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Save energy in your home 

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Saving energy in your home is both good for the environment and your bank. Implement these tips and make your home as energy-efficient as possible today. 

  • Turn off lights and appliances when leaving a room
  • Use energy-saving lightbulbs 
  • Reduce water consumption
  • Cold wash 
  • Air dry 
  • Only wash when full 
  • Invest in efficient appliances 
  • Get a smart meter 

Turn off lights and appliances when leaving a room 

One of the easiest ways to save energy in your home is to turn off all lights and appliances when you leave a room. Leaving lights on when the room is empty is an unnecessary waste of energy, as is leaving appliances on. To save even more energy, unplug your appliances from the wall. Even when turned off, they still use energy, so removing your appliances completely from any source of power will ensure that they do not use any energy whilst not in use. 

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Use energy-saving lightbulbs 

Energy-saving lightbulbs do exactly as their name suggests, they save more energy than standard lightbulbs. Although they use a reduced amount of energy to power them, energy-saving lightbulbs are brighter and last longer than their standard counterparts, which use 90% of their energy to heat rather than illuminate the bulb. You will find energy-saving lightbulbs in most stores or online in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit most common light fixtures.

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Reduce water consumption  

It’s shocking the amount of water that we waste on a daily basis. Heating water for cooking, showering, and drinking uses a significant amount of energy, and most of it goes to waste. To reduce your water consumption consider taking shorter showers and turning the water off whilst you are brushing your teeth. Try to also use the required amount of water for cooking or making hot beverages as it takes more energy to boil a large amount of water than to boil the smaller amount that you will use. 

Cold wash 

Unless your clothing is heavily soiled or needs to be disinfected your clothing can be adequately cleaned using a 30-degree Celsius setting. Lower washing machine temperatures use significantly less energy than higher temperatures, and most laundry detergents work perfectly well in cold washes, with some detergents being cold-wash specific.

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Air dry 

Air drying your clothes uses no energy and has many benefits for your clothing. Firstly, drying your clothing in its original shape, rather than spinning them in a tumble dryer, reduces the number of wrinkles, therefore limiting the need to iron. Secondly, air drying is much gentler on the fibres of your clothing, increasing the longevity of your garments. Finally, if the weather permits and you can air-dry outside, your clothing will be left with the refreshing scent of fresh air. 

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Only wash when full

An easy way to save energy in your home, as well as your own energy, is to only use your appliances when they are full. This means waiting until you have a full laundry basket to use the washing machine and tumble dryer, and waiting until your dishwasher is full until you put it on. Rather than doing small loads of laundry and dishes several times a week, which uses up your own energy as well as the energy in your house, limit yourself to 1 load of laundry and a maximum of 2 dishwasher cycles a week.

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Invest in efficient appliances 

Most modern appliances, such as washing machines, tumble dryers, and fridges, have a high-efficiency rating. Due to the growing environmental crisis, many appliance manufacturers are designing their products to run more environmentally consciously, therefore using less energy. If your appliances are aging, they are more likely to be using more energy. Consider updating your appliances to newer models. Although it may be costly in the short term, in the long run you will find yourself saving money on your energy bills, as well as helping save the environment. 

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Get a smart meter

A smart meter is an excellent way for you to monitor how much energy you are using and how much it is costing you. This is a great way for you to see how you use energy in your home, and evaluate where you can save energy.

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At Laundryheap we are constantly improving the way that we operate in a bid to become as environmentally conscious as possible. To book your Laundryheap order head to the Laundryheap website or download the free Laundryheap app.


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Sustainability at Laundryheap

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Sustainability standards define the way that Laundryheap operates. As a company, we take the challenges of climate change very seriously and strive to do our best to operate as sustainably as possible. 

  • Washing at 30
  • Environmentally-friendly detergent 
  • Water treatment 
  • Recycling 
  • eCargo bikes 

Washing at 30 

Switching to a 30-degree wash saves the average person 38% energy. At Laundryheap, unless a hot wash service is specified, we always wash at 30. Not only does this lower our energy usage, but it also allows us to maintain a high standard of cleaning care for our customer’s clothing. Despite warmer temperatures being beneficial for disinfecting clothing, lower temperatures are more beneficial when lifting stains and improving the longevity of clothing.

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Environmentally-friendly detergent

Most mainstream detergents are made from synthetic chemical compounds which have disastrous effects on the environment. For example, some detergents contain surfactants that help remove dirt from our clothing. Surfactants, however, are also highly toxic to aquatic life and break down the mucus layer that coats fish and protects them from parasites. At Laundryheap, we only use environmentally-friendly detergents, made from natural alternatives. In addition, we use automatic dosing pumps to minimise detergent waste. 

Water treatment 

Commercial laundry wastewater contains a high quantity of contaminants, such as detergents, grease, and dye. If this wastewater is pumped into freshwater bodies without first being treated, it can cause damage to aquatic life and increase water pollution. All of the wastewater generated at our Laundryheap facilities is treated and filtered before being sent into the sewer or sent out via tankers.

Recycling

Recycling is an essential step in helping save our environment. It reduces the need to extract raw materials from the earth and helps conserve natural habitats. Today, the recycling industry provides half of the world’s raw materials. Our switch from plastic to cotton laundry bags has resulted in our customers reusing bags an average of 5 times. In addition to this, we recycle 40% of our wire hangers. 

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eCargo bikes 

In 2019, transport produced 27% of the UK’s total CO2 emissions. E-bikes could cut the UK’s transport emissions by half. Having trialled the EAV2Cubed eCargo bike for a year, we have ordered 200 more bikes in a bid to lower the carbon emissions we omit whilst delivering to our customers. Our CEO, Deyan Dimitrov, commented, “Our EAV’s can move around the city almost twice as fast as vans, and the fact that they make almost no environmental impact whatsoever gives us a much more carbon-neutral status as a business.” 

At Laundryheap we are committed to improving our sustainability, whilst maintaining a fast and reliable service for our customers. To book your Laundryheap order simply head to the Laundryheap website or download the free Laundryheap app.


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Singapore- The city of the future 

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Singapore is a global leader in technology, sustainability, and environmentalism. As COP26 brings together just under 200 of the worlds leaders to discuss the future of our planet, these are just some of the ways that Singapore has become the city of the future.

  • Aquaponics farm
  • Technology farming
  • Innovative structures 
  • Supertrees
  • Cloud Forest

Aquaponics farm 

Singapore imports 90% of its food. Food contributes up to one third of the global greenhouse gas emissions damaging our planet. The Fairmount Singapore and The Stamford hotels are attempting to help combat the colossal amount of food Singapore imports by using an aquaponic farm. The farm, found on the hotels’ roof, uses aquaculture and hydroponics to grow fish and plants. Despite only being 450 sq. m, the rooftop farm will produce 1,200kg of vegetables and 350kg of fish every month once fully operational. Currently, the farm can only grow vegetables and fish, however the hope is that it can branch out into fruits. Although small, the farm is helping Singapore’s achieve its goal of producing 30% of its nutritional needs by 2030. 

Technology farming 

Alongside the aquaponics farm, technology farming is thriving in Singapore. Singapore has very low food security, and with climate change brining unpredictable weather, there is no guarantee that food will reach the country. Technology farms across Singapore use advanced machinery and equipment to help grow food and bring more food security to the area. High-tech egg farms, contained fish farms, and vertical vegetable farms, are all examples of how Singapore is using technological advances to help improve their food security. 

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Innovative structures 

Singapore is home to some of the most iconic structures in the world, one of which is the CapitaGreen building. Located in the Central Business District, the building was designed to be a sustainable environment. Included in the structure is a customised façade that reduces the buildings temperature and a rooftop garden with 40 different types of plant. Additionally, the rooftop holds a 45m windcatcher that captures cool air and channels it to the floors below. Across the city from the CapitaGreen building is the Treehouse, a condo complex that is the world’s largest vertical garden. Each of the complex’s 4 towers is covered in greenery, reducing carbon dioxide and significantly lowering the building’s carbon footprint. 

Image by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas

Supertrees 

One of Singapore’s largest, and most iconic, environmental developments has been the nature park, Gardens by the Bay. Set in the heart of downtown Singapore, the park is made up of 3 waterfront gardens and a Supertree Grove. The Supertrees are home to more than 200 species of plants, and 11 of them have environmentally sustainable functions, such as harnessing solar energy. These alien-like structures are awe-inspiring to see, and are helping lower Singapore’s carbon footprint and increase their use of renewable energy. 

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Cloud Forest

Aside from the Supertree Grove, Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay is home to the Cloud Forest, a conservatoire. With a temperature between 23 and 25 degrees Celsius, the Cloud Forest is home to an array of exotic plants and a 35m tall indoor waterfall. It uses cutting-edge technology to minimise solar heat, de-humidify air, generate energy, and harness heat waste. It is a beautiful spectacle which is both breath-taking and environmentally conscious.

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At Laundryheap we are dedicated to lowering our carbon footprint to do our bit to help save the planet. To book your Laundryheap order head to the Laundryheap website or download the free Laundryheap app.


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Reduce, reuse, recycle whilst doing laundry 

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One of the most effective ways to lower our carbon footprint is to reduce, reuse, and recycle the items we use. That includes when we do our laundry. 

  • Reduce the amount of laundry you do
  • Reduce the temperature you wash at 
  • Reuse detergent bottles 
  • Reuse dryer balls and sheets
  • Recycle containers 
  • Recycle your clothing
  • How Laundryheap is doing their bit 

Reduce the amount of laundry you do

On average a washing machine uses 350 to 500 watts of electricity per hour. The average person does two loads of laundry per week, which translates to 36,400 to 52,000 watts of electricity in just one year. By reducing the amount of laundry you do you could half your yearly electricity usage. There are several ways to reduce your laundry load, including waiting until you have a full laundry basket, spot treating stains, and freezing your jeans.

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Reduce the temperature you wash at

Washing your laundry at 60 degrees will kill bacteria, but use 40% more energy than washing at 30 degrees. You may have noticed when shopping for laundry detergent that many brands now make cold wash detergents. These are detergents that work just as effectively at 30 degrees as they do at hotter temperatures, meaning that you can reduce the temperature you wash at without affecting the cleanliness of your laundry. Be aware that if you are laundering items that are stained it is best to pre-treat them before washing at 30 degrees. 

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Reuse detergent bottles

Once you have used your laundry detergent, don’t throw your bottles away, reuse them. There are a multitude of ways that you can reuse detergent bottles, including making a watering can, a bird feeder, or weights. You can even use your empty detergent bottle to store homemade laundry detergent. Just remember that before you reuse your detergent bottles you need to make sure that they are fully rinsed out. 

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Reuse dryer balls and sheets

Dryer balls and sheets are used to reduce the drying time of your laundry, meaning that you use less energy per load. Rather than using one-use dryer balls and sheets, invest in reusable options. They may be slightly more expensive, but will save you money in the long run. To be even more environmentally conscious you can make your own dryer balls using tin foil or old clothing. 

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Recycle containers

If you don’t want to reuse your detergent bottles, make sure that you recycle them as well as your other laundry containers. Most laundry containers are made from cardboard or plastic, both of which can be recycled. Make sure that you adequately rinse and/or empty your containers before recycling them, ensuring that there is no residue left in the bottom. 

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Recycle your clothing 

It’s not just laundry containers that can be recycled, you can also recycle your clothing. If you notice that you have clothing that you don’t wear often, donate them to a local charity. This will ensure that your clothing gets rehomed rather than being added to the 92 million tons of textile waste created each year. Alternatively, if your clothing is becoming worn or ripped, you could create something new from your scraps. Whether you are an avid sewer and can create a new garment, or you simply use your ripped clothing as a cleaning rag, you can give even the most worn down piece of clothing a new life. 

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How Laundryheap is doing their bit

At Laundryheap we are dedicated to improving the way we work to be more environmentally friendly. For example, we offer our customers the option of an eco friendly route. This means that our drivers are given a wider time slot to collect and redeliver customers laundry so that orders can be grouped together and we can use less fuel. As well as our eco routes, Laundryheap also uses e-bikes in certain areas to reduce the carbon emissions emitted whilst picking up and delivering laundry.

To book your Laundryheap service simply head to the Laundryheap website or download the free Laundryheap app.

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How do you teach children to be environmentally conscious?

Climate change is rapidly altering our world, and we all need to be doing our best to be environmentally conscious. This includes teaching children about climate change and how we can save the planet.

  • Make recycling fun 
  • Show them how amazing the great outdoors is
  • Involve them in food changes
  • Teach them with fun experiments
  • Make energy-saving fun
  • Show them different ways to travel 
  • Limit the amount of single-use plastic in your house
  • Encourage a love of animals 

Make recycling fun 

Recycling helps reduce the pollution caused by waste and reduces the demand for creating new products. Up to 75% of all waste can be recycled, and it’s as easy as separating your rubbish into recyclable and non-recyclable bins. To encourage children to recycle, make the task fun. For example, you could let them decorate the recycling bin using recyclable materials, such as paper. This will help teach them the different recyclable materials, whilst allowing them to be creative. Making recycling less of a chore and more exciting will help children begin to understand what recycling is, how it is done, and why it is important. 

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Show them how amazing the great outdoors is

Nature is amazing and something that must be shared with children. Whether you take them on daily walks around the park, explore a nature reserve, or take a trek around a farm, encourage your children to be outside and exploring nature. If you notice that your local streets and parks are polluted with litter, you could take your children litter picking, explaining along the way the damage of litter to the environment. The more environmentally enthused children are, the more likely they will be to protect it. 

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Involve them in food changes

From farming animals to throwing away leftovers, food consumption has a considerable impact on the environment. There are several ways that we can reduce the environmental impact of our food consumption including eating less meat, choosing seasonal food options, and growing our own fruit and vegetables. Allow children to explore different food changes with you, and be part of the process from the very beginning. If you are growing your own plants, let your children help plant and maintain the seeds. Create a colour-coded calendar with your children to assess when a certain food is in season. Let them help cook meals on a daily basis. Most importantly, encourage them to have an interest in their food and where it comes from. 

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Teach them with fun experiments 

The climate crisis can be difficult to understand, even as an adult. To get children to begin to understand the changing world, and the importance of preventing these changes, you can teach them using fun and interactive experiments. For example, to show them how pollution works fill two cups halfway with water and add dilutant juice, or food colouring, to one cup. You can now show them that adding clean water can not change the coloured water back and that by mixing the coloured water with the clean water you only change the colour of the clear water. This will help better explain how pollution spreads and can open a conversation about the effects of pollution and how it can be limited.

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 Make energy-saving fun

We all need to be doing our best to reduce our carbon footprint and save energy. This can be difficult when there are children about, which is why you can encourage them to save energy by making it fun. Encourage your children to switch off lights by making it a part of their nightly routine. Make a competition to see who can save the most energy with an award for the winner. Have an energy-saving evening doing activities that use as little energy as possible. Try and be as inventive and creative as possible to encourage the children to save energy and be environmentally conscious. 

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Show them different ways to travel

Car pollution is one of the major causes of global warming, which is why we should be teaching children about alternative ways to travel. Encouraging children to walk is not only great for the environment but is a good way to get them exercising. For longer journeys, consider taking public transport rather than a car, and explain on your journey the environmental benefits of taking public transport. You may also want to explain the advances in electric cars and how they help prevent car pollution. 

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Limit the amount of single-use plastic in your house

Single-use plastics include plastic bags, drinks containers, disposable cutlery, and wet wipes, amongst other household items. If you limit children’s exposure to single-use plastics they will be less likely to use them throughout their life. There are many ways to avoid using single-use plastics, such as using bags for life, stocking up on reusable drink bottles, and using bamboo alternatives. Whilst transitioning away from single-use plastics, explain to children the harmful effects plastic has on the environment and why we should be limiting the amount we use. 

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Encourage a love of animals 

Animals are an important part of the survival of our planet, which is why we should be encouraging children to care for them. Over 500 species have gone extinct since the 1700s, and we can’t afford to lose any more. It is important that we educate children on the role that animals play in the survival of our planet, and thoroughly explain why they are going extinct and how to stop this. Encouraging a love of animals can be as simple as getting a pet, visiting a farm, or simply watching animal documentaries. We need to protect all the animals inhabiting our planet and conserve their habitats in any way possible. 

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At Laundryheap, we are committed to being environmentally conscious, which is why we offer eco-friendly delivery times and use E-bikes. To book your environmentally conscious Laundryheap service, simply head to the Laundryheap website or download the free Laundryheap app. 


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How to wash reusable nappies

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Reusable nappies are a great alternative to their single-use counterpart. Firstly, because they can be used multiple times, they reduce the amount of single-use plastic being used. In addition, because you don’t have to constantly re-buy nappies, you can save yourself a significant amount of money.

Here is how you keep re-usable nappies clean and ready for multiple uses. 

  • What are reusable nappies?
  • Are they as effective as single-use nappies? 
  • How to wash reusable cloth nappies

What are reusable nappies? 

Reusable nappies are nappies that can be used multiple times. They are often made from cotton, and are made up of an absorbent inner layer that contains a washable or disposable liner, and a waterproof outer layer. You can buy them in a range of sizes to fit all babies, and with a range of fastenings so you can decide which is easiest for you. In addition to the environmental and cost effective benefits of using reusable nappies, they are also chemical-free. 

Are they as effective as single-use nappies?

Reusable nappies are just as effective as single-use nappies. Before you use one it is advised to wash it so that the material becomes as absorbent as possible. Once you have done this you should not experience any difficulties with absorbency. 

If you are experiencing leaking it could be due to a detergent build-up, a poor fit, or a damaged PUL, which can happen if the nappy is dried at too high a heat. 

Image by Mahesh Patel from Pixabay

How to wash reusable nappies 

Begin by lifting the nappy liner out of the nappy. If you are using reusable nappy liners, shake any loose waste into the toilet. If you are using a disposable liner, dispose of it in the appropriate bin. 

Once the liner has been taken care of, place your nappy in a nappy bin, or any container with a tight-fitting lid. It’s always best to place a mesh laundry bag inside your container so that when it is full you don’t have to handle the individual nappies. 

When you have enough reusable nappies for a wash load, place them into your washing machine with a cap of non-bio powder. Avoid using liquid detergent and fabric softener as they can affect the absorbency of the material. Set your washing machine to 60 degrees to ensure that all the bacteria from the nappies is disposed of. Some antibacterial washing powders can clean in temperatures as low as 30 degrees, however, unless stated on the box, it’s best to wash your nappies at 60 degrees. 

Once your machine has finished, you can dry your nappies. It’s best to dry them in direct sunlight, however, if this is not achievable, you can tumble dry them on a low heat setting, or leave them on a drying rack. 

Reusable nappies need to be washed frequently, but, if you adequately care for them, they can last a lifetime. 

Image by Hannah Spray

Whilst you look after the reusable nappies, we’ll look after you. Book your Laundryheap service by visiting the Laundryheap website, or by downloading the free Laundryheap app.