Saving Money on Laundry
Laundry is a necessary evil like a yearly dentist appointment or scrubbing the toilets. It isn’t a chore that a lot of people love to do, but it is one that needs to be done. It can also, unfortunately, be a rather expensive chore. Running your washer can increase your water bill. Running your dryer can run up electricity costs. Laundry detergent and fabric softener can be expensive. Before you know it, having clean clothes can become a line item in your budget, and one that keeps growing. That, obviously, just won’t do.
You don’t have to be cleaned out just to have cleaned clothes. There are several ways that you can reduce the costs of doing laundry without sacrificing the care your clothes deserve. The next time you do a load, try a few of these tips.
One way to save on laundry is to use cold water. Even a lot of clothes that say they require hot or warm water can be washed in cold water with no ill effects. Washing in hot water raises your electric bill and doesn’t help get the clothes any cleaner. To learn more about how switching to cold water can save you money, check out the Cold Water Calculator.
Another way to save is to use powered detergent. Liquid detergents seem to be all the rage these days, but they don’t get your clothes any cleaner, and they’re generally more expensive. Just remember to add the soap to the water before you add the clothes if you are using powdered detergent. You may also want to look into buying powdered detergent in bulk. If you calculate the cost of a load when you buy larger sizes of detergent, you’ll see the savings quickly add up.
If you are serious about saving on laundry costs, you should also consider air drying your clothes. An obvious option is to string a clothesline outside, but that won’t work in all seasons or all types of weather. You can also purchase drying racks and dry clothes in your laundry room. Dryers use up a lot of electricity, so drying your clothes will help save on your electric bill.
Another tip worth remembering is to do full loads. Resist the temptation to wash those three pairs of pants, two shirts and one towel. A washer uses the same amount of electricity regardless of the size of the load. Bigger loads will also help ensure you run your washer less, which will save on water and electricity.
You should also always make sure to keep the lint trap clean. A dirty lint trap doesn’t allow the moist air from the drying clothes to escape. This can prolong drying time. A clogged lint trap is also a significant fire hazard.
Being mindful of how you do your laundry can help you save dollars and time. As with anything else to do with saving, a little thought and planning can help you really clean up in the end.
September 11th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Thanks for the tips! Laundry is my biggest downfall. It’s the one thing in my house that I can’t seem to ever finish. I’ve used liquid detergent for years and had never really given any thought to going back to powdered form. We just got a new washer/dryer set so going back to powder may be an option I try.
A couple of other tips I can add for those who insist on drying everything is to give your laundry an extra spin cycle before tossing it in the dryer. The extra spin cycle removes any extra water that may be trapped thus reducing your drying time.
Also when cleaning the lint trap … at least once a week remove the lint trap, take it to the sink, and give it a good washing. Over time a clear barrier will build up over the lint screen clogging the holes and preventing air from flowing freely through the screen. It’s something you won’t see until you’ve gone a few weeks without washing the filter then you can see where the build up has clogged the filter.
September 11th, 2008 at 10:53 am
I am probably the only one that doesn’t have a problem doing laundry. I would rather do laundry than many other chores. I also take my clothes out immediately from dryer and fold. Saves from having to iron everything.
September 13th, 2008 at 2:59 am
I’d rather do laundry than grocery shop. In a household of six, it is never all done, either. There’s always something else to wash.
It’s good to know that I already do some things that help, like using cold water and, for about half of my items, air drying them after they’ve fluffed in the dryer for about five minutes.