Before you next press the start button on your washing machine, you should keep the most important money-saving tips in mind. The machine needs a large part of the energy just for heating the water. FOCUS online tells you how to save a lot of money when doing laundry.
Many things have become more expensive. Households have to reckon with higher prices, especially for electricity.
A major power guzzler is the washing machine. On average, a family with two children turns on the washing machine a good five times a week. However, many wash significantly more laundry than necessary – and not because the clothes are dirty, but out of habit.
At the same time, a few simple steps and settings can help to save up to 250 euros a year on laundry.
FOCUS online says: Press the wash brake and pay attention to these tips. Then you will save a lot of money every month.
In order to achieve a good washing result, the temperature, time, washing machine and detergent must be right. If the laundry is “processed” at high temperatures, you need less time, lower temperatures and less detergent.
If you pre-wash, you will need a shorter main wash afterwards. Basically, however, the following applies: pre-wash only helps with heavy soiling and costs money. Depending on the model, the preliminary program lasts up to 20 minutes on average. Instead of using the prewash program, those affected should use gall soap or stain remover. You have to pay a good ten euros a year if you choose to pre-wash twice a week.
But there is one exception: if you want to clean work clothing, it can generally be useful to prewash.
“With the washing machine, it’s important to fully load it and choose lower temperatures,” says Jens Gröger from the Öko-Institut. Even if Eco programs run longer, they only need half the energy to do the same cleaning.
By using the eco or eco programs of the washing machine instead of the quick and normal wash programs, you can save up to 45 euros per year.
“Many detergents are now very compact and economical,” says Indra Enterlein from the German Nature Conservation Union (Nabu). “It’s good for the environment. But the Germans often overdose the detergent as a result.”
The dosage of washing powder depends on the water hardness, the size of the appliance and the degree of soiling of the laundry. It is worth asking the local waterworks about the water hardness. “The less calcareous the water is, the less detergent you need.”
Once you have determined the amount correctly, you can make a mark on the dosage cap – and thus avoid overdosing, recommends Enterlein. You can also usually do without fabric softener.
Before shirts and towels go into the machine, like should be sorted into like. It is best to separate the laundry in advance and place them in different containers (laundry separation systems). You should note the following: Separate heavily soiled laundry from lightly soiled laundry to avoid further contamination.
You should also turn the clothes inside out, otherwise they can quickly lose their color due to the friction in the drum.
“Boiled laundry” is a real cost hog. In principle, it is completely sufficient to wash bed linen and towels at 30 or 40 degrees. However, experts still advise washing a load of towels or bed linen at 90 degrees at most once a month. Investing in energy costs can be worthwhile because it extends the life of the device.
The hot washing process avoids the biofilm that gradually builds up on parts of the washing machine from bacteria and grease in the humid environment.
There is one exception: If you are suffering from an infectious disease, you should wash at 90 degrees as an exception, because viruses and bacteria will certainly not survive.
The 60-degree program is often used in many private households. However, general washing at this temperature is excessive and uses twice as much energy as at 30 degrees!
In most cases, the lower washing temperature does not affect the laundry. The detergents from the supermarket have long been so good that they get rid of the usual dirt even at low temperatures.
Up to 25 euros per year can be saved with two washing processes per week.
Those who suffer from certain allergies should choose the 60 degree setting. It should be noted that many washing machines achieve the desired number of degrees, but do not last long enough. In this case, it is advisable to choose a higher washing temperature so that the obligatory quarter of an hour against germs is respected.
Anyone who has the opportunity to dry their laundry on a rack or line and thus does without a tumble dryer can save up to 200 euros per year. Everyone else should at least turn on the spin speed on the washing machine as high as possible – which pre-dries the laundry a little. 1,400, 1,600 or (if available) 1,800 revolutions per minute are ideal.
Supermarket prices are skyrocketing, but furniture, clothing, shoes and other consumer goods are also becoming more expensive. As a retail expert, I know the tricks of the trade and tell you how you can save money for you and your family every month when shopping. Would you like to talk to me about your savings tips and tricks? Did you notice anything while shopping? Then send an e-mail to Konstantinos.mitsis@burda-forward.de with your name and phone number
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