Laundry is something that we do over and over again. Why not do your best to save dollars where you can.
I have an HE washer and dryer. Let’s talk about the washer first. How many of you wash your clothes in hot or warm water? Hubby and I don’t get very dirty. I wash almost all of our clothes in cold water and rinse in cold water. The only time I use warm or hot is if one of us has a bad cold or virus or we have been playing in the mud. If you have jobs where you get very dirty then I could see using more than cold water. But for us, cold works! I also would not wash cloth diapers with cold water. I read somewhere once that using hot water instead of cold all year is like leaving your refrigerator door open 24 hours a day for a year. That has always stuck with me.
The second thing I do is use the Express Cycle for 90% of our wash loads. It takes less energy than a regular wash cycle because it takes less time and it uses less water. Since we pay a hefty price for both electricity and water that makes a big difference over a year’s time.
The third thing is to always use the extra high spin cycle on the washer to get as much water out of your clothes as possible. So when you use your dryer, they take less time to dry.
The fourth thing is that I never use a second rinse. One is enough when using the Eco Ball or when using soap. I never overdo the soap. I had an appliance repair man tell me that people use way too much soap when they follow the laundry soap directions. Manufacturers of soap want you to use more so you have to buy more. He told me to never use more than 3 tablespoons. Too much soap is not good for the machine. Since our washing machine and dryer were purchased second hand from relatives who I knew took good care of them, our machines are getting old and are still going without having to be repaired. We have used them ourselves for over 9 years. I believe they were 5 years old when we bought them. We take good care of them and have even vacuumed the dust out from around the motors.
The other thing we do to save both electricity and water is wear our clothes more than once. Jeans do not have to be washed very day. Assess your clothing each day when you are getting ready for bed and decide if you can wear it again. If so hang it up; don’t just pile it in a chair or drop it on the floor.
You also do not have to take a clean towel every time you take a shower. Think about it people. You just cleaned your body with soap and you are drying it with a clean towel. You can use that towel more than once. Hang it up and let it dry until the next time you need it. Teach your children to hang it up after their showers. They should not be dropping them in a heap on the floor. The only towels that we replace at the end of a day are dish and hand towels in the kitchen which I do every night. However, I save the dirty ones until I can add them to a less than full load. I don’t wash them every night.
If you can’t buy laundry detergent cheaply or almost free, use an ECO egg to wash your clothing or make your own detergent. There are tons of recipes online for making your own detergent. I have an ECO egg and I love it. I pre-treat any stains and that and the ECO egg gets them out. Do I ever use detergent? Yes, when I have purchased it for just pennies after coupons and Ibotta or Checkout 51. I have a supply in the basement that I am working to get rid of right now. Then unless it is free or a money maker, I will only use my ECO egg. I also make my own detergent for hand washing any delicates.
When I see a rock bottom sale on stain removers, I will buy as many as I have coupons for and stockpile them. That way I do not have to ever pay full price.
Now let’s talk about drying your clothes. The best way to save money on that is to not use your dryer. Hang up your washed clothes on a clothesline, on a drying rack, or on hangers hung on your shower rod.
Do I always hang clothes to dry? Not always. So when I use my dryer, I try to use it economically.
First, I always clean the lint filter after every load. I also use 6 wool balls in my dryer which help my clothes dry faster. These are the ones I have:Dryer Balls
Second, I use the best drying cycle for the load I am washing. I use the Express Cycle for most loads. For things like blankets or heavier items, I use the timed cycles so that I don’t over dry them.
Third, I always fold them or hang them the minute the dryer signals to me that they are done. I never have to go back and dry them again for a few minutes to get the wrinkles out. I don’t use my dryer as an iron. Our iron takes much less electricity.
Would I buy an HE washer and dryer again? Absolutely! But I would look at the energy saving top washers too to see which is the best savings.
Please feel free to leave a comment or tell us how you save money when you do your laundry.