The cost of detergent, electricity and water continue to rise, just as children head back to fall sports — not a great combination when it comes to doing laundry.
But there are some simple tweaks you can make to help you save money every time you wash a load of clothing.
Breena Johnson knows about those costs too well. She does laundry for a family of four.
"I prefer Tide," she said, "but I will switch."
She says detergent costs add up fast, and she is always looking for Tide coupons.
"I do feel like it works the best," she said, "but it’s not cheap."
We turned to a pair of laundry experts for their savings tips.
"The Laundry Guy's" money saving advice
We spoke with Patric Richardson, TV's "The Laundry Guy" on Discovery+.
"The number one mistake that people make doing their laundry is using too much detergent," Richardson said.
He says just two tablespoons is more than enough for a full load.
"Your clothes will be naturally softer when you use less detergent," he explained, "because it rinses so clean, which removes the need for fabric softener or dryer sheets."
And buying the cheapest detergent you can find is often a mistake.
Richardson says premium detergents contain less water. So, while they cost more initially, you need less per load.
Richardson also suggests you skip the pods.
"You're paying extra for the convenience, and there's really too much detergent in them," he said.
Cyndi Bray's money saving advice
We also checked with Cyndi Bray, whose Wad-Free laundry invention (that keeps sheets from tangling up) landed her a deal on Shark Tank.
Bray's first saving strategy is washing with cold water.
"That's because a lot of the detergent on the market these days is actually formulated to work best in cold water," she said.
She says you can save money with a low-heat setting for your dryer, even if you run the dryer longer.
"You're going to save a lot of energy over running it on high," she said, "at an average of $0.68 per hour for the average dryer.”
And this might surprise you: Richardson says we can actually wash our clothes a lot less often.
"Our clothes are going to last longer and we're going to spend less money washing them," he said.
That way you save money and valuable time, so you don’t waste your money.
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