Doing laundry is a fact of life in most households. Many times it is a daily chore that is necessary so our families have clean clothes to wear. The energy that is used doing laundry can add up over time to a pretty hefty bill. But, there are ways to save money even on laundry:
- Switch to a cold water wash - I wash all my darks in cold water with just my normal detergent, and the clothes come out clean. But, if you're worried about whether regular detergent will do the trick, there are special cold water detergents. About 90% of the energy used to do laundry comes from heating the water. So, by doing 80% of your loads in cold water, you can save more than $60 per year (or $100 in higher electricity areas).
- Only do full loads of laundry - It takes about the same amount of energy to do a small load vs. a large load, so wait until you have enough laundry to fill the washing machine before you throw in a load.
- Buy an energy-efficient Washer and Dryer - If you're in the market for a new washing machine or dryer, make sure you check the energy efficiency before you buy. Higher efficiency appliances may be more expensive up front, but you'll need to add the calculation for the energy and water savings into your total cost. An Energy Star qualified machine may save $550 in operating costs over the life of the machine.
- Remove lint from the Dryer filter - If you have lint in your dryer filter, not only is it a potential fire hazard, but it also makes your dryer work harder to dry clothes (which means it runs longer and uses more electricity).
- Let clothes air-dry - If the weather is nice, and you have no restrictions against hanging clothes in your backyard, consider letting your clothes air dry rather than using your dryer. If you can't use a clothesline, you can also use a dryer rack inside. It will save money on electricity (or gas) and many people swear by the fresh air smell.
- Save money on detergent - You can make your own detergent for a fraction of the cost of buying detergent. Vinegar also works well as a fabric softener (or to clean the mildew smell from your towels). Or, you can keep an eye out for the best deals on laundry detergent using coupons or Amazon deals.
How do you save money on laundry?
Hannah
We do those same things, wash in cold, wash a full load. In the summer we will get back to line-drying, which I'm really looking forward to. Good tips!
Tia @ TiaSavingCents
Washing and drying clothes in "off peak" hours also saves a significant amount of money. Here in California that means after 6pm and before 7 am.
HappyHermit
I have a great tip for when you have to use a dryer. Toss in a few DRY towels with your Laundry. It will dry you laundry faster !!
Corrie at "Cents"able Momma
Great tips, Tia and HappyHermit!