A.Balaban Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I'm trying to save some cash.. We live in a small apartment and have no washer or dryer. We typically use the smaller top-loaders at the laundromat. It costs $2.25 per load. We typically do three loads a week. ($6.75) Then, we dry the clothes (cost $0.25 per 7 minutes). Depending on the day, it may take 4-6 rounds to get the clothes dry. ($1-1.50 per load, or $3-$4.50). Occasionally, we have to use the larger HE washing machines that cost between $4.50-$6.50 per load. :glare: Our "laundry budget" is about $40 a month. Don't think that it actually gets ALL of our laundry done though, we usually have laundry that takes 1-2 weeks to get done at a time. And about once a month, we do a huge load of blankets, sheets and towels. (no, we change them more frequently, but they just pile up at home for a month) We also have to rotate how often other things get done (like whites). I just keep thinking we are throwing money away washing our stupid clothes and it drives me bonkers. I would much rather save the money to put towards a new washer and dryer when we move into a new apartment. I already do the stain-removing and pre-washing at home, but the reason I haven't considered washing my clothes at home is because I wondered if I would be able to get them "really" clean or if they would just be a mess? Does anyone do this? :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgrin Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 oh, my. That would drive me bananas. So frustrating to see your money go down the drain... Literally! I have not taken the plunge (pun intended-see link) in doing laundry at home, but if I did this would be the method. http://www.off-grid.net/2010/04/22/diy-washing-machine-and-homemade-laundry-soap/ If you didn't want to do all of it by hand, you could save the heavy/bulky stuff for the laundrymat and do the lighter-weight stuff at home. It an idea, at least! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Handwashing all your clothing is a huge amount of work, especially if you do everything. I also think it's really hard to get everything truly clean. I honestly don't think the money saved is worth the time and labor spent. If I were in your situation, I'd start hanging the clothes to dry. Line drying is nowhere near as labor- and time-intensive as handwashing, but it would make a significant dent in what you're spending. I actually haven't owned a dryer for about 7 years now to save money and haven't missed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in AUS Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I'd hang to dry and perhaps wash all the underwear at home. If you wash every night it wont take much time then hang to dry. I'm sure you probably already do this but before putting something in the wash consider if it's really dirty. One more wear out of a couple of things a week for each person in your family would reduce the washing a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.Balaban Posted February 17, 2012 Author Share Posted February 17, 2012 oh, my. That would drive me bananas. So frustrating to see your money go down the drain... Literally! I have not taken the plunge (pun intended-see link) in doing laundry at home, but if I did this would be the method. http://www.off-grid.net/2010/04/22/diy-washing-machine-and-homemade-laundry-soap/ If you didn't want to do all of it by hand, you could save the heavy/bulky stuff for the laundrymat and do the lighter-weight stuff at home. It an idea, at least! Wow that is quite interesting! You know, it is quite ironic. We are looking at homesteading and I hadn't quite thought about the laundry yet. So, I guess why not start now?! :tongue_smilie: We are definitely looking into that link- thank you so much! I think we are going to start with something like that and see how it goes. I'd hang to dry and perhaps wash all the underwear at home. If you wash every night it wont take much time then hang to dry. I also agree that if we do at least a little bit every night then it won't ever pile up to be un-manageable. I think we'll start off with doing a load and see how it goes. I will let ya'll know how it works out for us!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.