12 Money Saving Laundry Tips

Save Money In The Laundry

We can probably all agree that doing laundry isn’t our favourite thing to be doing – washing your clothes, drying them and folding them can be a little tedious. But did you know that you can make doing laundry a little more bearable by changing a few things in the laundry room? By changing a few small things and habits in the laundry room, for example, you’ll see that there are several ways to save energy using your clothes washer. If you’re looking for laundry room energy-saving ideas, read well this article.

Things you can do to save money in the laundry room:

Wash with cold water

Using warm water instead of hot can cut a load’s energy use in half, and using cold water will save even more. Cold water detergents can be helpful to ensure items get clean, and high-efficiency detergents (indicated by the “he” symbol) should be used when required by the manufacturer.

Wash full loads

Your washer will use about the same amount of energy no matter the size of the load, so fill it up.

Dry right-sized loads for your machine

If the dryer is too full, it will take longer for the clothes to dry. Loads that are too small can also take longer to dry, plus you spend more per item when running the dryer to only dry a few things.

Air dry when you can

Hang laundry outside or on a drying rack to avoid using the dryer altogether.

Switch loads while the dryer is warm

This will allow you to use the remaining heat inside of the dryer for the next cycle.

Use dryer balls

Wool or rubber dryer balls will help separate your clothes and get more air to them, cutting drying time. They can also reduce static so you don’t need dryer sheets (see #7 below). The wool balls are said to absorb some moisture, further cutting drying time. We use these at my house and have seen a noticeable difference in the time it takes our clothes to dry.

Clean the lint filter on the dryer

The dryer will run more efficiently and safely. If you use dryer sheets, scrub the filter once a month with a toothbrush to remove film buildup that can reduce air circulation.

Use the high-speed or extended spin cycle in the washer

This will remove as much moisture as possible before drying, reducing your drying time and the wear on your clothes from the high heat of the dryer.

Use lower heat settings in the dryer

Even if the drying cycle is longer, you’ll use less energy and be less likely to over-dry your clothes.

Dry towels and heavier cottons separately from lighter-weight clothes

You’ll spend less time drying the lighter-weight clothes.

Use a cool-down cycle if your dryer has one

This cycle allows clothes to finish drying with the heat remaining in the dryer.

Use the moisture sensor option if your dryer has one

Many new clothes dryers come designed with a moisture sensor, which automatically shuts off the machine when clothes are dry. This will save energy and reduce wear and tear on your clothes caused by over-drying.