Simple Ways to Save Money on Laundry

You may not realize it, but doing laundry isn't cheap. Luckily, there are some things you can do to save some cash. Check out these 9 simple ways to save money on laundry.

Ask any Mom and she will tell you that laundry is by far one of her largest household battles, and most likely, one of her largest household costs.

Not only must you pay for the water costs, but then there are the costs of detergent, fabric softener, and worse yet; the cost of running your dryer. They may seem to be small costs, but the cold, hard truth is that they can add up to a few significant costs in your budget.

Luckily, finding ways to save money on laundry isn’t nearly as hard as it may seem. In fact, once they’re pointed out to you, you’ll wonder why you haven’t done them before.

How to Save Money on Laundry

Use Less Detergent

When you fill your laundry detergent cap, do you fill it to the top? If so, you could be wasting hundreds each year in detergent costs.

Each laundry detergent cap has fill lines on the inside of them and by using more detergent than you need, you’re quite literally throwing your money down the drain. Instead, use the fill lines and keep your detergent use in check to help save money on laundry.

Use White Vinegar for Softener

Fabric softeners can be super pricey and in reality, aren’t really needed. Instead of spending $6.00 or more per bottle of fabric softener, try adding ¼ cup white vinegar to your wash load. The vinegar will not only help your laundry smell better, but will act as a natural fabric softener. All for around $1.50 per gallon.

Or, try making our own fabric softener with this DIY Fabric Softener Recipe.

Skip Washing on Hot

These days, washing your laundry on hot doesn’t do much other than run the cost of your power bill up. There are detergents specifically formulated to wash in cold and clothing is made so that a hot wash isn’t needed. Instead of paying for the cost to heat that water, wash your laundry on cold water.

The occasionally load of whites washed on hot isn’t going to skyrocket your bills, but try to keep it in check.

Wash During Off Peak Hours

Your electric company charges a higher rate per kilowatt during the time periods where everyone is home and using their power. If you wash laundry during these times of the day, you’ll be paying more per load.

Instead, to save money on laundry, find out what time blocks your power company considers peak timing and make sure your laundry is washed before or after.

Never Wash a Half Load

One of the biggest wastes of money when it comes to your laundry is washing loads that are too small for the amount of water you’re using. When you run a small or half load, you’re basically paying to send unnecessary water down the drain and for extra power usage. Instead, make sure you only run full loads to help yourself save money on laundry.

Skip the Dryer

Do you know what the single most expensive appliance you own is? That’s right; it’s your dryer. Cent for cent, your dryer is costing you more to run than any other appliance in your home including your air conditioner.

If you really want to save money on laundry, hang your clothes on a clothesline to dry. If you don’t have room for a clothesline, buying a portable clothes drying rack is a good way to work around the small space.

Consider Making Your Own Laundry Supplies

Another great way to save money on laundry is by making homemade laundry detergent and fabric softener.

For what you’re spending on one bottle of commercially made detergent, you could make three times as much homemade detergent. Whether you choose a powdered homemade laundry detergent or a homemade liquid laundry detergent recipe, you’ll still save money over buying it. Homemade detergents tend to have a cost of around $0.03 per load versus $0.15 per load for the commercially made stuff.

You'll never guess the main ingredient in this DIY fabric softener recipe. 

Keep Your Laundry Caught Up

You might not realize it, but having your laundry get backed up or not get put away is a good way to waste money. The reason is pretty simple; if your laundry is backed up, you’re going to be washing all day and evening to get it caught up. This means that you’ll be using your appliances during peak times and increasing the amount of water and utilities over what you typically use in a month.

Alternatively, if your clean laundry ends up in a pile on the couch or floor, you will eventually find that you aren’t sure what is clean or what is dirty. When this happens, what do you do? You re-wash it all. Not only is that going to cost you extra money in detergent and utility cost, but it will also cost you extra because of the wear and tear on your clothes and your washer and dryer.

Stay on top of your laundry with the help of these laundry routine tips and printable laundry schedule.

Upgrade Your Washer and Dryer

If your washer and dryer is more than seven years old, you may want to consider upgrading them to save money on laundry costs. I know it seems counter-intuitive to spend that much money to save, but you absolutely will save money in the long run.

Newer machines are Energy Star certified which means they use less power and with new cycle settings and other ways to conserve, you’ll use less water, less detergent and have better cared for clothing in the long run.

Putting these money-saving tips into action will surely save you some cash on doing your wash.

Do you have any tips for saving money on laundry that we forgot to include?

If so, let us know in the comments below!

Looking for more ways to save? Check out these 4 everyday cost-cutting ideas that can help you save hundreds each month.