Even kids saving a few coins in a piggy-bank know that adding to it regularly can add up. If you can save just $4 per week in your own laundry room or at the Laundromat, you’d have over $200 at the end of the year. If you can learn some simple steps to save money on laundry, it can put extra dollars into your savings account or go toward bills or it can also help you have extra money to spend with your family.

Whether you are doing your laundry in the Laundromat or in your own laundry room, wait until you can wash full loads and not just a few items at a time. If you’re desperate to do a couple of items in the meantime, consider setting up a soaking bucket (using it with a lid) and hand wash and hang dry those items. Wait for some additional dirty items to make a full-load laundry day. You would never think that in this process, it can give you a little savings on detergents, electricity, and water.

Before loading your laundry in the washer, carefully measure out the correct amount of detergent for each load. Avoid guessing and just pouring it in. By loading detergent without measuring, you will risk overusing detergent. Use the guide on the machine, if it says “normal” or “medium” load, the former refers to a washer that’s three-quarters full, and the latter refers to a large load this is full. If your clothes come out of the washing machine feeling sudsy or stiff, you’ve used too much detergent, so the next time you load use less detergent.

You also need to know that over-drying your clothes in the dryer can affect the fabric. So you need to learn how long your clothes actually take to dry. Sources suggest that a full load in a properly maintained dryer should take only 40 minutes. Many do it in 60 minutes, but it always depends on the thickness of the fabric. To be sure don’t just depend on the minutes you set, check it even before it is finished, so you will know the exact time to set next time.

Whether on your personal electricity bill or at the Laundromat, drying is always expensive. When the sun is shining, hang dry as much wet laundry as possible. No matter how small your living space, you can always place a drying rack for your clothes in your bathroom or another small area in your home.

Following the right procedure when washing your clothes, loading exact measure of detergent, and drying it to an exact length of time, can not only save you money but also time and effort.