5 Ways to Save on Laundry Costs

In the days of “going-green” everyone is looking for small, simple ways that they can do their part. Since the economic collapse in 2008, homeowners have become a lot more conscious about moving their money around in ways that can benefit them and allow them to save for an emergency. One of the biggest ways that homeowners can save is by cutting back in the household. This means cutting back on the two main utilities that cost us the most amount of money: water and electricity. When it comes to packing up and moving to a new city like Atlanta, moving costs can get especially high. If you decide to start conserving the year before your move, you can potentially save up the money for your moving costs, eliminating moving as an additional bill.

One way to save both water and electricity is by cutting down and optimizing the way you do your laundry. Laundry alone can cost you an upwards of $500 per year, so cutting down on usage and knowing tips to make washing laundry more efficient, is the key to saving hundreds of dollars per year; giving you perhaps $200 towards your move. The following tips are just a selection of some of the best ways to do your laundry in a “green” way and save on laundry costs.

1. Forget the detergent. That's right, although it may sound odd and dirty, the reality is you do not need to use laundry detergent on every load. If you have a load of laundry that is not full of dirty clothes, try not using detergent. In fact, the co-founder of Seventh Generation eco-friendly laundry soap, Jeffrey Hollender told The Wall Street Journal that most homeowners do not realize that they really do not need to use the soap as much as they do. He explains how the agitation of washing machines actually does the job on its own. The ways this helps you save for your move: by not having to buy so much detergent at $15 a gallon, and by allowing your washing machine to do its job without being slowed down by suds.

2. Cut back on detergent. If you absolutely cannot wash laundry knowing that you are not using detergent, because maybe you go to the gym a lot and you know that there are sweaty, smelly clothes in your hamper - use less detergent. More detergent does not mean cleaner clothes, and you are actually doing your washing machine a disservice, as it can shut down your high-efficiency machine and can wear out the equipment faster. In cases where you are constantly using too much soap, you may find that you need to purchase a new washing machine - eliminating the ability to save for your moving costs.

3. Cold water. Wash everything you can in cold water in order to save on laundry costs. The EPA actually urges homeowners to use cold water cycles in their washing machine, since laundry machines are the biggest hogs of energy at home. The EPA estimates that the average homeowner can save around $40 a year by this tip. Our tip: every $40 adds up for your moving expenses.

4. Wash only full loads. Sometimes, it's Monday and we really want to wear that cute skirt or our favorite pair of jeans that we wore on Saturday. However, if you do not have enough for a full load of laundry - try to find something else to wear. Laundry is such a high home cost because the machines require a lot of energy to work efficiently, so make sure you are only running them when you really have to do laundry and make sure that the water and heat settings are set properly for each load. The second half of this tip: don't overload your washing machine either. If clothes are crowded and have no room to agitate like they are supposed to, they will not be clean - no matter how much soap you use either.

5. Use the dryer while it's hot. If you are doing multiple loads of laundry, another way that you can save laundry, energy, and electricity costs and put that money towards your move, is by using the dryer while it is still hot from the previous load. Once a clothes dryer gets cold, it takes extra energy for it to get extremely hot again, so take advantage of the heat that is left when the dryer stops and throw the next load in.

All of these tips can help you save on laundry costs and save BIG on water and electricity bills, so that you can save for your upcoming move to Atlanta. If you are moving to Atlanta, local moving companies can help make your move as easy and as stress-free as possible, so you can rest assured that your high-efficiency washing machine will be safe. Even if you are already a resident of Atlanta, there is no time like the present to start saving money and going-green at the same time!