If you live in an apartment without a washer and dryer, you know the pain. Lugging heavy baskets down the street, fighting for an available machine, and feeding quarters into a machine that eats your money.
The average apartment dweller spends between $500 to $800 a year just washing and drying their clothes at the laundromat. With rent and groceries already skyrocketing, that’s a massive chunk of change you can no longer afford to throw away.
You don’t have to keep feeding the laundromat machine. Here are 3 smart ways to cut your laundry costs and keep your money:
1. Stop Over-Washing Your Clothes We are a society of over-washers. Just because you wore a pair of jeans for two hours doesn’t mean they need to be washed. Unnecessary washing wears out your clothes faster (costing you money) and wastes laundry funds.
- The Fix: Hang up clothes that are barely worn to air out. Spot-clean small stains with a damp cloth. Only wash clothes that are visibly dirty or smell. You’ll instantly cut your laundromat trips in half.
2. Ditch the Expensive Detergents and Softeners Name-brand laundry detergents and fabric softeners are a massive rip-off. You are paying for their marketing and the artificial perfumes. Liquid fabric softener is actually just wax that coats your clothes, making them less breathable over time.
- The Fix: Switch to a budget-friendly, unscented detergent. Instead of liquid softener, use Wool Dryer Balls. They bounce around in the dryer, naturally separating and softening the fabric without chemical waxes. They cost $10 and last for 1,000 loads!
3. Invest in a Portable Washing Machine (The Ultimate Hack) What if you could do a load of laundry in your own bathroom for practically zero money?
- The Smart Move: A Portable Washing Machine is a game-changer for apartment renters. These compact machines hook up directly to your sink faucet and drain into your bathtub. They use a tiny amount of water and electricity. You can do a load of laundry while you cook dinner, completely avoiding the fees and the hassle of the laundromat. It pays for itself in just a few months! (If you want to see which portable machines actually clean well without leaking, check out our review of the best portable washing machines for apartments!)
The Bottom Line Stop wasting your weekends and your paycheck at the laundromat. Wash smarter, ditch the chemical softeners, and bring the laundry room into your own apartment.