From choosing the right appliances to running costs per use, doing the laundry isn’t always the cheapest thing to do. And with the cost of energy rapidly increasing, more people are conscious of the efficiency of their appliances and how much they’re spending to wash all their clothes. So with saving money at the top of everyone’s agenda right now, how can you reduce your laundry bills and save on your next load?

Choose the right washer and dryer

If you’re due a new washer or dryer, you should be looking to make your next purchase as energy-efficient as possible. When shopping for energy-efficient washing machines and tumble dryers, you can check their energy rating to decide whether they’re efficient. The most energy-efficient appliances will have an A+++ rating, whilst A++, A+ and A-rated appliances are also seen as energy-efficient appliances.

When it comes to tumble dryers, heat pump tumble dryers will be the most energy-efficient appliances you can find. Because of their heat pump technology, they use significantly less energy per use, which in turn means less electricity and more money being saved per laundry cycle. When it comes to washing machines, you can filter by energy rating when browsing online, meaning you’ll only find energy-efficient appliances in your search.

Wash clothes efficiently

Efficient washing of clothes is something that can have a good impact on the level of energy consumed per wash. One thing that can be overlooked is the amount of detergent used. Are you using too much, and can you slightly cut back, saving you a little bit of money for each wash you do.

It can be easy to bung your clothes into the washing machine and hit the start button, but on washing machines there are so many options allowing you to tailor your laundry by size, materials, temperate and spin cycle, meaning you can adjust each setting you match your clothes, and also ensure there’s no wastage in energy.

Dry Clothes Efficiently

Similar to washing, you can make good savings by making small efficiency savings for each wash. When it comes to drying clothes more efficiently, the same applies when it comes to ensuring the settings on your appliance are suitable for the clothes you’re drying.

Keep an eye out for appliances that use sensors, as they can provide a more efficient wash. Sensors can detect the size of your laundry, allow it to adjust settings to match, and there are also sensors that allow the dryer to know when a load is dry, stopping it even before the cycle’s due to end.

You can also take the decision to only dry some of your laundry and air dry the rest.

Use alternative drying methods

One of the best ways to save on the cost of drying your clothes is by opting for air drying instead of tumble drying. It doesn’t mean you’ll have to forego your tumble dryer entirely, but reducing your usage can save you money on running costs, while also extending your appliance’s life.

If you don’t need your clothes, bedding or towels to be immediately available, then air-drying your clothes is a feasible option. During summer, when the air is warmer, clothes left to air dry can be ready the next day.

There are a few ways you can air dry your clothes. The first is by hanging your clothes up on the washing line, and the second is by using an indoor drying rack. The latter option is especially useful if you don’t have access to an outdoor space or the weather outside isn’t favourable. If you have the radiator on, then drying items of clothing on it is also an option.

Consider your water usage

As well as using a considerable amount of electricity, a washing machine will also use a lot of water too. One thing you can do is skip the pre-wash, a regular wash can clean your clothes perfectly well.

Another thing you can do is to reduce the temperature you wash your clothes at. For many items, washing your clothes at 30°C still has the same effect as washing your clothes at higher temperatures. Whilst you don’t have to wash everything at 30°C, by adopting this regularly, you can save on the amount of water having to be heated up to higher temperatures.

Many washing machines and tumble dryers feature settings for smaller laundry loads and/or sensors to detect the weight of a load, meaning the appliance will use up less water if there’s less laundry being put in.

What’s the best way to save?

All in all, there isn’t one singular thing you should be doing in order to save on costs when doing your laundry. Instead, you should be adopting a multi-faceted approach by combining energy-saving and money-saving practices.

This helps when a lot of the top tips aren’t mutually exclusive. For example, you can buy a heat pump tumble dryer to save on energy consumption while air drying some of your clothes. You can wash and dry your clothes more efficiently whilst also looking to find ways to reduce your water usage.

By using a combination of options, it’s where you’ll really see the benefit to reducing your laundry bills and saving energy on laundry day.

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