Sure, washing your clothes in cold water is a great tip to help save energy and potentially extend the life of your garments, but if you’re like me and have to wash your clothes at the laundromat, you know that the machines use the same number of quarters no matter what the water temperature you select. So that particular tip is great if you own a washing machine and pay for hot water, but not so great for those of us who regularly schlep our dirty laundry to the laundromat, inserting our hard-earned cash into the machines one quarter at a time.
So here are a few tips on how to save money doing your laundry when you are using the laundromat. Until I can find a way to capture a “laundry fairy” that will do all my laundry for me for free, these are some strategies I use to help lower my laundromat costs.
Shop around. Odds are, there’s more than one laundromat nearby. Take some time and do a little recon… you may be surprised to find out that the prices vary depending on the location, both for the washing machines as well as for the driers. For example, I find that the laundromats near me that still offer the older, top-loading machines have a lower cost per load. The older models only cost about $1.50 or $1.75 per wash, whereas the newer laundromats which offer the more energy efficient, front-loading washers can cost $2.00 or even $2.25. Don’t forget to check how many minutes per quarter the driers give you, as well. One of the laundromats near me with the older, cheaper washers has a best-buy of 9 minutes per quarter. Most of the other laundromats around me only offer 5 or 6 minutes per quarter, and one only gives as little as 4 minutes per quarter. Doing a little research may reveal a hidden treasure in saved quarters and you may be amazed at how much more time it takes to replenish your supply of coins.
Avoid the vending machines. Always remember to bring your own detergent and dryer sheets. You’re paying for the convenience when you buy detergent, bleach, dryer sheets, or even laundry bags from the vending machine on the wall at the laundromat. They will charge you 75 cents or even a dollar for enough detergent for one load of laundry, when you can likely pay less than 20 cents for the same detergent if you bought it at a discount chain or a grocery store. And if you’re tempted to have a soda or a snack while you’re doing your laundry, pack yourself a bag to bring with you, rather than spending some of our precious quarters in the snack machine.
Use less detergent. If you’re used to using the high-efficency washing machines, you know that there are signs encouraging you to use about a quarter or a third of a cup of detergent, so the machines work properly. However, even if you are at a laundromat with the older washing machines, your clothes will still get clean while using less detergent per load. Lots of us mindlessly fill the cap up to the mark and don’t even think twice about it. So don’t fill up all the way to the line on that pre-measured cap. Even if you use slightly less detergent for each load, you might be able to get a few extra washes from the bottle of detergent.
Forget the “Super Wash.” Most laundromats have washing machines that offer a “super wash” cycle for an extra quarter or two. All the “super wash” does is add another rinse and spin cycle, and takes more time. Unless you’ve got something that’s really dirty (like you were playing football in the mud), there really isn’t a need to utilize the “super wash” cycle. And on those occasions when I’ve got a piece of clothing that could use some extra time in some water, I soak it at home for free before I take it to the laundromat to wash.
Cut out the color-safe bleach. I did like using color safe bleach, but when I’m cutting costs, this falls into the category of luxury. Discount all the marketing about brighter colored clothes and body soil… the fact is, my clothes will be clean without the color-safe bleach, so this is an extra expense I’ve cut out.
Experiment with dryer temps and times. Dryers at the laundromat are set up to give you so many minutes per quarter – whether you choose low temp, med temp or high temp. If you’re clothes have been washed and dried a few times already, odds are they aren’t going to shrink if you subject them to the high temp setting on a laundromat dryer. Using a higher temperature translates into less drying time, thus saving you some quarters. So if your clothes can take the heat, use a higher temperature for less time.
If at all possible, air dry your laundry. In the spirit of full disclosure, I will admit, I do not do this. It’s not because I don’t have a place to do so (there’s actually a small clothesline outside my back door), but because I suffer from seasonal allergies and I do not want to have my clean clothes to cause me to sneeze or have watery, itchy eyes. I also acknowledge that this solution is weather and season dependent, and not always feasible for many who live in small apartments as there simply isn’t the space. But, if you can do it, air drying your clothes will save you from feeding quarters into those laundromat dryers, and if you’re lucky enough to hang your laundry outside to dry, you may get the bonus of that outdoor, sun-dried scent and feel, too.
Always wash full loads. The machines cost the same per load if you put in one thing or twenty, so make sure that you get the most for your money by filling up the machine. You don’t want to over-fill the machine so as to cause it not to work or even break, but it’s the same reason you only want to run the dish washer when it’s full. If you’re a stickler for separating lights and darks, you may have to wait until you have enough to run a full load, or quit separating. After you’ve washed and dried those clothes a few times already, odds are the colors are not going to run. Unless you’re washing whites using bleach, it’s safe to put lights and darks together in one load. I do it all the time, and it allows you to easily fill up the machines, do less loads, and thus saving you money.
Go less often. If you have enough clothes to last you more than a few days or more than a week, then make less frequent trips to the laundromat. The great thing about the laundromat is that you can use several machines at the same time. And as cliche as it sounds, time is money. More specifically, your time is valuable. So if you can make less frequent trips to the laundromat, while you may be spending the same amount of cash overall, you will same some of your own time by going less often. Whether you opt to participate in some other revenue generating activity during that saved time or simply relax, it’s your time, and you’ve earned it. Even if this particular strategy doesn’t have a calculable effect on your bottom line, the physical and mental fringe benefits can be worth it.
Use the store brand and shop the sales. I know, this seems obvious when trying to save money, but a reminder never hurts. I always use the store brand for dryer sheets. I’ve never in my life had anyone see me wearing my newly cleaned clothes and be able to say if I used a name brand dryer sheet or not. All they would notice is if I had static cling. And the store brands take care of that for a lower cost. I also always shop the sales for detergent. I do prefer a name brand (I like the fragrance and dye free variety) but I can’t recall ever having paid full price for it. While I could likely save more money if I bought the gigantic seemingly gallon capacity version featured at a club-type store, it’s totally impractical for me to lug that to and from a laundromat. And if I were to use it to routinely fill a smaller container to transport, I would need to make some room in my small apartment to store it. However, when I can buy a smaller bottle or two on sale (or even with a coupon), I have enough to supply me until the detergent goes on sale again. And I’m not taking up the precious little amount of real-estate I’ve got for storage warehousing the bulk-size container.
Those are my ten tips to help you save money at the laundromat. Maybe you’re already using some of them, and if so then great for you! Maybe this gave you a few ideas you’ve never thought about. At the very least, I hope these tips helped you realize that even those of us who don’t own our own washers and dryers can do a few simple things to help keep a few more quarters in our pockets (before we empty them to go into the machine, that is).
