Tips to Help Cut Laundry Expenses
Use cold water for your wash and rinse cycle – Unless your laundry is heavily soiled it really is not necessary to use warm or hot water to wash your clothing. Using a cold water wash and rinse will save money but will also preserve the coloring in your clothes helping them to last longer. Their are detergents out on the market that are specifically designed for cold water washes but it is not necessary to use this type of product to effective clean your clothes in a cold water wash. Using a cold water wash and rinse cycle is one of the best ways to cut laundry expenses.
Use less detergent – When pouring detergent, use half of the recommended amount. Using too much detergent will break down the fibers in your clothing and can actually cause the fabric to hold dirt and soils. Clothes will get just as clean if not cleaner by using less detergent. If you see a piece of clothing that is stained, simply pour a bit of detergent directly onto the stain. If you use powder detergents, you can make a paste of detergent and water and apply it directly to the stain.
Cut back on your fabric softener use – If you use fabric softener sheets, tear them in half to make them last twice as long. If you use a liquid fabric softener, you an also reduce the amount used without reducing the effectiveness.
Do several loads of laundry at once – Doing several loads of laundry one right after the other will make the most out of the heat in your dryer. Each time the dryer has to heat up to full heat, it uses more energy. By doing several loads of laundry one right after the other, you save the time and electricity of having to reheat the dryer. Another great tip to help cut laundry expenses is to cut the time that your clothes are actually in the dryer. If your clothes are typically dry when the dryer stops, make it a habit to check the dryer five to ten minutes sooner than normal. Cutting the drying time, cuts the amount of electricity or gas used to heat your dryer thus helping to cut laundry expenses.