This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
My happy place is outdoors connecting to nature. While I’ve often told the story of not feeling connected to my Mexican heritage, this is one area that I do feel a great connection. Latinos put a great cultural value on water and land. In particular, Latinos have a strong association the word tierra (land/Earth) because it has long, deep roots in our culture and heritage. Almost instinctually, I want to do what I can to protect the environment. So, when it comes to using products in my everyday tasks, I’m happy to opt for more environmentally friendly ones like Plant-Based Detergent Gain Botanicals™.
Spending time outdoors is precious to me. It’s the time I can de-stress, relax, and take in all the natural beauty. On a regular basis, I’m still amazed by plant life and its colors and natural fragrances. Just the basics of how plant life exists leaves my inner nerd completely in awe every time I’m learning about it or teaching about it. It’s no wonder why my boys and I spend so much of our learning time in parks, in public gardens, or exploring on a hiking trail.
Since I can’t spend every waking moment outdoors, I appreciate anything that can remind me of nature while I’m doing my everyday tasks like laundry. Thanks to our friends at Gain®, I received two bottles of the brand new plant-based detergent – Gain Botanicals™.
Gain Botanicals™ provides an amazing, nature-inspired scent experience in a 65% plant-based formula. It is gentle on your skin and it’s also free of dyes, chlorine, phosphates, and optical brighteners. This is important to me because my son and I have both have sensitive skin and often have a reaction to detergents. I love the smell of a great detergent but often have to forgo the fragrance for the free and clear options. Gain Botanicals™ is a great option to get both.
This new product will be available at most major retailers and e-tailers starting September 2017. I wish I could tell you which nature-inspired scent I loved more – the Orange Blossom Vanilla or the White Tea & Lavender. But, I can’t. I loved them both.
As a nature-lover, it’s important for me to look for products that also are kinder to the environment. I’m only one person and we’re only one family in this house. Yet, I do believe if we can make small changes, we can make a difference. Buying products whose bottles are 100% recyclable, like the Gain Botanicals™ bottle, makes a difference. In fact, its bottle is made from 25% or more post-consumer recycled plastic. In addition, the product formula is made with 100% renewable electricity. That means this product has a lower environmental impact than products whose bottles aren’t 100% recyclable or made with renewable electricity.
Reminder: Gain Botanicals™ should be handled with care and be safely stored like all cleaning products.
In addition to using products with a lower environmental impact, I’ve been doing laundry in a way that reduces my water and energy use for almost all of my adult life. Some of my laundry habits started when I was too broke to afford a washer or a dryer. Nonetheless, I’ve made a conscious effort to keep water and energy use to a minimum. Here are a few tips to reduce your own laundry’s environmental impact or make it more eco-friendly.
Laundry Tips to Reduce Your Environmental Impact
- Wash in cold water as often as possible to save energy from heating the water.
- Wash and dry full loads to maximize both washer and dryer to save both water and energy.
- Hand wash smaller loads or when you need only one item cleaned to save both water and energy.
- Save energy and skip the dryer as often as possible. Hang dry your clothes.
- Choose a detergent without phosphates. Too much in aquatic ecosystems have a negative impact.
You don’t have to be Latino to feel the connection to the tierra. You just have to want to care for it. Caring for it means making small changes in your life in order to have a less impact on the environment. Spending time outdoors will nurture your connection to nature. So, I encourage you to do so. You’ll eventually find yourself naturally looking to make those small changes.
