With the economy threatening bank accounts across the country, people are scrimping and saving every way they can think.
They may try buying cheaper, off-brand grocery products, holding off on nonessential goods like beauty products.
But people may be overlooking ways to save on one essential that can be as big of an expense as it is a pain: laundry.
It takes water, heat and costly detergents to keep clothes clean.
Bruce Rasdall, service manager for Coin Mac Corporation, Baker’s laundry services provider, said the machines in the residence halls cost $1.25 to wash and $1 to dry for 60 minutes.
That’s $2.25 per load, and a quick way to spend a roll of quarters.
Sophomore Erin Riggs said she usually spends between $10 and $15 every month on laundry at the residence halls.
Riggs said she would take her laundry home if she lived less than two hours away.
“It’s just something that we have to deal with,” Riggs said.
Instead of using multiple driers for multiple loads of laundry, Riggs combines smaller loads into the dryer.
Sophomore Taryn Curry chooses not to use the machines in the residence halls.
“I just take it home with me whenever I go,” Curry said.
Senior Justine Greve said she likes living in the apartments and not having to pay to do laundry, but when she lived in Germany for a semester, she would save money by not drying her clothes, just like most others who had to pay to do laundry.
“It’s a lot more common just to take your clothes out of the washer and just hang them up,” Greve said.
While it may seem like stuffing the machines full of clothes saves some money, Rasdall said the top-load washers should only hold about 14 pounds of clothes, and the front-load washers in the Living and Learning Center and all of the dryers hold about 18 pounds of clothes.
Ruth Sarna, director of student health services, said people should be sure not to shove too much laundry into one machine to make sure things get clean.
“They should do it often enough so that they stay clean and conscientious enough so that they’re not overusing,” Sarna said.
Buying cheaper detergent is another way to save money on the chore.
The Baldwin City Market has offbrands like Valu Time, Xtra and Ajax with 35-50 loads worth of detergent for between $2.68 and $3.72.
That’s about half the cost of the better known Tide, Gain and Cheer, which are between $6.50 and $8.00 for 24-32 loads worth of detergent.
Riggs said she uses cheaper brands of detergent and dryer sheets to save money.
She said comparatively, they are just as good as the more expensive brands.
“It works the same. It’s just a little bit different on the smell,” she said.
Curry’s family switched over to cheaper detergent, which she said works just as well.
“It’s the same thing, just a different product name,” Curry said.
Sarna said to make sure to use the hot water cycle when doing laundry like bedding and towels, especially since it’s not going to cost students more. She also recommends not using too much detergent.
“If you’re doing a full load, one-fourth of a cup is plenty,” Sarna said.