Everything but the kitchen sink

As any fashionista would know these days, being a desperate housewife, or a housewife in any case, desperation optional, is big these days. Nothing says more than luxury after L'Occitane toiletries and Creme de la Mer facial products than clothes care from The Laundress, New York, and washing up liquids in original organic scents like rosemary, thyme and sage. What was used almost exclusively on the face is now also, exclusively for wool, cashmere and the kitchen sink.

So, here's some top tips from The Laundress on how to be fashionably green, since green has now become the new black.

1. Eliminate toxic chemicals such as bleach, which is bad for the environment and bad for the fibres in your clothes too. Alternative acids which are less harmful include vinegar (icky smelling though), and on a nicer note, citrus fruit juices.
2. For smaller loads and delicates, hand wash and air dry to save water and energy.
3. Spot clean instead of wash the entire garment again. Sometimes not every bit of the clothes become dirty. You don't have to wash your items after just one use! (I learnt this myself yesterday) Save water, energy and avoid your favourite outfits going to pot with overwashing.
4. Avoid dry cleaners and dry cleaning clothes where possible because they use harmful chemicals in the wash process. Certain pieces only need dry-cleaning twice a year. Keep them fresh with clothes fresheners instead - and a cheap and easy alternative is to fill a spray with 7-8 drops of your favourite essential oils, diluted with distilled water. I also like the idea of diluting one of my favourite bottles of body spray (especially by filling bottles that are running out) to maintain a signature scent.
5. Use paper dryers that are biodegradable, recyclable and have no carcinogenic fibres. Actually, even better, get dryer balls that are reusable hundreds of times.

I've also discovered ironing water, a wonderful European invention. I'm not obsessed, but ironing water in the iron smells great and prevents the iron from limescaling with the hard water that is frequently found here. Keeps your clothes in good shape and your iron too. Don't laugh - I've recently just got myself the organic ironing water in a large 1 litre bottle, for the ironing that I so rarely do.