My latest environmental strategy was inspired by spots -- spots on my clean laundry. At first I thought they were grease stains, but then I noticed that they were on the backs of shirts and other spots where they couldn't possibly have been in the line of fire of cooking oil. Naturally I turned to the Web to research these mysterious spots, and although I found some conflicting advice, the majority of what I read indicated that I was using too much detergent. I was skeptical, but I ran a few loads using about a quarter less than the recommended amount of detergent and my clothes were perfectly clean (and without mysterious spots!). I decided to try using even less detergent, and once again, my clothes came out clean. Now I'm using about half of the recommended amount of laundry detergent, which means I'm getting twice as many loads out of the box of detergent. I'm also using a quarter of my dryer sheets rather than the whole thing (with no noticeable difference in static). Hooray!
It's been a good lesson to learn. I'm now trying to use less of everything -- less shampoo, lower heat when I'm boiling water (don't forget to use a lid), lower thermostat, less dishwasher soap, etc. If you're hesitant, try using just a little bit less, then try using just a little bit less than that. You'll be amazed, I promise.
