How to Do Laundry With Less Expense

Laundry is something we all have to deal with. There are a few ways to use less energy and save money while you're doing it. Some take a little more time and effort than others, but it's worthwhile if you want to save money--and your clothes.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Washer
• Laundry detergent
• Dishwashing liquid
• Clothesline
• Clothespins

1. In some areas, your energy and water utilities offer lower rates early in the morning or late at night. It's worthwhile to call your utilities to find out if you are in one of these areas, and to ask if they have any tips on lowering your costs.
2. Use less laundry detergent. Using extra detergent filthy clothes doesn't clean them any better than using a smaller amount. If there's a lot of lint on your clothes, you're using too much soap. And if you use so much detergent that it's not all washed away in the rinse cycle, it leaves a film on your clothes that attracts dirt.
3. Run only full loads of laundry. Washing small loads wastes electricity and water. If you have to wash something less than a full load, toss in seldom washed items to fill up the load.
4. Using a clothesline to dry your clothes saves an enormous amount of money. Sunlight can kill many odor-causing bacteria. Line drying is easier on your clothes. It makes them last longer and look better. And your energy bill will be a lot lower.
5. If you read the label on your dish soap, it usually says you can hand wash your delicate clothes with that instead of buying expensive special soap for hand washables.
6. Using cold water to rinse clothes saves money. Laundry soap cleans clothes better in water at least 65 degrees, but you can always use cold to rinse. If you want to save more energy by washing clothes in cold water, use liquid rather than powdered laundry soap.