Washing your clothes is something you do at home least once a week, if not more.
And since it's something we do week after week throughout the year...
...the smallest change in our habits can have a big impact.
Especially on the money we spend to wash our clothes.
By adopting these 14 tips, you can be sure that all your clothes will be clean and you will save money with each wash:
Unless your clothes are badly stained, there's really no reason to wash them at a high temperature.
Today, most detergents wash clothes very well in cold water.
So unless some of your clothes don't wash well with a cold wash, you should always choose this cycle.
Counting one machine per day, switching to a cold wash instead of a hot wash will save you €150 per year.
If you have clothes that have hard-to-remove stains, take the time to use our stain-removal tips before washing.
By treating stains before washing machine , you won't spend unnecessary money washing clothes several times to try to remove stains.
A single wash will be enough to find a clean and stain-free garment.
When you wash a fragile garment, take the time to place it in a laundry net (like this one) before putting it in the washing machine.
This protects the garment and prevents it from getting damaged during the wash cycle.
This way, your delicate clothes will last longer and you won't have to buy new ones to replace them.
The price of a laundry net will pay for itself very quickly, because it protects your fragile clothes and prevents you from having to buy new ones.
The best way to save money is to choose a cold wash.
But if the clothes are very dirty and the cold cycle does not get them clean enough for your taste...
So, opt for a wash at 30° rather than a high temperature cycle.
In most cases, switching from a cold wash to a 30° wash will be more than enough to wash even very dirty clothes.
And at the same time, you will have saved more than 50 € over the year compared to a high temperature wash.
Most washing machines have a pre-wash function.
If you've tried a 30° cold wash and your clothes still aren't as clean as you'd like...
Opt for a pre-wash rather than a high temperature wash .
By adding a prewash to the wash cycle, your clothes should get a better clean than just washing at a higher temperature.
And besides, it will save you money.
When possible, remember to fill your machine well rather than leaving it half empty.
This means you use less water and increase the service life of your machine which will wear out less quickly.
And in terms of the electricity bill, it's more economical than making several machines half-filled.
At the same time, still be careful not to overload the washing machine.
Because it can damage it and the clothes will not be washed as well.
To be sure not to overload, you must be able to move your hand freely in the drum.
When you wash your clothes, make sure you are using the right wash cycle that matches the type of clothes you are washing.
If, for example, you are washing delicate clothes, be careful to choose "delicate" and not a normal cycle.
Choosing the right wash cycle for the type of clothes you are washing will use the least amount of energy possible...
While increasing the life of your clothes!
It may seem obvious, but it happens more often than you think.
If you're trying on clothes and decide not to wear them, put them back in the closet instead of putting them in the washing machine.
And for clothes that have only been worn for a few hours or for a short time, they do not necessarily need to be washed right away.
Just because you've taken something out of the closet doesn't mean you have to put it in the wash.
If you're not sure if the garment is dirty or not, you can always smell it to see what's going on.
Take the time to experiment to find out exactly how much detergent you really need to use to wash your clothes properly.
Advertisements and directions behind the bottle will always urge you to use as much detergent as possible.
But the reality is often quite different. It is entirely possible to wash your clothes properly using a lot less detergent.
It's going to take a bit of time to find the right amount, but once you find it, you'll save a lot of detergent.
For my part, I did the test.
And I can tell you that using only half of the indications indicated on the bottle, my clothes are just as clean!
Result, now I save 50% of detergent!
If you use a tumble dryer to dry your laundry, always opt for the highest possible spin speed.
Of course, check beforehand that the clothes in question are not too fragile to withstand a higher spin speed.
By choosing the highest possible spin speed, there is less water in your clothes, which means that it will take less time to dry afterwards in the dryer.
And since the dryer is an appliance that consumes a lot of energy, you will save on your electricity bill.
Most detergents these days clean clothes very well.
The difference between a brand name detergent and a private label detergent is not really obvious.
When you go to your supermarket, choose private label detergent and take the test to see what happens.
You will see that these detergents wash just as well as those of the big brands.
This will allow you to make beautiful savings throughout the year on laundry purchases.
If you use liquid detergent, remember to remove the cap from the bottle completely before throwing the bottle in the yellow bin.
Why ? Because some plugs prevent the detergent from flowing completely. Therefore, there are still some left in it.
By removing the cap entirely, it is likely that you can still do at least one wash cycle, or even more.
In any case, consider buying refills rather than a new bottle of detergent, because it costs less and is better for the environment.
If you use fabric softener to wash your clothes, try replacing it with white vinegar .
White vinegar makes your clothes just as soft as the fabric softeners you can find at the supermarket, all for a fraction of the price.
As we have seen above, a dryer, in addition to being expensive to buy, consumes a lot of energy.
Do you have a garden, a balcony or even windows where you can hang a drying rack (like this one for example)?
So always choose this option rather than buying a clothes dryer which is an energy drain.
