How much does a load of laundry cost? (2026 Full Breakdown)

Between rising electricity, water, detergent costs and appliance wear, laundry is more expensive (not to mention time-consuming) than we realize. If you’re wondering:

How much is a load of laundry?

How much does it cost to do laundry?

Or the average cost of laundry per month for 1 person?

This breakdown by NoScrubs, with our experience in the laundry industry, breaks down each cost using data, energy research and national averages to help you calculate just how much money you’re spending on laundry.

How much does a load of laundry cost at home?

We can start this off with some hard data. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that the standard washing machines in your home uses about 20 gallons of water per load. ENERGY STAR certified models use closer to 13 gallons of water. 

Considering the average American water rates of $0.004 to $0.01 per gallon (the large range is due to different prices by region):

Older washing machines cost you between $0.08 to $0.20 per load in water while ENERGY STAR washes cost you between $0.05-$0.13 per load in water. 

This amounts to an average of $42 per year considering the average household has 300 loads a year.

How much is one load of laundry in electricity costs

The US Department of Energy estimates that dryers use around 2.5 to 4kWh per load while washing machines use about 0.3 to 0.5 kWh per load. 

Using the average electricity rate for 2026, this means you use around:

$0.40 to $0.64 per load for drying

$0.05 to $0.08 per load for washing 

Which is a total of $0.45 to $0.72 just for electricity for one single load

How much does it cost to do laundry - detergent and supplies cost

Laundry detergent comes in different shapes, sizes and prices. 

Laundry detergent costs vary widely:

• Powder/liquid: $0.20–$0.40 per load
  
• Pods: $0.30–$0.50 per load
  
• Fabric softener/dryer sheets: $0.05–$0.15 per load
  
• Stain removers/additives: $0.05–$0.25 per load

Average cost of cleaning supplies per load:

• $0.30–$0.70

How much is one load of laundry - appliance depreciation costs

Most homeowners forget to account for the fact that your washer and dryer set is depreciating every single year. A washer and dryer set costs between $1200 to $2500 combined and we’ll assume that this lasts the average 10-13 lifespan.

With the average of 300 loads a year, your washer and dryer can handle around 3000 to 4000 loads over its life which brings us to = $0.30 to $0.80 per load for your appliance

The hidden cost of laundry - time

This one is a bit trickier because how do we account for how valuable your time is? It is something that you can never get back, but laundry takes up around 65-75 hours every year that you could spend working to your goals, spending time with your family or just relaxing. 

We’ll consider the conservative estimate of $20/hour which brings this to $1400+ per year that you lose while you’re doing laundry.

How much does a load of laundry cost?

Taking all of the factors into account and calculating the expenses per load and per year, a load of laundry costs around $6.44 per load to do at home.

How much does a load of laundry cost with NoScrubs?

Instead of spending over $1K  every year, a wash and fold service saves you time and money.

• Doing laundry at home on your own washer and dryer, spending time, buying detergent and paying for electricity and water costs you around $1931 a year
• NoScrubs Wash and Fold service costs you around $708 a year with our base plan (excluding discounts!)
• This means you can save over $1000 a year with NoScrubs

Considering the value of your time, it is almost 63% cheaper if you account for the true cost of doing laundry yourself. Even if you choose not to account for your time, those hours of laundry mean that you spend

• 1 to 2 hours every single week on laundry
• 70+ hours of laundry a year
• Nearly 3 entire days of the year just washing clothes

Instead you can work, rest, exercise, grow your business, spend time with family and actually enjoy your weekend by letting us handle your laundry. Further, people underestimate the hidden cost of DIY laundry because of utility bills and appliance depreciation. NoScrubs monthly flat rate is predictable, fixed and eliminates any surprises you might have. 

Save big with NoScrubs 

NoScrubs is a laundry pickup and delivery service that handles pickup, wash, dry, fold and drop off in as little as 4 hours. You’ll never have to wonder about how much does a load of laundry cost or how much does it cost to do laundry at home, because we’ll save you that time and money by taking the load off your hands. Explore our pricing plans or build your own with us! Say goodbye to stressful laundry days.