WITH bills going up and many people’s salaries staying the same, it seems that something needs to change.
Fair enough, you could switch providers to try and get a cheaper deal, but if you can’t be bothered with the faff, we’ve got something for you.
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We spoke to sustainable cleaning expert and smol co-founder, Paula Quazi, on how to save money when it comes to your washing.
So if you’re fed up with receiving a huge bill every month, fear not, here’s some laundry hacks that will save you hundreds of pounds.
First of all, Paula highlighted the importance of thinking twice before washing clothes.
We’ve all got busy lives and many of us are often on auto-pilot when getting changed and will throw our clothes straight into the washing basket.
But it pays to cut back on your washing and according to Paula “if each UK household cut back by just one wash a month, together we’d save the same amount of energy as heating 43,000 homes for a year!”
So thanks to Paula, she told Fabulous about her easy ways to get more wear out of clothes without compromising cleanliness.
SHAKE IT OUT
Firstly, we’re sure many of you will have that ‘chair’ in your bedroom – it’s one that isn’t for sitting, but it’s for piling clothes on.
Well, according to Paula, it’s important to shake your clothes out and hang them up to air, as this way you will get rid of nasty smells and can get out another wear.
Paula said: “When you get home, take off clothes and shake them out before hanging them up to air for the next day.
“If you can, hang clothes near an open window to allow faint smells to fade even quicker.”
THE NOSE KNOWS
As well as this, it might sound obvious, but don’t underestimate the power of your nose.
This cleaning expert highlighted the importance of a sniff test to see if your clothes need a wash or not, and if they don’t Paula shared her simple tip for saving on the washing.
Paula added: “Giving clothes a sniff test is an easy way to see if they need a wash or not.
“For items made of hardier fabrics (e.g. not silks etc) which are starting to pong, add some essential oils to a spray bottle and mist over to refresh.”
STEAM DREAM
If you want to save money on your washing, steam is the way forward.
Whether you’re a fan of ironing or not, using steam is a quick and simple way to give your clothes a re-fresh, without putting them in the washing machine.
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Paula continued: “Steam is another easy way to freshen up clothes. If you’re doing the ironing, make the most of the energy by also using the steam to refresh previously worn items.
“You can even hang clothes in the bathroom after you’ve showered to make the most of the steam created – no energy wasted!”
WASH WITHOUT WASHING
If you spill something down your clothes, your first point of call is probably to throw it straight in the machine machine.
But according to Paula, refrain from doing this, and act quickly to remove stains, without needing to put a whole wash on.
Paula explained: “Spot clean small stains and spillages without adding to the main load.
“Act quickly to remove as much of the stain as possible by scraping off any excess solids with the back of a knife and using cold water over the area to loosen the stain (hot water will set the stain).”
KNOW YOUR WASHING MACHINE
If you feel as though you do want to give your clothes a wash, it’s important to learn about your machine’s settings.
Rather than just putting your clothes on a standard setting, it’s a good idea to do some research about your machine and find the most eco-friendly settings.
Paula advised: “If you must wash clothes, then my biggest recommendation is this: get to know your machine!
“You want the shortest, coolest, lowest water cycle possible- which isn’t always the one called ‘Eco’, so you might need to do a bit of research to find the most efficient cycle for your machine.
“To ensure savings, it’s also important to not wash half loads.
“A quick tip to check if your machine is full is to use your hand to measure a palm’s width between the top of your laundry and the top inside of the drum (any less and the washing won’t have room to clean).
“If there’s more space than the width of your palm then you know you’re not fully-loaded.
“Cutting down on washes not only saves you energy, but water and detergent too.”
BREAK UP WITH YOUR TUMBLE DRYER
The final step for making big savings is to end your relationship with your tumble dryer.
It might sound obvious, but this break up is very important.
Paula noted: “As the biggest drain on energy of any domestic appliance, the average tumble dryer uses roughly 4.5 kWh per cycle.
“As we head into summer, make the most of the weather by air drying clothes.
“If you can, dry outside; the breeze will help clothes to dry faster!”
https://www.the-sun.com/lifestyle/5555884/cleaning-expert-money-saving-laundry-hacks/
