A Care Guide for Sustainable Clothing
Because what happens after you buy matters just as much.
Here’s a question worth asking:
If a garment is made from natural fabrics, does that make it fully sustainable?
Short answer: not quite.
Sustainable fashion isn’t only about how something is made.
It’s also about how long it lasts—and how we care for it in between wears.
Washing our clothes has a surprisingly large environmental footprint.
The average household does over 400 loads of laundry per year, using around 60,000 liters of water.
And that’s not even counting the energy it takes to heat water or run dryers.
It also shortens the lifespan of what we wear.
The good news?
Small shifts in how we care for our clothes can make a big difference.
1. Wash Less
Not every piece needs a wash after one wear.
Unless it’s underwear or socks, ask yourself: is it really dirty?
If there’s no visible stain or odor—consider folding it back instead of tossing it in the wash.
2. Choose Cleaner Detergents
Opt for plant-based, biodegradable detergents that are kind to your clothes and the planet.
Whether powder or liquid, skip the plastic pods and choose a concentrated option you trust.
3. Skip Extra Rinses
It may sound like a deeper clean—but a second rinse can do more harm than good.
A good detergent includes water softeners that help remove mineral buildup.
Extra rinsing might actually reintroduce those minerals and leave fabrics dull and stiff.
4. Use Cold Water
Nearly 90% of the energy used in washing goes into heating water.
Cold washes are often just as effective—especially for everyday clothing.
Exceptions? Towels, undergarments, or anything requiring disinfection.
(And don’t forget to clean your machine regularly!)
5. Air Dry Whenever You Can
Line-drying or flat-drying isn’t just gentler on your clothes—it can lower your home’s carbon footprint by up to 1,000 kg per year.
It’s one of the simplest, most powerful steps you can take.
Natural fabrics are gifts from nature—
and like all good things, they respond to care, patience, and gentleness.
With the right habits, your clothes will last longer, feel better, and leave less behind.
Because taking care of what you wear is also a way of taking care of where it came from.
