5 Cunning Ways to Cut Your Laundry Costs

There are a few certain things in life … death, taxes … and laundry.

Whether you’re lucky enough to only have to do a couple of loads a week or if you’re a slave to the washing machine daily, doing the laundry is never fun.

The costs of laundry products and electricity used while washing can add up over time. These are some simple tips to lighten the load on your wallet.

1. Run Full Loads at The Right Time

Many people run smaller loads of washing daily just to get their dirty washing baskets empty. Doing two smaller loads instead of one big load, however, will use more water, detergent and electricity.

Further, Ashley Iredale, CHOICE laundry and white goods expert advises in this article on laundry costs that our interpretation of a full load may, in fact, be wrong.

"A full laundry basket is only around 3.5kg of laundry, and your machine can take much, much more – so much you may even have trouble getting the door shut,” she says.

You should also be aiming to do your washing if you can during off-peak times. In NSW for example, off-peak is generally 10 pm to 7 am and the peak is between 2 pm and 8 pm, with off-peak all weekend. Canstar Blue offers some helpful information regarding peak and off-peak rates across each state and energy company.

2. Use Cold Water

To save on electricity costs, use cold water when you wash. Both hot and cold water effectively remove residual dirt from fabric and with cold water-specific washing powder currently available, there are not many reasons why you shouldn’t be using cold water to clean.

Sometimes the hot water option is necessary – this is when:

• Washing heavily soiled items
• Washing whites or oil and grease stains
• Removing germs

3. Say Farewell to Fabric Softener

Fabric softeners are generally an unnecessary expense. The experts at Choice advise that fabric softeners can actually reduce the moisture absorbency of your fabric, something that isn’t very helpful for items like towels.

There are plenty of natural options that utilise the power of ingredients like white vinegar, baking soda and essential oils – this site has some awesome recipes for you to try. Not only are these options easy on the wallet, but they’re better for the environment as well.

4. Air Dry Instead

Clothes dryers are viewed as one of the biggest electricity drainers in your home. It costs roughly between $94c and $1.17c in electricity each time you use your clothes dryer, which certainly adds up if you’re using it several times a week.

While wet weather can mean that using the dryer is an inevitability, limiting its use is recommended when you can.

Here are some benefits of air drying instead:

• It can prevent static cling on fabrics.
• It will make your clothes and linen smell fresher.
• Exposure to UV light helps treat dust mites and their eggs.

5. Buy Cheaper Products

Credits: https://www.automaticwasher.org/

You could save a great deal of money by researching the products you’re using while you wash.

The best part is that choosing a cheaper option doesn’t necessarily mean you lose out on effectiveness – in fact, some of the best-ranked items in Choice's list of best laundry detergents are inexpensive!

Cost Saving Calculation Table

Total potential savings per year = $395.85

There you have it, five fantastic ways to save on your washing. Now if we could only get someone to do the laundry for you…