When you’re using a laundromat or community laundry room, it  may feel like you have less control over some of the laundry process when it’s not your equipment. However, there are still many  ways for you to save money on every load you do. Even if you’re just saving $5 a week, that adds up to over $250 in  a year! Here are some ways for you to add to your money jar while still getting  your laundry clean:

Don’t overfill the wash load.

Some  experts will tell you to save up your weekly laundry so you can put it all in  to  one load. While you probably don’t want to waste one whole  cycle on just a few items, you definitely do not want to overfill your load! Detergent won’t distribute evenly throughout the load during  the wash cycle if your clothes are stuffed in there too tightly together. This results in laundry that isn’t getting cleaned, so you have to wash it again. Overfilling may also lead to over-soaked items from improper draining, so you  have to use two dryer cycles. Either of these results means you’re paying more money and time extra cycles.

Use less soap.

One of  the best ways to save money is to use less soap. Most people use way too much, which is bad for your clothes, and actually bad for the machine too. If your clothes come out sudsy, you’ll want to wash them  again, costing you more money. It can also be a contributing factor to your  clothing smelling bad, because the extra soap in your clothes can begin to  mildew. Use only the recommended amount of detergent, which is usually about 2teaspoons per load. You’ll probably make that bottle last at least twice as long as you usually  do!

Use generic brands.

The  markup on brand names can be pretty significant, so you can also save on  detergent costs by using generic or lesser-known brands. You may also want to  consider buying in bulk or bigger containers at Costco or other economical  stores that give discounts per ounce for getting larger amounts.

Don’t overfill the dry load either.

Pay attention to how many  clothing items you are trying to dry. Many people overload the dryer, thinking  it will save them money. Clothes dryers work by moving warm dryer air through  tumbling clothing. If there is no room for the air to travel through, or the  clothes aren’t  tumbling, you may end up spending more money on additional dryer time. One  properly loaded wash cycle goes into a single dryer. This will also save your  clothing unnecessary wear and tear – which lowers your replacement costs too. One properly loaded wash cycle goes into a single dryer.

Clothes dryers work by  moving warm dryer air through tumbling clothing.

Don’t use the extras.

You don’t need a dryer sheet, fabric softener, or any of those extras. All you need is a little detergent and  water. If you have a stubborn stain, you can often get it out with household  items that don’t  require an expensive stain remover.

Separate your loads  properly.

Lighter-weight  clothes, need less time drying, so it makes sense to separate them from heavier  cottons or towels. Delicate can also be separated out and washed in cold, and  dried on low or even line dried back at your own place of residence.

You’ll probably be surprised at how much laundry  coin you can save just by using the equipment properly.  If you have any questions about how to use your facility’s equipment, visit us online. You’ll find  more laundry tips, payment options, and equipment instructions at  CoinMeter.com.