10 Effective Ways to cut down on Laundry cost

Our washer seems to be running all the time. Every time the washer runs, money is spent. Since it is a routine activity, it is always useful to find little ways to reduce laundry cost. Here are some simple ways in which you can reduce cost per load.

1. Cut down on detergent cost: You can reduce your cost of laundry even before you begin it. You can save cost on detergent by selecting a more cost efficient laundry detergent or buying in bulk quantities. You can also keep an eye for upcoming sales and coupons or offers on various detergents in nearby stores. You can also opt for making laundry detergent at home. According to calculations, it reduces the cost of detergent per load from $0.20 to about $0.02 – an $0.18 saving per load. Hence, in a month you end up saving money on laundry.
2. Save on softener cost: Like saving costs on detergents, you can also save on fabric softeners also. You can also find out if any sales or discount coupons are there in nearby stores. You can use homemade fabric softeners also, vinegar being the best and easiest option available. A cap full of vinegar in the softener spot does the trick. It also helps greatly with any lingering odor that might be in the washing machine or in the clothes themselves.
3. Wash only full loads: Try to get into the habit of waiting until you have a full of load of laundry before washing them. Placing just few garments inside the washing machine is a huge waste energy. As a side benefit, a fully loaded washing machine will require less water to fill. A very full load means less water used and less energy used per item of clothing.
4. Dry your clothes by hanging them: Once you wash your clothes, think twice before operating the dryer. Instead of wasting money in drying clothes, you can hang your clothes outside on a sunny day. There is no better or more Eco-friendly way to dry your laundry than by hanging it outside on a sunny summer day. An average dryer run eats about $0.25 worth of electricity. Hanging them up accomplishes the same thing for free. You can try to find a place in your patio or terrace where you can put up hanging clothesline. Hanging your clothes in sun also frees your garments from bacteria and other germs.
5. Wash your clothes in cold water: 90% of the energy used by a washing machine is to heat the water. Each time you wash laundry on the hot water setting, the water heater must also draw energy. A smarter and more efficient method for doing laundry is to use the cold-water setting. Unless your clothes are extremely dirty, cold water does the trick just fine.
6. Select the shortest cycle: Your washer offers a ton of options for the wash. It is best to choose the shortest one, again, unless the clothes are very dirty. This saves wear and tear on the clothes and reduces energy use and some water use.
7. Be meticulous about removing dryer lint: It is essential to empty the lint trap on the dryer before every single load. It is simply part of the required routine. If you do not do this, you reduce the warm airflow around the clothes, increasing the time the dryer has to run to get your clothes to the same level of dryness.
8. Shake your clothes before you put them in the dryer: As you take clothes from the washer to the dryer, shake them out completely. If you are increasing the surface area of the clothes, more warm air is exposed to the clothes in the dryer, making them dry faster, reducing the time and the amount of energy used when your dryer is running.
9. Pull clothes out of the dryer before they are completely dry: If you wish to iron your clothes, its better you remove your clothes from dryer before they dry completely. This means, the dryer runs less and saves your money eventually.
10. Get your own washer and dryer: If you are using coin operated laundry machine, you will end up spending more in the long run. Instead, you can start saving for buying you own washer and dryer. The cost per load when you own your own washer and dryer is far, far less than it is at a coin-operated laundry facility. You can also think of opting dry cleaning services once a while for few specific clothes. Best Laundry Pickup Service in Brooklyn offer good prices on professional laundry cleaning services.