Eco‑friendly TikToker swears by washing her clothes just once a year – trading detergents for self-cleaning wool and simple freshening tricks
5:55 AM EST, February 1, 2024, updated: 4:33 AM EST, March 7, 2024
Many of us dread laundry due to its lengthy and arduous process. However, for Cydney, it's an entirely different story. She has decided to stop using washing machines for the sake of the environment. Cydney is a proponent of more eco-friendly alternatives for cleaning clothes. She puts in all her effort to ensure that her clothes remain wearable and do not give off any foul odors. Could her method be worth a try?
Washing sweaters once a year
Cydney operates a TikTok account under the handle @Cydney214, advocating for an eco-friendly lifestyle. According to her, there’s no room for disposable items and synthetic fibers. She has been following the "slow fashion" trend for some time now, emphasizing mindful shopping and clothes from quality, natural materials. Preferring thrift stores over chain stores, she enjoys finding second-hand treasures and tailoring them to suit her style. While all these practices might be considered conventional, one particular revelation shocked her viewers: she only washes her sweaters once a year!
Responses to her claim sparked controversy in the comment section under the video. Several viewers questioned Cydney's hygiene and suggested her clothes must reek. Yet, she defended her unusual practice, explaining that pure wool sweaters behave differently from other materials. Hence, she deemed yearly washing to be possible, even recommended!
Freshening clothes without water and detergents
Wool is a remarkable fabric that efficiently absorbs sweat and heat. Moreover, its fibers possess antibacterial and antifungal properties. Its water-repelling surface is also resilient to stains; hence, getting such a material dirty can be challenging. Cydney's woolen sweaters, despite regular use, have seen soap and water only a couple of times. Yet, she has never been accused of bad body odor.
Even though Cydney sporadically resorts to mechanical laundry, she keeps her clothes fresh with a simple trick. In one of her videos, she demonstrates dipping her sweater into a sink filled with water and a touch of mild cleaning liquid. After soaking for a few hours, Cydney wrings out the excess water with a towel. Lastly, she shares a clever hack to stretch a shrunken sweater. She clips the bottom of the sweater on both ends to a towel and leaves it to dry entirely. Cydney's eco-conscious methods testify to her deep respect for nature.