Laundry costs add up quickly. The typical American household can save more than $300 a year by following a few simple steps when doing their laundry. Saving money on laundry without sacrificing cleanliness—or damaging clothing—is easily attainable by everyone.
Use Cold Water. Saving money by washing laundry in cold water is one of the easiest methods that anyone is able to achieve. Cold water effectively cleans soiled items while costing significantly less. The US Department of Energy has estimated that 90 percent of the total price of doing laundry comes from the heating of the water used in a washing machine.
Line Dry Clothes. Drying clothing on a line is not always convenient but the average household is able to save $100 a year by line drying. A home that line drys their clothing will be saving money on electric costs and clothing costs. Drying clothes on a line will preserve the clothing fibers. Dryer lint is made up of fibers that have been beaten out of clothing during the drying process.
Purchase Energy Efficient Machines. The typical household does more than 300 loads of laundry a year. Energy efficient washing machines utilize half of the water and energy of a typical top loading washing machine. The machines are larger allowing more clothing to be washed in one load which will save even more money.
Dilute Liquid Laundry Detergent. Save empty laundry bottles. Pour half a bottle of laundry detergent into an empty bottle. Fill the remainder of the bottle with water. Diluted detergent will clean clothes just as well as full strength detergent and save money in the process. Most people use too much detergent and diluting detergent corrects that issue.
Cut Up Dryer Sheets. Cutting dryer sheets in half or by thirds will still retain fabric softening benefits, while saving money. Cutting the fabric softening sheets takes a minimal amount of time and will contribute to an overall cost savings while doing laundry.
Clean The Dryer Lint Trap. Cleaning out the lint trap before each load of laundry allows the dryer to work more efficiently. A more efficient dryer takes less time to dry which will save on energy costs. A clean lint trap will also prevent potential dryer fires.
Do Laundry Less. Less laundry equals more savings. Some tips include using a towel more than once or wearing jeans a few times before washing. An additional benefit to washing items less is that the items will last longer.
Double Spin Clothing. Double spinning the load is a fantastic means of saving money on laundry. Turn the knob on the washing machine to spin only after the load of laundry has completed. Spinning clothes a second time will remove excess moisture and reduce the drying time.
