When doing your laundry, you may not be thinking about protecting the planet – but we are. We are continually looking for ways not only to make your laundry experience better, but also to ensure it is environmentally friendly. That’s because we know that when you take into account everything from the manufacturing process to the packaging used for your detergent, the most significant environmental impact your laundry has is the energy used to heat the water in your washing machine. We also know that when your laundry process is efficient, you get to save valuable energy. So how do you save energy and help protect the planet? And how can Ariel help? Let's take a look.
Turn the washing down
When it comes to doing your laundry, the most efficient way to save energy is to turn down the washing temperature on your machine to 30°C or below. Turning your wash temperature down can save up to 60% energy in every wash, showing that every degree you choose, makes a difference.* Two-fifths of us are already turning the dial down to 30°C or lower in a bid to save money and reduce our carbon footprint, but all too often it comes with a cost: Our clothes simply aren’t as clean as we’d like. Certain stains need hot water to be removed, which is why they fail to disappear on lower temperatures completely. Whether it’s your favourite T-shirt, your child’s PE kit, or items you wear every day: We all want the reassurance that our laundry will emerge from the machine perfectly clean.
What if we told you that you can get brilliant results even in a cold wash? You can, as long as you use the right detergent: Ariel All-in-one PODS® washing capsules have been specifically designed to clean brilliantly even in a cold wash. Its formula has been developed to tackle even those hard-to-remove stains that have a high melting point – and are usually harder to shift at cooler temperatures – so you can still get outstanding stain removal even at 30°C or lower. Now you can reduce your carbon emissions, save money, and still get beautifully clean, stain-free laundry.
Moreover, if you use shorter, colder wash cycles, you can reduce the amount of microfibre entering the environment, and polluting the oceans.
Further tips for efficient and sustainable washing
There are more ways you can save energy when you do the washing wash. For instance, Ariel offers you better stain removal on tough stains in 1 wash, so there’s no need to pre-wash. Here are some other things you can do to save energy, from loading the washing machine correctly to recycling your Ariel packages properly.
How to load your washing machine
To prevent energy being wasted, make sure you fill up your washing machine before every wash. If you want to avoid your clothes from coming out of the wash with detergent stains all over them, then do not overload your washing machine. You should be able to fit an upturned palm into the top of your drum. If you can’t fit one hand in, then take something out.
Dosing detergent correctly
Getting the detergent dosage right depends on the size of your laundry load, the level of dirt, and the water hardness in your area. Too much detergent and you not only waste detergent, but you may need to wash again due to the accumulation of suds, which makes it hard for your clothes to be rinsed properly, and is why you get those mystery stains on your clothes after washing them. You’ll waste energy and water, as well as detergent. That’s not good for either your wallet or the environment. All Ariel packs have dosing instructions on the side to guide you on how much to use per wash. You can find out more in our full guide on how to dose.
Check the instructions
Follow the instructions on your detergent, your appliance, and check the fabric care labels on the items you are washing. These will help make sure you get optimal results every time, so you do not have to wash things twice. You should also check the appliance’s instructions to see if they provide an energy and water use rating for each cycle. It is important you get the facts on water and energy use for your most commonly used cycles so you can get a more efficient and sustainable clean.
Recycling
Check the packaging symbols to make sure you recycle or dispose of packages correctly. Besides reducing landfill, recycling means that there is no need to create new packaging from raw materials.
* Washing machine energy consumption, from 60°C to 30°C, normal cycle.
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Our approach to sustainable detergent packaging
You don’t buy Ariel for the packaging, you buy it for the quality of the detergent inside it. That doesn’t change the importance of the package, though.
Our commitment to compaction
We are also continually working to reformulate our liquid and powder laundry detergents into more concentrated and compacted forms.
Sustainable manufacturing
Our future depends on sustainability, which is why we have made it our mission to reduce the environmental footprint of the manufacturing process used to create our Ariel products.
