Comments on: Laundry habits changing in light of economy

By: Abigail

Abigail — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:37:48 +0000

We don’t. At all. Why, you ask? Because my husband, who I love truly and deeply, has severe eczema and is tending to get MRSA infections. So he has to wash his clothes after every wash. And towels. We do $40-50 worth of laundry each month.

On the other hand, I work at home and so can wear scrubs a lot. Which may just about even us out. Almost.

By: Heather

Heather — Tue, 12 May 2009 00:13:48 +0000

I bought a retractable clothesline from Amazon. I have it outside, but you could put it inside also. I love using it! This is my first year. I just love thinking about the money I’m saving by not using our old dryer.

By: Stahli

Stahli — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:23:03 +0000

I find it surprising how many have had problems with a front load washer. I have had mine for over 4 yrs and haven’t had any problems. We did get the extended warrenty on it and have had it serviced once a year. I only use about half as much det. as it calls for and if I do use fabric softener then I water it down as well. As for the sore back issue- My husband built me stands for the washer and dryer both. I love the added hieght and the extra storage space below is great. I know that you can buy them but I found most of the materials on craigslist for free or next to free.

By: Kacie

Kacie — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:11:26 +0000

I know that some people wash their bath towels after each use! That’s a lot of laundry for something that was used to dry off a clean body.

By: Jes

Jes — Fri, 08 May 2009 11:12:38 +0000

I’m also one of those people who wear pants MULTIPLE times before washing. and our towels are used for about a week before we wash them, sometimes more. I’ve also been known to not change the sheets for a few weeks (unless Lexi was sweating really bad, which does happen for some reason).

We’ve been hanging our clothes for a few weeks now, (inside on a drying rack) I did an energy test which blew my mind.

The dryer was on, I went outside and looked at the meter, I could could “4 Mississippi” while it spun around once. When the dryer stopped I went back out to check it again. The results? “45 Mississippi” I decided it wasn’t worth it to have my clothes dry faster. The only exception is I do put Jeans in for about 10-15 minutes before hanging them, and if I really need clean diapers fast sometimes I have to use the dryer.

oh and we don’t use fabric softener. Do people still use that stuff? I read an article about how bad it was and stopped. I don’t notice a difference for the most part.

By: Shevy

Shevy — Fri, 08 May 2009 04:48:05 +0000

I bought a front loader for my condo and was glad when I sold it with the condo. I thought it would be so much better but it used to leak from the detergent dispenser every so often, didn’t seem to clean as well and was uncomfortable to load and unload.

So much for my attempt at going green…

By: Mrs. Money

Mrs. Money — Fri, 08 May 2009 01:03:51 +0000

I am weird about wearing shirts more than once because I sweat on them. T shirts I wear around the house numerous times, but work clothes weird me out if I wear them more than once. :) Pants I do wear more than once too. I’ve never understood people who wear new pjs every night. You’re not getting dirty at night! (well, maybe, but I’m not going there ;) )

I think it’s great because washing fewer loads saves energy, water, and detergents from making their way into our waterways. I have a front loader and I love it!

Here’s some of the weird laundry things I do: make my own detergent, vinegar as fabric softener, and I hang dry everything in my basement on clotheslines I hung. Either there or outside! I’m always afraid someone will come over when I’ve got laundry hanging and know how weird I am. :)

By: megscole64

megscole64 — Thu, 07 May 2009 22:38:58 +0000

Really? You mean everyone doesn’t wear the same pants five times in a row before washing? I’ve done that ALL my entire life. We also use towels for weeks (yes weeks) at a time. I was raised that way. It’s just water and you’re clean after the shower right? So what’s the problem? :)

Plus I hate doing laundry.

By: Sarah F.

Sarah F. — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:15:36 +0000

We wear our jeans several times before washing them, and try to wear shirts more than once if they don’t smell bad/dirty. I hang up as many clothes in our laundry room that I can, to prevent wear and tear from the dryer, as well as save a little in energy costs.

I don’t use fabric softeners, and wash mostly everything in cold water.

We have a energy efficient front loading washer, and that helps too.

By: Stacey

Stacey — Thu, 07 May 2009 19:55:49 +0000

Careful with the front loads – they have a tendency to break right after their warranty is up. They’re also more expensive to fix than “traditional” washers. Not all brands are bad, but you have to do your research. :-)

My $ saving tip: Only do full loads. Simple, but effective.

If you’re paying to heat the water, try using cold water. Unless the load is very dirty, the clothing will get just as clean in cold water. Many detergents now work well in cold water, they just won’t tell you that – they want you to pay extra for the “cold water” label.