I always have full loads over here. I think I could somehow cutdown on the amount of laundry though. It seems to be an area where we use a lot of energy. I got out of the habit of hanging my clothes too. :( It's definitely an area I need to work on.

Don't forget to clean those lint traps too.

We just did an energy analysis - I wash full loads of laundry - roughly 18 loads per week and the total cost is $42 per year for washing. Drying the same - with an electric dryer was $76 per year. The wash loads included three hot loads per week with a gas water heater and the gas charge was $4 per year. Really not as bad as you might think.

laundry is probably my most frugal housekeeping area. When my kids were little I used to wash clothes every day. Now I wash 2 - 3 loads per week, I make my own laudry liquid and I use a front loader 5 star energy rated washing machine.

We stopped wearing clean clothes every day. We only wash clothes now if they are dirty or smelly and we make sure we hang our clothes when we take them off. It's made a huge difference,

i saw i wash full loads of laundry. dh thinks they aren't full. but he crams too much in teh washer so it doesn't all come clean. and then it takes longer in teh dryer because they can't tumble. if i'm short on clothes to wash, i add a couple of towels to the load. i ALWAYS have towels waiting to get washed.

For the most part, yes I wash only full loads. I too have a front loader and it makes a world of difference! :thumb:

You use a lot less soap, where they *say* to use a capful, we can use about a tablespoon or so also uses a lot less water (we have a well). Best investment we have made as it is also better for your clothes. You don't have the agitator beating them up, so they last longer and the clothes come out cleaner too! :)

I want a front loader :weeping: !!

i have the four of us plus kitchen towels, and other cleaning towels to do every day. four pairs of pants, three sets of undergarments (hannah still using pull ups), four shirts (more if dh layers for work), four pairs of socks...at least each day. so i generally do laundry every day, at least one load. although sometimes i get behind on laundry.

I run only full loads or i use a lower water level if i don't. I hang as much as I can on the two lines i have in my laundry room if it is too cold to get outside to hang. I clean lint traps each load tht does make it into the dryer, and i make my own laundry powder...or cut the amount of wash liquid by at least 3/4 the recommended amount.

I usually do a full load but I also have a washer with the option to lower the water level and adjust the time of the wash cycle. So sometimes I do a smaller load. I also hang most of my clothes to dry.

Next washer is going to be a front loader!

I usually do full loads and several of them per week. I tend to wash on cold water with just a little warm added in on the towels and whites. I use the dryer for almost everything but do hang a few things on drying racks inside.

I used to do only full loads when the dk's were all at home. I had no problem having full loads of everything. At that time I did 3 loads a day....except on Sunday. Now I do about 3 loads a week and try to do full loads but sometimes will only have a partial load of whites or something and can't stand to leave them in the hamper for too long for fear of mildew. Sssooooo my answer is yes and no.....:D
I try to wash all that I can on cold, hang dry *some* things and try to get lots of things out of the dryer while very damp, after the wrinkles are gone and let them finish drying on a rack or hangers.
*edited to add*
I really love to dry dh's jeans on pants stretchers b/c it makes them look so nice, almost like ironing with heavy starch.
And I wash my bedding in hot all the time.
We re-use our towels for several days and that has really, really cut down on the laundry for us. Also we re-wear things if they are not dirty as well.
(especially if we've put on fresh clothes to go somewhere for a few hours like a ballgame or something)

I do not always have a full load but I do try to wait until I do. I use only cold water and I use the dryer year round!

I always have a full load. I'm back to doing laundry on Monday and it make a huge difference for us knowing that I don't do laundry until that day. We've learnt to hang up towels (our own) and to wear clothes (other than socks & underwear) more than once.

Kimmee, I'm surprised at your electric dryer amount. I know when our dryer went, we saved almost that amount in 3 months.

Originally posted by paelthom
I usually do full loads and several of them per week. I tend to wash on cold water with just a little warm added in on the towels and whites. I use the dryer for almost everything but do hang a few things on drying racks inside.

:yeah:

Originally posted by paelthom
I use the dryer for almost everything but do hang a few things on drying racks inside.

:yeah:   Same here on drying.

I can't say enough about how much I love my new washer and dryer.  Clothes come out of the washer feeling nearly dry, and dry in only slightly longer time than it took to wash them.  I have the new Fisher-Paykel set, which is a top loading washer, but engineered to be like a front-loader.   It even has a sensor to sense how big your load is, and sets its own water levels accordingly, so if I want to wash a small load, I don't have to worry about wasting water.  It's great!  :thumb: