Low Cost Laundry

I do a lot of laundry.

 

I mean A LOT.

 

3 loads of clothes everyday.

3 load of towels and other linens every other day.

4 load of diapers a week.

5 loads a week for bedding.

 

Since I don't do laundry on Sundays, that's 37 loads a week!

148 loads a month!

 

Okay, now that my own shock has worn off... seriously, I've never really thought about it... Let's move on.

 

Laundry can easily get expensive.

Expensive isn't an option I have.

I have to be creative and careful.

Okay, I'm not that creative.

But these are some good tips to remember!

 

 

Drying

 

~ Clean the lint trap. We all know we should but actually do it and once a month wash it with warm soapy water to prevent build up that can slow it down. If you can vacuum out inside the vent holder AWESOME!

 

~ Swtich laundry quickly. If you get the dry laundry out and wet laundry in while the dryer is still hot it doesn't have to work as hard to dry the second, third and more loads. Turn on the obnoxious buzzer and respond when you hear it (with more than just a sigh!)

 

~ Line dry! Cheapest way possible! Granted I live in Oregon, so the 9 months of rain really make that bothersome, but honestly I went without a dryer for 4 months, dropped my electric bill $30 a month! With all the cool retractable clothes lines, foldable drying racks and better clothespins (bamboo are my favorite!) it's not that hard to line dry at least some of your clothes. Even one load a week hung to dry is one less load you'll pay for!

 

~ Skip the dryer sheets. 1/2 to 1 cup vinegar in the wash rinse will soften the laundry and help with cling, so why spend more? Plus, dryer sheets cause build up on the lint trap.

 

Washing

 

~ Sort it. Sorting your laundry can allow you to wash it as efficiently as possible. The system that works for me is: diapers/wipes, whites/rags, towels/denim, kinda dirty, super dirty. Clearly diapers need seperated. Whites and rags need to be bleached. Towels and denim are heavier, I usually use a slightly longer wash cycle and wash them last since they take longest to dry. Kinda dirty/super dirty piles exist because church clothes don't need as much cleaning as play clothes, stuff that needs washed but isn't awful goes through a short wash while the yucky stuff gets washed longer.

 

~ Cold cycle. With the exception of diapers, I wash everything on cold. I also only run the washer full.

 

~ Bleach is bleach. Discount brand, store brand or name brand, it's all bleach. Can we please get past our hang ups on this one.

 

~ Skip the softener while you're at it. Again the vinegar will soften! And it won't leave an odor.

 

~Make your own laundry soap! Took my spending from $30 a month to $6 a year!!

 

Borax, Washing Soda, Fels-Naptha (all found on the laundry isle)