Recession 2008 - Saving money on laundry costs

First of all let me say that I hate hate hate doing laundry !
It never ends !
My children think they need a clean towel for every extension from their bodies.

Here are some tips to cut the costs of doing laundry.
Trust me you won't believe the savings !

1.) First of all have a talk with your children and spouses.
Explain how and why it is gonna be important for them to help you with cutting these costs.
Of course that talk is gonna go threw one ear and out the other so your gonna have to make a point to stick to your guns with them on all of the following laundry rules.

2.) Make sure they understand that re-washing clean clothes is out of the question.
It won't happen - period.
My kids used to throw everything into the floor, then into the laundry on the day they are forced to clean their rooms, then complain because I wasnt able to do 29 loads of laundry and their missing their red basketball jersey on game day .
Ummm Duh !

3.) Try to convince them to re-wear the same pair of pajamas or shorts to bed the entire week instead of throwing them into the laundry every night.
My children understand that I won't wash them, I will put them back into their stacks of clothes.

4.) If they will go for that idea then try to also convince them to re-wear their jeans a second day if they werent smelly or dirty.
If their home on the weekends and the house is warm, see if they will wear shorts or their pajamas instead of jeans (less bulk in the washer means more room).
Of course shirts, socks and underwear can't be worn more than once ... we tried it lol

5.) Hang all of your clothes to dry either inside or outside then pop them into the drier with 1/2 a drier sheet for 10 minutes.
Taa-Daa their drier fresh and soft ...noone will know the difference !
If you like the stiffness of line dried clothes or dont mind it then you'll save even more by not drying them in the drier for 10 minutes, either way your gonna save a bundle.

6.) Make your own LONG LASTING fabric softener sheets.
Fill a spray bottle with fabric softener, designate a rag, spray the rag up to 10 times with fabric softener and throw it in with the laundry.
Clothes will smell fresh, soft and have no static electricity.
Respray for the next load.
This should allow a refill bottle of fabric softener to last about 6 months to a year.
That equalls BIG savings.

7.) Towels will be the death of me !
Allow your children one towel per week, or every other day, to dry off with.
If they washed themselves properly then all that will be transferred to the towel will be water.
If they dont hang their towel to dry then it will smell musty .
Believe me they will hang it to dry the next time !

8.) Use 1/2 as much laundry soap as the box or bottle calls for.
Detergent companies are in the business to make money, their not gonna tell you that a full cup is overkill and a half cup does just as good a job.
Also use the cheap store brand of detergent.
Gain smells fresher longer but dollar store brand cleans just as well.