17 Frugal Laundry Tips To Save Money

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I don’t know about you, but I spend soooo much time in the laundry room. As my family size has increased, so has the amount of laundry. 

At one point, I even found myself googling how to save money doing laundry because it seemed like I was running the washer and dryer non-stop.

Where does all the laundry come from?!

Since I was spending so much on laundry expenses (from detergent, fabric softener, dryer sheets, and more), I decided to research to find the best money-saving laundry hacks. 

I tested out and found the best frugal laundry tips that have been effective in our home, and I wanted to share them.

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The best frugal laundry tips

Let’s discuss the best tips to save on laundry.

Wash everything on cold

Stop wasting energy washing your clothes on hot or warm. According to Energy Star, heating your water consumes 90% of the energy it takes to run your washer.

Also, most stains do better when soaked in cool water. Hot water tends to help the stain settle in, making it permanent. 

And if you’re worried about your laundry soap not working as well in cool water…don’t fret!  

According to Consumer Reports, experts have found that detergents are actually less effective in higher temperatures. 

So, unless you’re washing linens after illness, cloth diapers, or fabric that has to be cleaned on a hot or warm cycle…save money and wash your clothes in cold water.

Shorter wash cycles

Wash your laundry on your machine’s quick wash or the shortest cycle. The shorter cycle will save on energy costs and clean your dirty clothes just as well as a regular cycle. Save the regular cycle for the more soiled loads.

Cut the extra rinse cycle

There is no reason for an extra rinse cycle if you use the appropriate amount of laundry product. So, skip it to use less water!

Wash full loads of laundry

Energy Star also recommends only washing full loads because your washer uses the same amount of energy no matter what size load you wash. 

So, make sure that you are washing full loads every time you run your washer. 

Use less laundry soap

Most of us are using way too much laundry detergent!

Did you know those lines on the detergent cups actually mean something? Most people need way less detergent than they currently use.

If you’re using a good detergent, you only need to fill it to the first line for a regular load. Crazy right?

Not only are you wasting detergent, but too much of it causes your machine to work harder, rinsing the extra suds away. This means your energy consumption goes up, causing your electric and water bills to go up. 

So, check the back of the laundry soap to see how much you actually need to use when washing clothes.

Use vinegar

Fabric softener is not only costly, but it is hard on your clothes. According to Clean Mama, a fabric softener coats the fibers of your clothing, causing buildup and making it harder to clean them.  

Instead of fabric softener, add 1/4 cup of white vinegar to your wash; it will soften your clothes and keep your washing machine smelling fresh and clean. 

And don’t worry, your clothing won’t smell like vinegar. The vinegar smell washes away, leaving your clothes smelling fresh…that’s it!  

Use baking soda

Baking soda is another miracle cleaner. According to The Spruce, when you add baking soda to your laundry, it can:

• help eliminate laundry odors
• boost bleach and detergent performance
• control suds which make your washer work harder
• act as a natural fabric softener 

Adding a 1/2 cup to your laundry cycle will help boost the cleaning performance without buying expensive boosters.

Use a good laundry detergent

I have tried the DIY laundry soap and even the bottom self-laundry soap. 

Honestly, I just didn’t think it worked as good. I had to use way more detergent to get my clothes clean. 

So, I use powered Tide at the recommended 1 line for regular wash, and a box will last me months.  

I also pick up the detergent when it’s on sale, and I use cashback apps like coupons.com, Ibotta, and drop to help me save even more on my purchase.

Related:

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Don’t overstuff 

Overstuffing your washer and dryer can make your machine work harder, which causes unnecessary wear and tear.

Not only that, but it also cleans and dries less efficiently, which increases your energy consumption.

A rule of thumb is to loosely toss clothes in evenly around the drum of your washer, making sure full loads only fill the drum 3/4 of the way. 

This will ensure your clothes will get properly cleaned and not waste energy or untimely wear and tear on your machines.  

Line Dry

Air drying your clothing has multiple money-saving effects. 

Using a drying rack overnight or hanging clothing on a clothesline will use less energy from your dryer during the day.

Because your dryer is running less, it puts out less heat. This will save you money in AC-related costs because it does not have to cool the dryer’s heat.  

In addition, your clothes are subject to less wear and tear from the dryer, which saves you money in the long run because your clothes will hold up longer.

Clean your lint filter

Make sure to clean your dryer vent after every load of laundry, and do a more thorough cleaning of your dryer monthly as well.

Take the filter out and vacuum inside the filter area. You would be surprised how much lint gets stuck in there and doesn’t come out with your trap cleaning.

According to Direct Energy, you should disconnect the hose from the back of your dryer and clean all the lint buildup that accumulates once a year. 

In addition, make sure to check the vent that leads outside for any lint buildup.  

Keeping the lint cleaned out from your dryer will help it work more efficiently, saving you money on energy consumption. It also helps to prevent a fire hazard!

Use Dryer balls

Dryer balls work by separating the clothes, fluffing, and increasing airflow to help them dry faster. 

By decreasing your drying time, you consume less energy, reducing your energy bill.  

Dry on low heat

The Department of Energy suggests switching to the lowest heat setting on your dryer. 

By doing this, your drying time may be longer, but you still save energy, which saves you money on your monthly bill.

Using the moisture detector on your dryer can save energy as well. 

The sensor will detect when your clothes are dry, preventing you from overdrying your clothes…saving unnecessary wear and tear, and saving energy!  

Related: 39 Really Easy Ways to Conserve Energy at Home

Off-peak hours

During peak hours (between 4pm and 7pm), the cost of electricity is higher because the electric company must meet the needs of high demand all at once. 

Therefore, according to Flint Energies, more expensive generation units are needed to meet the demand, increasing the electricity cost.

So, the off-peak hours are the best time for high energy-consuming activities, such as laundry. 

Doing this will save money because you won’t be consuming as much energy during these times. 

Also, most energy companies offer a program that provides lower energy costs at certain times of the day (usually at night). So, make sure to call your energy company to find out if they offer something similar.  

Cut dryer sheets in half

If you can’t part with dryer sheets, cut them in half. Cutting dryer sheets in half will have the same results, but you’ll double your use, saving you a bit of money.  

But like fabric softeners, dryer sheets coat the fabric making it harder to clean and causing more wear on your clothing. 

So, if you’re willing to give them up, you could save even more. Some alternatives to dryer sheets are…

1. Dampening a washcloth with vinegar and throwing it in the dryer.
2. Using wool dryer balls or aluminum foil
3. Don’t overdry your clothes. Use the moisture detector setting on your dryer to eliminate overdrying, which can cause static.  
4. Wash less/wear more than once

Wear more than once

One thing that has helped us cut back on the amount of laundry is to wash less. Try wearing some things more than once before you wash them.

For example, I would wash the kid’s pajamas after wearing them once. 

They put them on after a bath and sleep in them…they really don’t need to be washed after just one time. 

So, if we can, we wear things more than once to cut back on the loads I wash every week.

Separate heavy loads

Don’t wash and dry heavier-weight items, such as towels and jeans, with lighter-weight items. 

Lighter-weight things take less time, and drying with heavier items increases your drying time. 

So, make sure to sort accordingly to save energy.

Conclusion

Doing laundry is not only a pain, but it can be costly. Implementing these frugal ways into my laundry routine saves me a bit on laundry-related costs.

I hope you find some or all of these tips helpful in saving you the most money in the laundry room.

In what ways do you save money on laundry? Leave a comment below!