The small everyday habits mean a lot when they add up, and your washing habits in particular can either be a big culprit in terms of finances and the environment, or they can help you save a lot of money on laundry over time.
Especially in times of high inflation and electricity prices, it's a good idea to look at where you can change your habits to lower consumption - it's both good for the wallet and the environment.
So here are our 10 best tips to save money on laundry
1. Wash with care
Do not wash the clothes until they are actually dirty - Maybe you can just air them?
2. Fill the washing machine
Fill the washing machine completely before starting it. No need to wash several half machines if you can assemble them into wholes and save a wash.
3. Choose a detergent that is cheap per wash
Soapberry is the absolute cheapest detergent on the market per wash - for only somewhere between DKK 0.5-0.7 per wash. wash. So a bag of soap berries is probably a little more expensive at the moment, but over time you will save a lot of money by switching to washing clothes with soap berries. There are 180+ washes in a single bag of soap berries, and that goes a long way. Typically somewhere between half and a full year! So you actually save both time and money.
4. Wash your clothes at lower temperatures
Soap berries work well for washing from 30-60 degrees, so you can wash everything from towels to your regular clothes.
5. Save money on fabric softener!
Ditch the fabric softener completely! It is expensive and completely unnecessary to use fabric softener, as well as full of a lot of allergenic chemicals and perfumes. Use a little household vinegar instead if you have hard water or want to make the clothes softer.
6. Use the timer function
Use the timer function on your electrical appliances so that you can wash and dry at cheap hours of the day.
7. Check when electricity is cheap
Download the Power Prices app to see when the cheap hours for electricity are.
8. Avoid dryers
The tumble dryer is a big power guzzler, so dry clothes outside on the clothesline when possible, or dry inside on a drying rack. It saves a lot of money on laundry, as the dryer is often the most expensive expense when it comes to electricity.
9. Use dryer balls
If you have to use the dryer every now and then, use dryer balls to help blow air into the clothes and soak up the moisture, reducing drying time.
10. A cleaned and descaled washing machine uses less electricity
Limescale build-up in the machine can be avoided by decalcifying regularly - e.g. with household vinegar. If you use the washing machine often, it is a good idea to do it once a month. A maintained machine both lasts longer and uses less power, because it is allowed to work optimally.
Have you heard of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink”?
Our beautiful earth's resources are scarce – in fact, it would require resources from three planets if we all lived like us Danes!
This means that we have to do away with the "buy-and-throw-away" culture and start thinking more circularly. But how do you get that implemented in your everyday life?
A good rule of thumb to keep in mind when we buy and consume is "The four R's" . They remind us of how we can contribute to saving the earth's resources in the smallest everyday situations.
But in fact you can also use "the four R's" as a rule of thumb if you generally want to save money in everyday life - and e.g. make an area like laundry a little more economical.
This is how you use "the four R's" as a rule of thumb to save money on laundry and in everyday life
REDUCE
Consider where you can cut down on your consumption and the waste it causes. Can disposable products be replaced with reusable products? This also applies to washing habits – can you reduce the amount of laundry because you wash too few loads? Do you overdose on detergent, or do you use a detergent that comes in plastic or is expensive per wash? Then you can benefit from following the advice above to save money on laundry!
REUSE
How can you reuse things you already have instead of throwing them away and buying new? This pretty much applies throughout your household, in your wardrobe and in the laundry room. Use the clothes you already have as much as possible and remember to throw them in the wash only when they are actually dirty, so that you can both use the clothes several times and save money on the laundry.
RECYCLE
Do you reuse cans and other packaging for other things when they are used up? We like to keep cans from detergents that we can reuse to make our own products with. We love e.g. making our own fabric softener ourselves and filling it in recycled bottles, as well as making liquid soap from soap berries. It is a super economical and climate-friendly solution.
We use the fabric bags from our soap berries to pack fruit for lunch, as toiletry bags or storage for small items such as jewelery or toys. So it's also a smart way to get pleasure out of packaging again and again.
RETHINK
Rethink how you can be a more conscious consumer in the future. How can you produce less waste and minimize both your environmental and financial footprint (which actually often go hand in hand)?
Which companies do you want to invest in through your everyday purchases such as detergents? For companies, this also means that we must rethink our business models – and as a society we must rethink the concept of growth. Because what is growth and increased sales worth if we don't have a globe to pass on to future generations?
