Washing clothes at a laundromat can offer more flexibility than laundry
On average, the laundromat cost per load can range from $2 to $4, while drying typically costs between $1 and $2 per load. So, all things considered, how much does it cost to do laundry at a laundromat? You can expect to spend around $3 to $6 per load for a complete wash and dry cycle.
Is it cheaper to do laundry at home or at a laundromat? In general, doing laundry at home can be more cost-effective over time compared to using a laundromat, especially when factoring in the initial investment in a washer and dryer.
An ordinary washing cycle on an efficient and modern washing machine would use around 50 litres of water and 1.5 kWh of electricity. As such, it could cost anywhere between 40 to 50 pence!
On average, prices range from $1.45 – $2.95 per pound of laundry, with some premium services charging upwards of $5 per pound. In urban areas and cities with a higher cost of living, such as New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, prices tend to be on the higher end of the spectrum.
To give you an idea of how much a typical load weighs, the following items all together weigh about 10 pounds: Seven pairs/sets of underwear. Seven pairs of socks. Five short-sleeve T-shirts.
Here's an example to illustrate: Suppose you have a medium-sized load that would fit well in our 40-pound washer, priced at $6 per load. You estimate it would require two drying cycles, totaling 30 minutes, costing $1.50. In this scenario, bringing $7.50 to cover the washer and dryer expenses should suffice.
Estimating the weight of your laundry might seem tricky, but your home washing machine can give you a frame of reference. Most standard machines hold between eight to 15 pounds of laundry, depending on what you're washing. A machine full of socks won't be as heavy as a machine full of blue jeans.
If you have a 2100W (2.1 kW) washing machine and you run it for an hour, it'll use 2.1kWh of electricity in that hour. If electricity costs 34p per unit, multiply 2.1kWh by 34p and you get a grand total of 71p. Bingo, that's how much your washing machine costs per hour.
While the amount of energy a shower will use varies on the individual appliance, an electric shower can use an average of 8.5kW of energy. With this in mind to work out the cost of using an electric shower you need to multiply how much energy it is using, so 8.5, by the cost of electricity, 0.34.
Get your laundry done on Sundays or special days. That is because, on these special days, the unit has lower consumption rates, giving your wallet a much-needed break. Don't worry if avoiding peak laundry times feels like a challenge.
Generally speaking, while the number of clothing items in a load will vary, a medium or regular-sized load of dirty clothes weighs around 6 pounds. Large loads of laundry weigh about 11 pounds and extra-large loads about 21 pounds.
Washing machine load size chart
Medium/regular load: This works out to a load of approximately 6 pounds. Large load: A large load in a HE machine is approximately 11 pounds. Extra-large load: If you have a HE machine, then an extra-large load at full capacity is around 21 pounds.
There is a broad range the machines will take depending on the machine you select and the amount of laundry. The average wash cycle takes between 27 - 35 minutes and dryers between 28 - 42 minutes.
Coin is the traditional laundromat payment method. The main pro for coin is the fact that almost everyone has access to cash. The main downside is the security/vandalism concern associated with coin boxes. Card payment systems offer many benefits but may soon be out of date.
For instance, as per the latest market estimates, the EBITDA multiples for laundromats range between 3.4x and 4.8x. Now, if the EBITDA of a business is $576,000, I'll take 4.5x as the valuation multiple and multiply the EBITDA by it. This will give us a fair market value of $2,592,000 for the laundry.
Doing laundry at home will cost you about $2 to $3 per load, mostly for the laundry detergent. At this price, you might do two loads a week, resulting in a monthly spend of $16 to $24.
Water at a lower temperature takes longer to clean your clothes. If your washing machine is set to perform a standard wash, then it would be unusual for it to take 3 hours. A standard wash should usually take no longer than 1 hour unless otherwise stated.
How much does it cost to run a tumble dryer for an hour? According to Heatable, a 2500W tumble dryer costs about 85p to use for an hour. However, the tumble dryer cost per hour depends on the energy efficiency rating of your tumble dryer and the cost of energy at the time.
Washing Costs: The cost of using washing machines in laundromats typically ranges from $1.50 to $5.00 per load. This price variation is often due to the size of the machine (standard, large, or extra-large capacities) and the type of wash cycle selected (e.g., regular, delicate, or heavy-duty).
So, how much does one wash cost in electricity? Well, if we look at a typical D-rated, 9 kg washing machine, this uses 0.76 kWh per cycle, which works out at 26p per wash cycle. However, an A-rated washing machine uses 0.49 kWh per wash cycle, so the cost decreases to just 16p per load of laundry.
Another factor to consider when choosing the best time to visit a laundromat is the day of the week. Weekends tend to be busier than weekdays, so if possible, try to schedule your visit for a weekday. Additionally, avoid visiting the laundromat on holidays or the day before a holiday, as these are typically busy times.
Self-service laundromats have developed a reputation for being unhygienic over the years. In reality, they're often much cleaner than your home washer. Ask yourself, when was the last time you cleaned the inside of your washing machine? Here at Liquid Laundromats, we clean ours routinely.
A common question people have when heading to the laundromat for the first time is whether they need to bring their own detergent. While some laundromats do provide detergent, it's often more convenient to bring your own, especially if you have specific preferences regarding brands, ingredients, or eco-friendliness.