How to cut laundry costs

Washing your clothes less often can save you money in two ways. In the short term it will reduce energy usage from your washing machine and tumble dryer (if you have one), but also your clothes will last longer, and need replacing less often.

By caring for your garments properly and not overwashing, you keep them out of landfill – 25% of a garment’s carbon footprint comes from the way we care for it.

Within our range of energy-efficient washing machines, dryers, dehumidifiers (more on those later), you can expect a two-year guarantee as standard, plus free installation and recycling on selected products. Intrigued? Read on…

Clothes often end up being washed simply because they’ve been thrown on the floor after one wear. If you’ve got teenagers, you’ll also be familiar with discarded wet towels left bunched up to get musty. 

Put a chair or clothes rail in every bedroom and ask your family to consider whether something they’ve worn needs to go on the wash pile or can be worn again. If it can be worn again, drape it over the chair or hang it on the rail (this is also a good way to air clothes that have picked up odours such as wood smoke). 

Spot cleaning will help you to stop putting on small, daily loads of washing. Quick programmes – or speed-up buttons – only slightly reduce how much energy is used. It’s much more economical to do fewer big loads than daily small ones. 

If an item has a bit of food on it, can it be wiped off rather than going through the wash? Same for that mud you got on your jeans – use a brush to remove it once it’s dried. 

Some fabrics need less washing than others. Wool is a natural insulator, so it’s a good winter warmer, but it’s also naturally water and stain-repellent, so it doesn’t need washing often. Simply air woollen clothing outside to freshen it up and spot clean if you get something on it. Jumper looking shabby? Try using a debobbler.

If you’re going to do something that you know will result in dirty clothes, protect them as best you can. For example, wear waterproof trousers and some proper Wellington boots if you’re taking the dog on a muddy walk, pop on an apron when you’re cooking, and if you’ve got any old clothes that are too holey or saggy to be repaired, keep them for painting and gardening.

For an alternative to using a tumble dryer, put a dehumidifier in a small room with your wet clothes hanging on an airer, shut the door and you’ll be amazed how quickly everything gets dry.

If there’s one or item or two items in the washing pile that you really have to wear, don’t run a half-empty machine – handwash instead, using a detergent specifically for the job.

Then, to remove excess moisture, lay the washed item on a towel and roll tightly into a sausage shape. Press down to absorb water, unroll the towel and hang up the item to finish drying.