Ok. Try not to laugh.
After I calculated how much it costs to run my dryer per load, I have decided to REALLY make an effort not to use the dryer. Usually I like to use my drying racks indoors or out on the back deck. I’m not allowed by the HOA to have a clothes line. (Yes. I tried the clothes line outdoors anyways. I got a written warning in the mail and if I continued I was told I was going to be fined. Bummer!) But I only have 5 racks and if I do all the laundry on Monday, I tend to run out of room, especially with kiddo stuff…What’s a girl to do? It’s nice to just get all the laundry done in one punch and not have to worry about it the rest of the week.
I used to just throw the clothes that wouldn’t fit on the clothes racks in the dryer. At least I saved some money. After calculating each load to cost 76 cents, I felt that wasn’t good enough. So, I decided to hang some string in my family room and hang the rest of the laundry out to dry.
My kiddo thought it was awesome. He tried to pull down the clothes even though they were just out of reach. Better luck next time kiddo! My husband is going to be flabbergasted when he gets home. You can’t miss the indoor clothes line when you walk in the door. Hopefully they dry quickly. I am going to be some strange looks if I have to answer the door for a solicitor.
I thought about hanging a more permanent solution in the attic. It would be a pain to carry up and down all the laundry. But it would only be once per week. I started thinking. Would my clothes start to smell like insolation? I’m not sure it’s worth saving money if I have to end up rewashing my clothes. What do you think? Have you tried hanging clothes in your attic??
Nifty Thrifty Nest 
How did you calculate 76 cents? I have tried to hang clothes but my husband always complains about the clothes drying hard. Maybe if I could calculate a savings, I could come up with a bigger argument? Thanks!! I am always looking to save
1. First find your last electric bill. Take the bill and divide by the total kWh used. This way your price includes taxes, any base charges, etc. it’s the finally price period.
2. Next find out how many watts your dryer uses. Most use 5600 watts. Look at the dryer manual.
3. Think about how long on average you run the dryer. Half an hour? Hour? (I usually run an hour per load.)
4. Multiple steps 2 and 3. Divide by 1000. And finally multiple by step 1.
$70.13/ 518 kWh= 0.1354
5600×1 hr= 5600/1000= 5.6
5.6 x 0.1354= 0.758 or 76 cents
That’s how a got a finally number of 76 cents per load.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.
how much are you saving by not using your dryer? I’m very interested and do not have a HOA so my backyard can be lined with clothes (LOL)
I wish I didn’t have an HOA. Maybe someday. In the mean time, I have to hang clothes on my deck or inside. I run the dryer 8-10 times per week. Usually I run the dryer for an hour per load, especially for towels, jeans and diapers. So, I save 76 cents per load or $363.84-$454.8 per year. It adds up over time, plus my clothes last longer.
You are amazing! Its brilliant! I have a dehumidifier in my laundry room and I hang my cloth diapers to dry and then I stick my inserts in the dryer for 5 to 10 minutes to fluff them. I am definitely going to calculate how much I save a year with your formula! Thanks so much for sharing!!!