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Don’t Make This Mistake Before Turning On the Washing Machine: It Will Double Your Bill
Doing laundry might seem like a straightforward household chore, but did you know a simple mistake before turning on your washing machine can cause your energy or water bills to skyrocket? Many people unknowingly waste money and resources every time they do laundry — and it’s often something easily fixable with a small habit change.
If you want to keep your utility bills in check and make your laundry routine more efficient, read on to discover the crucial step you shouldn’t skip before hitting “start” on your washing machine.
The Costly Mistake: Not Sorting and Pre-Treating Clothes Properly
The biggest mistake is throwing in a full load without sorting or pre-treating stains. Here’s why this matters:
1. Overloading and Improper Sorting
- Overloading the washing machine forces it to work harder and longer, consuming more electricity.
- Mixing heavy, dirty clothes with lightly soiled items means the machine uses the same water cycle and detergent strength for all — which often leads to rewashing or longer cycles.
- Dark and light colors mixed together can cause color bleeding, forcing additional washes to fix the problem.
2. Not Pre-Treating Stains
- Stains and heavy dirt require longer wash cycles and higher temperatures to remove.
- When stains aren’t treated before washing, they may not come out the first time, requiring extra cycles and wasting water and power.
- Repeated washing of the same clothes dramatically increases your water and energy consumption, doubling or even tripling your laundry costs.
How This Mistake Doubles Your Bill
Washing machines use more water and electricity when running longer or on higher heat settings. If you frequently rewash clothes because stains weren’t treated or loads weren’t sorted properly, your bills quickly add up.
Example:
A normal wash cycle may cost $0.50 in electricity and water. But redoing a cycle doubles that to $1.00 — and over time, these costs multiply.
How to Avoid This Costly Mistake
Step 1: Sort Your Laundry
- Separate clothes by color (whites, darks, colors).
- Sort by fabric type (heavy towels vs. delicate fabrics).
- Separate heavily soiled items from lightly soiled ones.
Step 2: Pre-Treat Stains
- Use stain removers, soap bars, or a homemade paste (like baking soda and water) to pre-treat spots.
- Let the stain remover sit for a few minutes before washing.
