‘When you go to the supermarket you are confronted with an array of types of detergent, but which one has the lowest environmental impact?'

Suzanne Elvidge comes clean on ethical washing.

Well, you've bought all your ethical clothes and worn them, and they've got a bit grubby (not very, I know, you are all such lovely clean people)—so how do you wash them?

Using your washing machine

Start off by making sure that the machine is full but not overfull, and use a short cycle.

Detergents

When you go to the supermarket, you are confronted with an array of types of detergent—'big box' powder, compact powder, liquid, concentrated liquid, powder tablets and liquid sachets. But which one has the lowest environmental impact?

Life cycle analysis of regular powder, compact powder, powder tablets, compact liquid, and liquid unit dose systems (sachets) suggests that the 'unit dose systems' allow for better control of dosage and are more concentrated, so could reduce the chemicals released into the environment; however, they use more packaging.

We can reduce the chemicals ending up in the environment by using biodegradable powders and liquids, or using smaller amounts of standard detergents—try halving what the manufacturers suggest. If you have soft water, you will be able to get away with using less detergent.

Laundry discs and laundry balls

When I read that you could wash your clothes using no detergent, just reusable laundry discs or laundry balls I thought this was a bit too good to be true. There does seem to be some debate as to whether they actually work, and a study seems to cast doubt on their efficacy.

Temperature

A simple way to reduce energy expenditure is to wash your clothes at a lower temperature, because a 60°C wash uses 40% less energy than a 90°C, and a 40°C programme uses 40% less than a 60°C wash. Changing your choice of clothes can even have an impact —not that the dirt doesn't show, more that coloured clothes and bedlinen can be kept clean at lower temperatures (even as low as 30 °) than whites.

Drying clothes

If you have to use a tumble dryer, make sure you wring out your clothes beforehand. But of course, the most environmentally sound way to dry your clothes is to dry them naturally, either outside or inside.

Dry cleaning

Probably best not if you can avoid it... it's not really very good for us or the environment.

Buying a washing machine

If you are going to buy a new machine, make sure it is energy efficient. Gooshing compares prices and ethical ratings for washing machines and tumble dryers. If your old one still works, Freecycle it.

• Ethical clothes