5 Ways I Save on Laundry

This post was written by me as a paid partner of Purex® Laundry Detergent. However, all opinions are 100% my own.

Laundry is one of those chores that is never done; as soon as you catch up on the laundry, there’s more in the hamper!

But laundry’s repetitive nature makes it a great area to apply frugal hacks; you’ll use them over and over, and that means you’ll reap savings over and over.

Purex® Laundry Detergent, an affordable laundry detergent brand that helps people achieve a dependable clean, reached out to ask me if they could sponsor a post about ways to save money on laundry.

Soooo, I said yes, since that’s right up my alley!

1. I use dryer balls

I use wool dryer balls, which promise to help reduce static cling, reduce drying time, and also can help save money on energy costs.

I used to have some plastic dryer balls, which eventually cracked and were no good. But I’ve been using my wool dryer balls for years, and they show no signs of wear except for some pilling.

Since they last so long, they’re both a cost-conscious and eco-friendly option. Go for the wool balls over the plastic ones!

2. I use an affordable laundry detergent: Purex® Laundry Detergent

You may remember that I tried making homemade laundry soap years ago. That was an abject failure that left my clothes covered in stinky residue. NEVER again!

Instead, I use Purex® Mountain Breeze® Liquid Laundry Detergent, which provides a dependable clean at an affordable price. It fights 99% of common stains and provides an all-in-one powerful clean with long-lasting freshness, so it gets the job done for me without breaking the bank.

And if, like me, you have someone in your house who is sensitive to fragrances, you should know that Purex® Free & Clear Liquid Laundry Detergent is free of dyes and perfumes and is hypoallergenic.

So it’s a great option for families on a budget who also want a detergent that works for their sensitive skin.

3. I use laundry bags to prevent damage to clothing

I have several zippered mesh bags, plus two designed specifically for bras. These are excellent for items that might get twisted and damaged in the wash.

And they’re great for keeping items from damaging other laundry; for example, you know how bra hooks can get caught on the other laundry?

Or how the straps can get wrapped around other clothing or worse, the agitator in the machine?

Putting them in the bag prevents all of that and helps me to save money from needing to replace any damaged items.

4. I air-dry selectively

I dabbled in being an exclusive line dryer for a while, and I decided that was not the life for me. I happily reunited with my dryer and haven’t looked back since.

But I do air-dry:

• anything with a lot of elastic (dryer heat is hard on elastic!)
• anything super prone to fading
• items I can’t afford to shrink
• delicate items
• sweaters

Line drying, even in my selective fashion, helps to reduce the cost of running large loads in the dryer and also helps maintain the quality of more delicate items that can get damaged in the dryer. That saves me money in the long run!

To help avoid wrinkles, I throw my laundry straight from the washer into the dryer, set the dryer on low/no heat for a few minutes, and let the clothes tumble.

Then I take the needs-to-be-line-dried stuff out, hang those things up, and dry the rest of the load in the dryer.

I used to press “start” and rely on myself to remember to come take out the air-dry items a few minutes later but…I forgot so many times! So now I always, always use the timer on the dryer.

I cannot be trusted. 😉

5. I pretreat/soak stains

If I have an item with a stain on it, (like a grease stain or a food stain), I gently rub a little bit of laundry detergent directly into the spot and let it sit for five minutes before washing it according to the care tag label.

Purex® Mountain Breeze® Liquid Laundry Detergent works as both an effective pre-treatment and regular detergent, helping to save me costs on buying two cleaning solutions while also helping to remove pesky stains.

 

If a stain looks particularly troublesome, I sometimes soak the item beforehand – and even better, I try to give the stain a quick rinse shortly after it happens, in cold water for any food and beverage stains or in warm water for any oily or greasy stains.

That way the stain doesn’t have a chance to set in.

How do you like to save money on laundry?

P.S. When I got started on writing this post for Purex, I ended up with way more tips than I could fit into the length they wanted. So, look for another post with more laundry tips soon!