5 Frugal Laundry Tips

You want to look sharp, so follow these 5 frugal laundry tips to keep your clothing looking its best. Taking care of your clothes doesn't have to cost a lot. Rethink your laundry strategy to save some money while still getting excellent results.

1. Shop for supplies when they are on sale. Big box stores often have fairly low regular prices on laundry detergent and supplies, and supermarkets and chain department stores often run sales. If you like to use a specific brand, keep an eye out for these sales and you can save good money on your supplies. If you aren't picky, buy the cheapest brand that has been proven to clean effectively. Take a few minutes to read a consumer guide to detergents and stain removers so that you don't waste your money on a product that doesn't work. This is an effective frugal laundry tip.
2. Sort your laundry according to color. Basic groups are whites, darks, and bright colors. Sorting by color ensures that you don't end up with pink underwear, dingy grey t-shirts or bleach spotted jeans. Replacing ruined clothing is not a very frugal laundry tip.
3. Use cold water. Most items can be washed in cold water if they aren't covered in greasy stains.  Using cold water is a great frugal laundry tip, because you don't pay extra to heat the water.
4. Harness the free power of the sun and wind. If you have the space, string up a clothesline. Not only will you save the money for electricity and gas to run your dryer, your clothes will have a fresh, natural scent. Be sure that your clothesline is high enough to keep clothing off the ground and use enough clothespins to make sure it is secure. This is an obvious frugal laundry tip.
5. Don't wash your clothes as often. Nobody wants you to wear something with stains on it, and please don't put on anything that smells bad. But many of our clothes can be worn several times before needing to go through the laundry. Not washing is a doubly frugal laundry tip: you save on the cost of washing, plus you save on the cost of having to replace clothing worn out before its time. So give your clothes a careful look and a quick smell after you wear them. If they look and smell pretty good, hang them up to freshen them and leave the washing for another time.