Trying to Save Some Money? It Can Be Done in the Laundry Room

You can save money in many different areas of your house and the laundry room is no acception. Things are tight for everyone right now, so any savings is a good thing. The nice thing is you don’t even have to do anything big to start to have savings. Small changes add up over time ultimately saving you money.

You have heard it before, and here it is again, use only cold water for washing clothing. You ultimately are using less energy and therefore spending less money to wash your clothing in cold water. When washing with cold water you do need to be more aware of stains that may be on clothing. You may need to pre-treat stains that are on your clothing. Ironically this is where a second money saving opportunity comes in.

Avoid buying those expensive pre-treatment sticks and sprays. Laundry detergient works just as well when placed directly onto the stain. Create your own pre-treatment with three tablespoons of detergent mixed with a half of a cup of water. You can spray this soapy mixture onto your stain using an empty spray bottle.

Don’t trust the lines on the laundry detergent cap.  You usually don’t have to use as much as is suggested. Super dirty clothing may take up to a full line to wash but on average this is way to much for a normal load. The less detergent you use the longer the bottle will last, and the less you spend. Baking soda or washing soda are two easy ways to get that little extra cleaning you need for a fraction of the price of the extra laundry detergent you could spend.

Fabric softener is another place to save money. Take a half cup to a cup of white vinegar nd add it to the rince cycle.  Your clothing will come out just as soft as they would have with fabric softener. Vinegar is very inexspensive if you get it in bulk. If you are concerned about the odor of the vinegar, you can deal with this by purchasing a small bottle of sweet orange essential oil.

Cut out the dryer sheets to save a couple of dollars.  Instead take a washcloth and put a few drops of sweet orange essential oil onto it and toss it in the dryer instead. The vinegar smell will be gone and you will have a fresh citrus sent to your clothing. Make sure that the washcloth you used for this is not used on anyone’s skin, as citrus essential oils can be harsh on sensitive skin.