Laundry Cost Calculator
Enter your electricity rate, weekly loads, and detergent cost to see the real price per load — and your annual laundry bill.
The dryer uses 6–8× more electricity than the washer. That's where most of your laundry bill actually comes from.
3.8 kWh
Average electricity per load — washer (~0.5 kWh) plus electric dryer (~3.3 kWh) combined
~$1.10
Typical at-home cost per load (electricity + water + detergent) at US average rates in 2026
8 loads
Average weekly loads for a US family of 4 — adding up to $400–$500/year in laundry costs
The hidden cost of doing laundry
Electricity, water, and detergent — here's what each actually costs.
The dryer is the expensive half
The washing machine uses roughly 0.5 kWh per load. The electric dryer uses 3.0–4.0 kWh — six to eight times more. If you want to meaningfully reduce your electricity bill, focus on the dryer: clean the lint trap, use sensor-dry, air-dry when possible, or switch to a heat-pump dryer.
Detergent cost varies wildly by brand and size
Store-brand detergent can cost as little as $0.08 per load. Premium pods can cost $0.50–$0.75 per load. The difference over 400 loads per year is $168–$268. Buying larger formats almost always lowers the cost per load — check the unit price, not the shelf price.
Full loads are the easiest optimization
Running a half-load uses roughly the same electricity and water as a full load. Consolidating 8 half-loads into 4 full loads effectively halves your laundry costs with zero sacrifice in cleanliness. Most Energy Star washers have a load-sensing feature — use it.
How the Laundry Cost Calculator Works
Formula
Electricity per Load = (Washer kWh + Dryer kWh) × Rate
= (0.5 + 3.3) × Rate = 3.8 × Rate
Water per Load = 20 gallons × $0.004/gal = $0.08 (approx)
Cost per Load = Electricity + Water + Detergent Cost
Weekly Cost = Cost per Load × Loads per Week
Annual Cost = Weekly Cost × 52Set your electricity rate
Check your most recent utility bill for kWh rate. US average is ~$0.16/kWh but varies significantly by state.
Enter weekly loads
Count actual loads including colours, whites, delicates, and bedding. Most households run 4–10 loads per week.
Set detergent cost per load
Divide your detergent bottle price by the number of loads on the label. Premium pods: $0.40–0.75. Budget liquid: $0.08–0.20.
See your annual laundry spend
Weekly cost × 52 — the number most people have never calculated but find surprisingly large.
Most people think of laundry as a fixed, invisible cost. This calculator makes it concrete: at $1.10/load and 6 loads/week, you're spending $343/year. At $1.50/load and 8 loads/week (a family of four), it's over $600/year. That's before adding laundromat visits, dry cleaning, or hand-washing specialized items.
The biggest lever is the electricity rate — if you're in a high-rate state like California or Hawaii ($0.25–0.35/kWh), your cost per load can reach $1.50–$1.80 in electricity alone. In a low-rate state like Louisiana ($0.10/kWh), it's under $0.50. Cold-water washing is the single most impactful change most households can make.
Frequently Asked Questions
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