The average cost of a load of laundry at home is $1.27. At a laundromat, a load costs $3.12. Doing laundry at home costs 97 cents per load, not including equipment costs.
Saving Money on Laundry
Tips for Reduced Energy Consumption
- Save energy on laundry day: Try washing before 4 p.m. or after 7 p.m. to avoid higher electricity rates charged during peak hours.
- Hang dry your clothes to save on energy costs.
- Run your washer at night to avoid electricity surge, especially since demand is highest between 7-9am.
- Doing laundry in the evening can help you save money.
Cheapest Methods
- Do laundry early in the morning or at night to avoid peak electricity hours.
- Other ways to save money on laundry:
- Hang dry clothes
- Wash clothes in cold water
- Fill the washing machine to capacity
Electricity Usage
The Top 5 electricity users at home:
- Air conditioning and heating
- Water heating
- Appliances
- Laundry
- Lights
The Laundry Process
The laundry process has 5 key stages:
- Sorting
- Pre-treatment
- Washing
- Drying
- Folding/Ironing
Frequency of Washing
- Wash underwear after each wear.
- Everyday garments after 2-4 wears.
- Towels, bedding, and pillowcases weekly.
Laundromat vs. Home Laundry
Pros and Cons of Laundromats
Laundromats can be convenient for bulky items and allow you to wash multiple loads simultaneously. Plus, you don’t have to buy or store laundry supplies, and they might use fewer resources compared to some home washing machines. However, for large laundry loads, it might be more cost-effective to do it at home when considering the purchase of detergents and fabric softeners in bulk, as well as saving on travel time.
Environmental Considerations
Laundromats have larger capacity machines and theoretically could use less water than washing at home, depending on the type of machine. However, using a home washing machine might create less plastic waste from laundry supply packaging. Drying clothes outside is environmentally beneficial in either case.
Cost-Effectiveness
The main equipment cost difference is that laundromats provide the machines and may have better equipment, but home laundry equipment also has its cost, ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars. To save money doing laundry at home, wash in cold water, fully load the washer, and hang dry clothes. Consider your laundry needs when deciding whether to use a laundromat or home laundry facilities.