The desire to save money applies to every room in the house, including the laundry room, right? Well here are 5 options (some even eco=friendly) to help you do just that!
1. Switch to a High Efficiency Washer and Dryer?
The Simple Answer
It depends. According to energystar.gov, “A full-sized ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washers uses 14 gallons of water per load, compared to the 27 gallons used by a standard machine. That’s 50 percent less water, per load. On average, a new ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washer uses 270 kWh of electricity and costs $60 to run, each year. ”
Last year our family switched from a 2o+ year old washer/dryer set to a brand new HE washer and dryer. Our water bill decreased about $30 per month but I haven’t noticed a difference with our electric bill.
Is a $30 savings worth it to upgrade to an HE washer and dryer?
- $30/month x 12 = $360 in savings per year.
- $360/year x 5 = $1800.
So, if the new washer/dryer costs $1800 to buy, then it would pay for itself in 5 years. Of course, there are HE machines that cost much less and some that cost must more so you can adjust accordingly to determine if the switch is worth it for your family.
The other thing I tend to take into consideration is the length of time the washer and dryer will be useful. I don’t know about you, but it seems like the old machines will keep chugging along forever. Like I mentioned early, ours was over 20 years old (probably closer to 25). It was still going strong so we sold it to someone who is banking on the fact that it will continue to plug along.
Products made today don’t seem to last as long. It’s hard to know exactly and I’m speaking generally…not just about appliances. I know several people who have had machines less then 5 years die on them. Of course the long lasting machines and/or the ones that only last a few years could be a fluke. I guess only time will tell!
The Green Way
If your main concern is going green, then it seems an HE washer/dryer may be the way to go.
2. Time Your Loads
The Simple Way
For the sake of my sanity, I recommend doing one load of laundry each day. It’s quick, easy, and it you don’t have to spend an entire day folding laundry! But, that’s just me.
The Green Way
If you are looking to save money and make your machines work more efficiently, then back to back loads work best. When your dryer has been working, it doesn’t have to work as hard on the next load and can use residual heat.
The time of day is also important. If your dryer is continually running on a hot day, your air conditioner will be put into overdrive to cool your home. So save money by washing laundry in the coolest part of the day in the summer and when you need the most heat in the winter.
3. Skip the Dryer?
The Simple Way
Air drying may be the more eco-friendly way to dry clothes, but if I had to hang my clothes on a line, I would never wash clothes! We would just wear dirty clothes all the time…or we’d have to buy new clothes every week! Hey, that wouldn’t be so bad, right?! In order to save money on clothing, I’m all for going the simple route and using the dryer!
The Green Way
If you truly want to go green, then air drying may be your best option. Many people do it. Many love it! I’m just not one of them :) Air drying will definitely save money and energy.
4. Laundry Detergent
The Simple Way
The easiest way for anyone to save money on laundry detergent is to use the proper amount! So many people just fill the cap or scoop to the top and dump it in the washing machine. If you’re one who is careful about how much detergent you use, just sneak a peak at your kids or husband the next time they do laundry :)
The fill lines almost always lower than the top of the cap and they are notorious for being barely visible. Once you find the line, it may be useful to mark it on the outside with a sharpie.
The Green Way
I’ve never made my own laundry detergent but I’ve heard it can be a fantastic money saving option. There is actually a class on making homemade laundry detergent at my local CSA store tonight that I would love to attend. The schedule may not allow it, but if I can work it out I’ll be sure to let you in on the details!
Laurie, however, shared her favorite homemade laundry detergent recipe in a guest post last week! It’s low sudsing so it’s perfect for both regular and high-efficiency (HE) washing machines.
5. Fabric Softener
The Simple Way
If you use dryer sheets, you can cut your fabrick softener costs in half by doing the same to the sheets. There’s rarely a need for a whole fabric softener sheet in one load so try cutting each one in half before using.
If you prefer liquid fabric softener, you can actually extend a bottle of it by dampening a small rag with the solution and using in the dryer instead of a fabric sheet.
The Green Way
To save even more money, skip the commercial fabric softener all together and use vinegar in your washing machine. Just add about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle for an easy, eco-friendly fabric softener.
I’m sure there are plenty other ways to save money in the laundry room so I’d love to hear from you! What are your tips and tricks?
Want more laundry room tips
- Lauren from Mama’s Laundry Talk is giving Four Tips for Keeping the Laundry Room in Order
- Nony from A Slob Comes Clean is discussing Hanging vs. Folding.
- Taylor from Stain Removal 101 is talking about Cleaning Your Washing Machine To Sanitize It And Getting Rid Of Smells
- Jami from An Oregon Cottage did a Thirty Minute Laundry Room Spruce-Up.?
iDreamOfClean
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Our Maytag Neptune washer was one of the first HE front load washer models available. It’s doing well 12 years later, with two repair calls in the last five years (one for a bad control board, a problem known in that model; the second to replace the main front gasket, as it had a serious mildew/mold problem, related to problem #1). Not too bad!
We’re considering replacing it in the next year or so, mostly since it looks like the energy savings have improved even more in the last several years. I’ll likely sell the current washer, as it still works well. That being said, the previous washer was a refurbished Maytag toploader that was over 35 years old, and went to a veterinary clinic where it got several years more use (with a very heavy work load!).
35 years old!! That. is. CRAZY!
I sure hope these new ones will last that long :)
I make my own detergent and it saves a ton of money! Also, I just don’t use fabric softener. Other than a nice smell, I can’t tell that they make any difference anyway.
I’m totally with you on the ‘do a load everyday’ thing though. Makes my life so much easier, and I save money by not having to buy so many clothes. My kids seem to prefer wearing their 3 favorite outfits over and over, so I don’t really purchase much more than that for them. If clothes are washed every day, they always have at least 1 clean set of clothing in their dressers.
About not wanting to hang your clothes to dry: try taking just a few large items out of the load to hang. If you take out just a few large, heavy things (say, adult jeans, sweatshirts, and bath towels), they will take almost no time to hang up but will greatly reduce the amount of time the rest of the load takes to dry (and the energy/cost associated with it). If you don’t like the ‘crunchy’ feeling that air dried clothes can have, throw them in the dryer for 5 minutes to fluff them up.
Also try using less detergent than the bottle calls for. I kept reducing mine until I noticed clothes not getting clean, and I only use a little more than a tbsp per load (I have a fairly small washing machine though), way less than the bottle says. A big bottle of detergent lasts me ages now, and I haven’t noticed any difference in my clothes.
Another big energy and cost saver is to wash in cold water. I wash almost all of my clothes in this, and using liquid detergent, they always get clean.
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