Studying your washing machine may not be the most exciting thing you've ever done. Some don't even know what the washing machine symbols mean.
However it is never too late to get acquainted with your washing machine and explore ways that could reduce your energy bills. Experts at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have compiled a list of ways to save cash when doing the weekly wash.
Top tips include washing at off-peak times (such as early morning or late evening), regularly cleaning dryer filters, and making use of quick wash settings. Making these small changes to laundry routines could help families save little and often over a long period of time.
John Stirzaker from NetVoucherCodes said: “For many families the laundry can be costly. But there are ways to reduce the cost of your laundry.
“Small changes like using dryer balls and selecting quick options are really effective in the long run and you won’t notice any difference in the quality of your clothes and how they’re cleaned.
“One of the biggest things is washing your clothes at off-peak times. Peak times are when less people across the UK will be using energy in their homes.
"Think really early in the morning or late evening after 7 or 8pm. It’s not always possible to do this but if you can it will definitely save you some cash.”
Here are the best ways to cut costs of laundry, which could see a reduction in your energy usage and bills.
How to cut the costs of laundry:
Wash your clothes at off-peak times
Try to put your laundry loads on at off-peak times which tend to be early in the mornings or late at night. This tends to be when energy prices are lower as most people aren’t using energy at this time.
Make sure you wash full loads
If you can, try to hold off putting the washing machine on until you have enough laundry for a full load. Your machine will use the same amount of energy no matter how many clothes are in there, so you’re better off waiting until the laundry builds up a bit.
However, newer washing machines do have half load settings. This tells the machine there are less clothes and therefore less water is used.
Do not over-fill the dryer
Putting too many clothes in the dryer means they will take more time to dry and you’ll need to have it on for longer. This means an increased use of energy, so try not to fill the dryer up to the brim.
Line-dry clothes
An obvious way to save money on laundry is to line-dry clothes. If the weather forecast is rain then you can always air dry your clothes inside on a drying rack; just be sure to space out the clothes so they dry properly.
Clean the dryer filter
It is easy to neglect the dryer filter, but a regular clean will help your dryer to work more efficiently and safely.
Use dryer balls
It is worth buying some dryer balls which help separate clothes in a drying cycle. This allows more air flow between them meaning they will dry faster, use less energy and cost you less money.
See if your machine has a quick wash option
A lot of machines have a quick wash option which uses less time and energy. Unless all of your clothes are stained, this should work perfectly fine.
