While many of us have a washer and dryer at home, some of us have to venture to the laundry mat and this can get quite expensive. If your family size is large or small, you can take advantage of many of the money saving tips below.
How To Save Money At The Laundromat
First and foremost, shop around. If you are lucky enough to live in an area that has many choices in places to go, shop around and find one that has the lowest prices. While many are very close in price, there can be vast differences. Of course, you won’t wanna get one that will be too far from your home or what you save will be eaten up by how much gas you spend to get your laundry there.
Find out the perks of the place you wash at and take advantage of them. Many Laundromats offer frequent user cards that give you free washes or dry time after so much spent. This can be a simple punch card or a points value card. Many laundromats also offer free soap.
Make your own detergents. There is no need to buy the small, one time use soaps sold at many Laundromats. Also, no need to haul heavy containers of soap that you bought. Simply make a large portion of soap and keep it in a 5 gallon bucket. When you head to the Laundromat, just take what you need in a small container. Making your own detergent is simple and allows you to only pay pennies per load. You can also make your own fabric softener.
During warmer months, take your clothes home to dry on the line if possible. Not only will they smell wonderful, but you will spend 30-40% less on doing your clothes.
Only wash full loads and pick the right size. When paying to do your laundry, it is very important to make sure each load is filled to capacity so you get the most bang for your buck. If you only have small loads, try to see if you can find a friend to go in with and share the cost.
Wash what you can by hand and dry on low temp at the Laundromat. This includes bras, delicates and some things that are labeled “Dry Clean Only”. Dry clean only is often not necessary with many items. These items often just require gentle care and low dry temps.
Keep a good eye on what actually needs to be washed and what just got thrown in the mix. Washing clothing that is not really that dirty or isn’t dirty at all will leave you spending money that you don’t need to.
Wear clothes more than one time to avoid having to wash them as frequently. Most clothing items (other than underclothes such as underwear) can be worn many times before it actually needs to be thrown in the washer. Wearing things more than once will ensure you spend less.
Use less soap. You may think you need a lot, but most laundry facilities have soft water, so you usually need to use less than if you were doing it at home. This could mean you are using more than twice the amount needed if you aren’t careful.
As a last ditch effort, consider getting rid of some of your clothing. If you own less, you will need to wash less.
