Have you noticed that, even as an empty nester, some things remain the same? Things like laundry? Yes, laundry is a lifelong journey, and it doesn’t end when the kids move out. Sure, there’s a little less, but your clothes still must get clean.
Follow along as we discuss how to save time and money when doing the laundry if it’s been years since you re-evaluated how you do this everyday chore. The difference that these small changes make may surprise you.
Use Cold Water
Your clothes likely aren’t getting significantly dirty on a daily basis. Your clothing will get clean in cold water. Even warm water, instead of hot, cuts down on the energy used to heat the water in your home. You’ll see a difference in the energy bill as you begin to use more cold water rather than hot if you do a lot of laundry.
Air Dry When Possible
The dryer uses plenty of energy, which means higher energy bills for you. Consider air drying your clothes, when possible, to avoid always running the dryer.
Air drying is beneficial, especially for clothing you don’t want to fade. It’s also just a great way to get outside if you have a clothesline, or even simply hang some towels or clothing over the chairs in the dining room to dry. Another way to easily air-dry clothing is to put each item on a hanger and hang them right in the closet. By the time you are ready to wear the clothes, they’ll be dry.
Install a Water Softening System
You may need to use a water softener if you find you use a lot of laundry detergent to get your clothing clean and plenty of fabric softener to keep them from feeling stiff.
After installation, a water softener can help save you money by reducing the amount of detergents you need to get your clothes clean and soft. With soft water, you only need about half the amount of detergent you need when washing with hard water.
Soft water also saves time since homeowners must often wash their clothes twice just for them to look and smell clean if they have hard water.
Wash Full Loads
It’s a waste of time to wash a little here and a little there. One of the best ways to save time and money when doing the laundry is to wash a full load every time. The washing machine must work hard either way, so why not save energy by allowing it to work once with a large load rather than running it a few times with small loads?
This method, of course, also saves you a lot of time since there isn’t as much load switching.
Energy Star Appliances
Look for appliances that have an Energy Star Rating when purchasing a washer and dryer. This rating tells you that you are choosing one of the most efficient machines available. Efficiency saves you both time and money when doing the laundry. Clothing is clean and your energy bills are lower.
The need to do laundry isn’t going away, but it doesn’t have to be a burden. Save time and money with a few simple changes.