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The results of a seven-year study have shown that washing garments in gentler ways can extend their life by up to 50%.
The Fourth Edition of the “Truth About Laundry Report” introduces new findings that show how choosing lower temperatures and shorter cycle times can increase textile life by over 50%.
This study, conducted by Stockholm’s Electrolux Group as part of an ongoing seven-year research project, aims to extend the life of clothes.
Impact of Washing Techniques on Clothing Durability and Environmental Benefits
Researchers tested different methods of washing on a variety of fabrics, such as jeans and T-shirts made from cotton. Over 600 members of a panel determined the time when garments should be thrown away. They monitored fading regularly.
Electrolux Care Index is the result of this research. It measures how different wash treatments affect garment durability. Washing a cotton T shirt at 30degC and 59 minutes increases its durability over 50% when compared with a 40degC standard cycle that can last as long as 120 minutes. Jeans showed similar results.
Challenges in Changing Consumer Laundry Habits and Environmental Considerations
In 2021 we published an assessment of the lifecycle of Electrolux washing machines. This showed that by lowering the temperature of the machine from 40degC down to 30degC, the potential global warming could be reduced by between 20-25%, said Elisa Stabon. She was the lead researcher of the study. We have now gone deeper in this research. We must increase the use of clothing to reduce its significant impact on the environment. To achieve this, we can wear clothes more often between washings. We can also wash the garments under gentler conditions – lower temperatures and shorter cycle times.
In Europe, on average, Europeans throw away over 6.5kg of clothing per year, 87% are either burned or sent to landfills. It amounts to almost 13.5 tons of clothing thrown out every day. Most of it is thrown out before its time. According to WRAP (a UK climate action NGO), extending clothing’s lifespan is the best way to reduce garment’s carbon footprint, waste, and water footprint.
However, encouraging consumers to use gentler cycles of washing remains a difficult task. The study, which has been conducted since 2020 in 14 European countries and surveyed 14,000 individuals, found that, despite the millions of washing mishaps experienced, many households still wash their laundry at high temperatures.
The length of a washing cycle has a major impact on the lifespan of shirts. Only 12 percent of Europeans think so. After a washing, two-thirds (or 63%) of Europeans were disappointed to find their clothing shrunk or misshaped. Nearly three quarters also noticed that their clothes had faded.
Electrolux Group data indicates that 40degC is most often used on the cotton setting of washing machines, and cycles last 90-120 minutes. Appliances should be set to default the lowest setting. Electrolux’s latest washing machines, for example, default at 30degC and 20degC.
Referral Links
– Electrolux Group Official Website
– [WRAP – Waste and Resources Action Programme](https://wrap.org.uk)
