Laundry is a chore that must be done on a fairly regular basis. Although I hate doing laundry as much as the next person I have found solutions that make doing laundry a little bit easier (a.k.a. cheaper)! The average person probably doesn't even think twice about the price they pay to do their laundry, I know that I didn't. After evaluating my expenses at the end of last year I found some ways to cut dollars out of the laundry bill.
1. STOP washing everything in warm water. Liquid detergents today are specially formulated to dissolve in cold water; I don't know about the powder kind. And please don't spend extra dollars on the "cold water" bottles. All liquid detergents can now dissolve properly in cold water. The only things I continue to wash in warm/hot water are towels and bedding. By cutting out your heating expenses for warm water your savings can really add up.
2. Don't fill the detergent cap all the way full. If you look on your detergent cap you will notice little lines that mark the proper amount of detergent for small, medium, and large loads (some caps just regular and large load lines). The line for large loads is generally in the middle of the cap. Companies do this to trick you into thinking you need more detergent than you do. Start filling your detergent up to the appropriate lines on the cap and cut your detergent consumption in half. Of course, if you have really dirty clothes you may still want to fill the cap above the top line. If you have soft water you can cut your bill even more by only filling to the first line. Soft water allows the detergent to go further.
3. Reevaluate your detergent. Buying HE detergent in some cases is more expensive. The fact of the matter is that most detergents can run in an HE washer even if they don't say HE on the bottle. You may just have to make some adjustments such as using less detergent, which will also save you money.
4. Stop using pricy laundry boosters. Oxy laundry boosters as well as little packs (that to me look like dishwasher detergent) added to the laundry supposedly help get your laundry cleaner while getting out tough stains. I don't know if these actually work or if I just think that they work, but chances are that you already have a much cheaper solution in your pantry. Baking Soda will do the trick! Just add a little bit to your clothes and watch your clothes become whiter or brighter, and fresher over time.
5. You don't need all that fabric softener. If you are adding liquid fabric softener to your wash as well as a dryer sheet in the dryer STOP. They both do the same trick! To reduce both static clean and get fabrics softer use dryer sheets. If you are planning on hanging up laundry use the liquid. Using both is unnecessary and just eating away your money.
6. Hang dry your laundry. Not everyone can do this or has the desire to do this, but it really will save you money. Hang clothes inside during winter months and outside during warmer months. This not only helps you save money on your energy bill, but this is also a greener alternative to drying clothes in a dryer.
7. Only run large loads. Try to pick a day every week or every other week to do laundry. Doing several small loads instead of a few big loads ends up costing you more in the long run.
8. Try to dry consecutive loads. If you dry loads one after the other your dryer doesn't need to heat up again, therefore your clothes will dry in less time. This one is pretty self-explanatory.
9. Stop brand loyalty. I love Tide. It's my favorite brand of all time. However when I clip coupons I've found that I can get other brands for around $8 cheaper than Tide! After trying these brands I've realized that they clean just as well as Tide. My recommendation is to shop the sales and clip your coupons. Detergent coupons are readily available every week and sometimes, when matched with a good sale you can get FREE detergent!!!
10. Only wash dirty clothes. This is another "duh" item, but many people don't actually know what dirty is. If you only wear clothes for a few hours (and you didn't sweat in them or get something on them) then they aren't dirty. Sometimes you can even wear sweaters or pants several times before they need to be washed. Towels can be used multiple times, not just once, and PJ's can be worn for almost a week before they start to get that dirty look/smell.
1. STOP washing everything in warm water. Liquid detergents today are specially formulated to dissolve in cold water; I don't know about the powder kind. And please don't spend extra dollars on the "cold water" bottles. All liquid detergents can now dissolve properly in cold water. The only things I continue to wash in warm/hot water are towels and bedding. By cutting out your heating expenses for warm water your savings can really add up.
2. Don't fill the detergent cap all the way full. If you look on your detergent cap you will notice little lines that mark the proper amount of detergent for small, medium, and large loads (some caps just regular and large load lines). The line for large loads is generally in the middle of the cap. Companies do this to trick you into thinking you need more detergent than you do. Start filling your detergent up to the appropriate lines on the cap and cut your detergent consumption in half. Of course, if you have really dirty clothes you may still want to fill the cap above the top line. If you have soft water you can cut your bill even more by only filling to the first line. Soft water allows the detergent to go further.
3. Reevaluate your detergent. Buying HE detergent in some cases is more expensive. The fact of the matter is that most detergents can run in an HE washer even if they don't say HE on the bottle. You may just have to make some adjustments such as using less detergent, which will also save you money.
4. Stop using pricy laundry boosters. Oxy laundry boosters as well as little packs (that to me look like dishwasher detergent) added to the laundry supposedly help get your laundry cleaner while getting out tough stains. I don't know if these actually work or if I just think that they work, but chances are that you already have a much cheaper solution in your pantry. Baking Soda will do the trick! Just add a little bit to your clothes and watch your clothes become whiter or brighter, and fresher over time.
5. You don't need all that fabric softener. If you are adding liquid fabric softener to your wash as well as a dryer sheet in the dryer STOP. They both do the same trick! To reduce both static clean and get fabrics softer use dryer sheets. If you are planning on hanging up laundry use the liquid. Using both is unnecessary and just eating away your money.
6. Hang dry your laundry. Not everyone can do this or has the desire to do this, but it really will save you money. Hang clothes inside during winter months and outside during warmer months. This not only helps you save money on your energy bill, but this is also a greener alternative to drying clothes in a dryer.
7. Only run large loads. Try to pick a day every week or every other week to do laundry. Doing several small loads instead of a few big loads ends up costing you more in the long run.
8. Try to dry consecutive loads. If you dry loads one after the other your dryer doesn't need to heat up again, therefore your clothes will dry in less time. This one is pretty self-explanatory.
9. Stop brand loyalty. I love Tide. It's my favorite brand of all time. However when I clip coupons I've found that I can get other brands for around $8 cheaper than Tide! After trying these brands I've realized that they clean just as well as Tide. My recommendation is to shop the sales and clip your coupons. Detergent coupons are readily available every week and sometimes, when matched with a good sale you can get FREE detergent!!!
10. Only wash dirty clothes. This is another "duh" item, but many people don't actually know what dirty is. If you only wear clothes for a few hours (and you didn't sweat in them or get something on them) then they aren't dirty. Sometimes you can even wear sweaters or pants several times before they need to be washed. Towels can be used multiple times, not just once, and PJ's can be worn for almost a week before they start to get that dirty look/smell.
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