When you imagine ways to save money, you might think of common ones like not grabbing coffee on the way to work or not going out to eat a few times a week. However, you can also save money by altering the ways you do chores around the house, for instance, reducing your laundry costs. You may think any changes you make wouldn’t add up to much, but considering how frequently most people do laundry over a year, your savings could really add up.
Practical Tips for Cutting Your Laundry Costs
You can save money in multiple ways by changing your laundry routine.
Wear Clothes Multiple Times
Do you wear something for a few hours and then throw it in the dirty clothes hamper? If so, then you’re unnecessarily washing your clothes. If you’re not sweating, you can wear your clothes again before washing them. For instance, you may only need to wash your pajamas every second or third day, rather than after one night’s rest.
Washing Costs
Wash in Cold Water
When running a load of laundry in the washing machine, choose the cold setting. By washing in cold, you save yourself the expense of your hot water tank heating the water. Besides, washing on cold is also better for the environment.
Run Full Loads
You may want to run a quick load with only an outfit or two, but if you do this, you’re wasting water. Instead, always run a full load. You’re paying for the water, so you might as well maximize the usage.
Wash Towels Separate from Clothes
If you’re not already doing so, run a load of towels separate from your clothes. Doing this will help in two ways.
First, you’ll cause less wear and tear on your clothes, so you won’t have to replace them as frequently.
Second, towels take longer to dry in the dryer because of their bulk. If you dry your clothes with towels, they will dry too long and wear out faster.
Use Less Detergent
Most energy-efficient washers only require a little laundry soap, contrary to what the laundry soap companies may want you to believe. According to Consumer Reports, you only need 1.5 ounces of laundry soap. Other people suggest even less—only one tablespoon.
Think of how much you spend on laundry detergent each year. If you reduce your consumption to the actual amount required, how much longer will your laundry detergent last? My guess is at least double the length of time it currently lasts.
Have an Energy Efficient Machine
Lastly, when you need to replace your washing machine or dryer, replace it with an energy-efficient model, which uses much less gas or electricity than older washing machines. You’ll likely notice your electric or gas consumption go down, especially if your previous washing machine was ten years or more old.
Drying Costs
Air Dry Your Clothes
Air dry your clothes to save on gas or electricity. You can hang a line outside, or, if that’s not practical, you can buy an inside drying rack and dry your clothes that way.
Use Dryer Balls
Wool dryer balls cost eight to fifteen dollars per pack and last for years. You’ll want to buy and use these for two reasons:
First, in the long run, they’re cheaper than dryer sheets because they’re reusable.
Second, the bulk of dryer balls puts space between clothes so they dry faster, saving you money in utilities.
Final Thoughts
If you want to save money, look in all areas of your life, even at your laundry costs. If you implement all of these strategies, you may be amazed at how much money you can save over a year with little effort.
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Image and article originally from www.savingadvice.com. Read the original article here.