5 Ways to Save Money in the Laundry Room

30 July 2006

If you’re like me, the laundry room isn’t your favorite place to hang out. Doing laundry isn’t fun, and to add insult, the washer and dryer add dollars onto your energy bill every month. If you’re looking to cut down on spending, it’s a good place to start. Here are five tips for saving money on this thankless household chore:

Avoid washers and dryers with lots of fancy features — If you’re shopping for a new washer and dryer, stick to the basics. More expensive machines may have extra cycles and electronic control panels, but these units don’t wash clothes any better and these features usually just add to the operating cost of the machine.
Wash with cold water — Hot water loads use four times as much energy as cold water loads. You may want to do your whites in hot, but towels and linens are fine in cold. In fact, experts say the majority of your clothes are fine done in cold water, unless they’re very dirty.
Don’t use warm-rinse cycles — Many of the washers on the market today have warm-rinse cycles, but studies show you never need warm water to rinse your clothes, and you can waste $50 or more a year on this feature.
Clean the lint trap after every load — Extra lint isn’t just a fire hazard. Your dryer actually has to work harder when the trap is full, thus using more energy and costing you more money.
Don’t use the maximum dryer setting — Unless you’re doing a load of towels or other hard-to-dry items, don’t use the dryer’s maximum setting. Medium settings works fine for most clothes and save you pennies a load. That adds up to hundreds of dollars over the life of your dryer.

More information: The Home Energy Diet: How to Save Money by Making Your House Energy-Smart