Thanks so much for watching this video. For more information, read below! 

Tip #1 – Use Soap Nuts

There are many providers of soap nuts out in the world, but Rachel and I purchase our soap nuts from Green Virgin Products based out of Tampa, Florida, USA. They get your order in the mail fast and they use minimal packaging.  

Pro Tips

Only wash your clothes when they are truly dirty (as in, they have dirt on them!) and/or they smell. I re-wear clothes over and over again and by not laundering them all the time, they last longer! 

After you use your small bag of soap nuts for about 7 loads of laundry, open it up, compost the soap nuts, and refill the small cloth bag with more soap nuts. 

Why Is This Low Waste?

No plastic containers to recycle! Soap nuts are sent in a simple mailer with no extra packaging. They come encased in a plastic bag (I’m assuming for protection) which is placed in a large cloth bag which I then reuse when buying bulk at my food co-op. Watch my video 6 Tips to Avoid Plastic Bags for more details. Compost the soap nuts when they are “spent”. Reuse the small cloth bag again and again. 

Tip #2 – Make Your Own Stain Remover

The stain remover I make is made with:

4 cups warm water

3 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar

2 tablespoons of Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile liquid soap 

Mix together in a bowl. 

Pro Tip

Tough Stains

Dip a scrub brush in the bowl of warm stain remover and scrub the stain. The stain will virtually disappear! Launder as usual. 

Basic Stains

Once the solution has cooled, place in a spray bottle and spray directly on the stain. If necessary, rub the material together or use a scrub brush to help the stain go away. Launder as usual.

Why Is This Low Waste?

Yes, I place this stain remover in a plastic bottle, BUT I use that bottle over and over again instead of buying a new plastic bottle that I recycle each time I’m done with it. While the vinegar and soap come in plastic containers, I use such a small amount of those large containers, and get more than double the amount of stain remover I’d get from buying a standard bottle of stain remover. The amount of store bought bottles of stain remover I’d need to buy to equal the amount of stain remover I can get from a gallon of vinegar and a large container of Dr. Bronner’s is far, far more. 

Tip #3 – Line Dry Laundry

Rachel has discovered that line drying laundry is not just good for the planet, but also good for her! It’s therapeutic! She often listens to podcasts while hanging or taking down laundry or, she listens to nothing at all! Her kids even hang up and take down laundry and fold it — although not perfectly (you can’t have it all!). 

Rachel’s indoor clothes line has 4 lines that are 10 feet long. 

Why Is This Low Waste?

By not using the dryer, you not only save on electricity, but your clothes actually last longer. That lint you collect from your dryer? That is small parts of your clothes breaking down!  

Do you use soap nuts, make your own stain remover, line dry your clothes, or anything else low waste? Please share in the comments below! 

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Lori Hill

Lori Hill is a plant eater, trash picker upper, climate activist, wife, and mom to 2 human boys, 2 cat boys, and 1 dog boy. On a mission to do all she can to take better care of the planet, Lori created Sister Eden Media, a green lifestyle company, to inspire others to give a damn and live more gently on Earth. She shares tips on her YouTube channel, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and also frequently appears on television.

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