Doing laundry may seem like a never-ending chore throughout the year. Laundry day may not be your favorite day of the week, but following these six tips can be an opportunity to save some cash.
- Wash your clothes in cold water and use cold-water detergents. Unless the stains on your clothes are oil-based, warm or cool water in your washing machine will do just as good a job removing them as hot water, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
- Wash and dry full loads. If you must run the washer before it’s full, adjust the water level so the whole machine doesn’t fill up unnecessarily.
- Towels and heavy cotton items like jeans take longer to dry than lightweight clothing, so don’t dry them together.
- Let the dryer decide how long your clothes need to tumble. Newer models have moisture sensors and can automatically stop the cycle when the clothes are dry.
- Clean the dryer’s lint screen after every load. Letting the lint build up can create a fire hazard and prevent your dryer from running efficiently.
To clean the vent, first unplug the dryer. Then, remove the tubing from the back and vacuum in and around it. If you are able to remove the front panel of your dryer, vacuum inside it as well.
If you don’t have access to the dryer vent tubing to its outside vent or don’t want the hassle of doing it yourself, hire a professional maintenance technician to clean your dryer vent annually. - If you have a high-efficiency washer, use detergents labeled “HE.” The American Cleaning Institute says those low-sudsing detergents clean clothes well in machines that use less water.
