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Laundry cost calculator

Work out what laundry really costs: price each load at home with machine, water, and detergent, or compare against the laundromat.

Your laundry

Laundry costs

Result appears here.

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The hidden cost of a load

A load of laundry is not free just because you own the machine. Water, electricity, detergent, softener, and dryer energy each add a slice, and together they define your true per-load cost.

Defaults are reasonable US averages; adjust them with your utility bills for a number you can trust.

Home vs laundromat

The tool prices both options side by side over weeks, months, and years. Home machines usually win on cost but lose on time, while laundromats trade money for speed with big commercial dryers.

Line-drying zeroes the dryer cost and is the single biggest saving most households can make.

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Laundry Cost Calc FAQs

How much does one home load really cost?
Typically $1 to $2 all-in: roughly $0.50-$1 for machine, water, and power, $0.20-$0.40 for detergent, plus dryer energy if you use one.
Is line-drying really that much cheaper?
Yes. Dryer energy is often the biggest slice of a load's cost, so air-drying can cut per-load cost nearly in half.
Should I count the machine purchase price?
For a fuller picture, divide the machine's price by its expected lifetime loads (around 3,000-5,000) and add a few cents per load.
Why compare weekly and yearly?
Small per-load differences compound: 50 cents a load at 5 loads a week is $130 a year, which makes the home-vs-laundromat choice obvious.
Can I use my own currency?
Yes. The $ is just a label; enter amounts in any currency and the math is identical.
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