Washing at home or at the laundromat: what is cheapest?
What is the cheapest? Doing your laundry at home or taking your laundry to the launderette?
In De Inspecteur on Radio 2, Sven Pichal calculates it together with Alex Polfliet from Zero Emission Solutions.
The launderette is not the cheapest
If you have a washing machine and dryer at home, it's best to wash and dry everything yourself. This is without a doubt the cheapest. In this case, washing and drying costs about 1.25 euros.
Energy expert Alex Polfliet: “Your washing machine at home uses about half a kWh per cycle, depending on the type of washing machine and what program you use. That costs you 25 cents.” A washing machine with an A label is of course more energy-efficient than one with a D label.
A dryer is an energy-guzzling appliance. “On average, it uses about 2 kWh per cycle, in eco mode. That costs about 1 euro per cycle.” De Inspecteur recommends that if you want to buy a dryer, you should opt for the most energy-efficient appliance. Also go for a dryer with a heat pump, which uses much less energy.
If you don't have a washing machine, the launderette will be the cheapest option in the short term.
However, the price difference between doing your own laundry and going to the launderette is so big that you could have bought a washing machine with that money within a year.
For one wash in the launderette you pay an average of 6 to 8 euros. This doesn't include the transport costs.
The clothesline
Since the dryer consumes a lot of energy, you can choose the cheapest option: the clothesline!
On rainy days, drying your laundry indoors isn't a good idea; this can cause mold in the house.
(MH with Skwadra by Tagtik/Source: Radio 2/Illustration picture: Unsplash)
