Doing laundry can be frustrating, even for people who consider themselves laundry enthusiasts. It is unceasing and time-consuming, and there’s so much that can go wrong with doing laundry at home. Being focused on getting your clothes clean can blind you from the fact that you could be letting cash go down the drain with each load of dirty laundry.
Although those automatic washing machines and dryers make doing laundry a lot easier, they still use energy, detergents, and water. Never forget that.
How to reduce the cost of doing laundry
To avoid getting in hot water with your energy bills, here are tips to help you cut back on electricity bills and save money on laundry.
Tip #1: Use cold water to wash nearly anything
Did you know that approximately 80% of dirty clothes washers’ energy usually goes towards heating the water? So, it’s time to pat yourself on the back and clean your clothes using cold water. This way, you will reduce your hot water costs and ensure that your garments last longer since washing in the cold is often gentler on fabrics like baby clothes.
Changing from hot water to cold water when doing laundry can help you save about $36 a year in energy costs if you do about the three loads of laundry a week. That means those savings keep adding up, especially if you do more loads weekly.
Tip #2: Choose shorter laundry cycles or do a load of laundry
It is recommended to only toss your clothes in the hamper when they are dirty and run full loads always. Remember, a partial laundry load will use as much energy as a full load. Therefore, make it a laundry routine to wait until your clothes can fit the capacity of your washer. Even if you are using cold water, minimizing your laundry loads can save you a lot of money in energy costs.
Another option is to choose ‘express’ or ‘light’ wash for various not heavily stained or soiled items. This way, you’ll save water, time, energy, and, most importantly, money and eventually have clean clothes.
Tip #3: Hang your clothes to dry
Your clothes dryer often uses more energy (for each use) compared to any other major appliance in your home. The good news is that you can probably get by without using it if you hang your clothes to dry.
However, before you start hanging all your clothes outside to dry after doing laundry, it’s recommended to check with your municipality. Many areas have restrictions regarding outdoor clothes racks or lines. If you are not allowed to dry your clothes outside, try to hang dry them indoors. Alternatively, you can seek the services of dry cleaners or other laundry service providers in your area, particularly if you are handling delicate items depending on your fabric type.
Tip #4: Dry full loads of laundry if you must use a dryer
If you must give us your dryer, it’s in your best interest to run larger loads of laundry (the dryer should be approximately 3/4 full). This means you’ll run fewer loads of laundry over time, and your dryer is more likely to work efficiently. You can also use the moisture setting instead of the timer so that you don’t dry clothing items longer than recommended.
Tip #5: Choose the right detergent
Suppose your laundry pair is new. In that case, doing laundry is much more efficient than the laundromat you frequented in college or the washing machines you grew up with. This is good news from an electricity standpoint, and that means you need to stock up only on laundry detergent.
If you have a functional and high-efficiency washing machine, ensure that you are using the correct detergent formulated for it and stick to the right amounts when doing laundry. Your cloth items will come out clean, and you will spend less money at the local store.
Tip #6: Choose reusable dryer balls and avoid dryer sheets
You no longer need dryer sheets unless you are big on the scent. In fact, reusable dryer balls can minimize wrinkles and soften your garments, just like dryer sheets. They also come in different types and sizes. That means you can reduce waste, stop your clothes from clumping together, take less time to dry, and no longer need to spend money on dryer sheets. This makes doing laundry cost-effective.
Final thoughts
With the few easy tricks discussed above, you can reduce the cost of doing laundry at home. And you don’t have to worry – none of the tips involve hauling your laundry load to the nearest lake or river and beating your garments against a rock.
