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Tips for Greening Your Practice, Part 1 Laundry

• According to the American Massage Therapy Association’s 2010 survey of consumers, roughly, 37.7 million people had a total of 162 million massages in 2010. That means that 324 million sheets were washed by massage therapists. Doing laundry can have a significant impact on the environment because many conventional detergents contain toxic chemicals. The laundry process also requires significant water and energy usage.

• Use a biodegradable, nontoxic, fragrance-free laundry detergent and oxygen bleach. Conventional detergents, fabric softeners, and dryer sheets are petroleum-based and do not biodegrade therefore threatening wildlife and aquatic ecosystems; they also may contain chemicals linked to cancer and reproductive problems. We use Ecos by Earth Friendly Products at Atlanta School of Massage and Atlanta Institute of Aesthetics.

• Up to 90 percent of the energy a washer consumes is in heating water. Washing in cold water saves considerable energy and money.

• Cut your sheets down to size. Smaller sheets take less water and energy to launder.

• Energy-saving appliances (those marked with an Energy Star label) are recommended for a lower environmental impact and results in lower energy and water bills. Energy Star estimates that water savings range from 40 percent to 75 percent with front-loading washing machines.

• Buy linens that require fewer resources during the production and manufacturing process. Conventional cotton sheets consume huge amounts of water and for every pound of conventional cotton harvested, farmers have applied a third of a pound of pesticides and fertilizer. Micro-fiber linens are eco-friendly as considerably less water is required for production and manufacturing. They dry in 1/3 the time compared to cotton sheets. Micro-fiber is 100% recyclable. We recommend Comphy sheets.

To learn more about how you can lower your environmental footprint visit our sustainability initiatives page.

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