

Did you know that…

Cotton is a really strong material and could be washed at up to 90°C. But a cotton garment consists of more than just cotton fibres – e.g. a lovely print on the garment will not be able to withstand washing at the same high temperature as cotton and stay looking good, wash after wash. This is why it’s important for you to always follow the garment’s washing instructions.