How Much Does Laundry Cost? | NoScrubs Detailed Breakdown of Laundry Costs

Laundry is an everyday household chore but the cost of doing it varies widely depending on how and where you do your laundry. The answer to “how much does laundry cost” or “how much is one load of laundry” depends on several factors such as laundromat pricing, home utilities costs and machine efficiency. This guide from NoScrubs provides a detailed and data-driven breakdown of laundry costs across the most common methods:

• Doing laundry at home
• Using a laundromat
• Using dry cleaning services

Average cost of Laundry per Load

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, EnergyStar appliance reports and Coin Laundry Association industry surveys, we’ve found the general overview of typical laundry costs per load look like this:
Home laundry with a standard washer: $1.20 to $2.50
Laundromat washer and dryer: $4.00 to $8.00
Dry cleaning per garment equivalent: $10-$25

Cost of Doing Laundry at Home

While it looks like laundry at home is the cheapest option in the straightforward sense above, it includes several hidden costs such as electricity, water, natural gas or electric dryer, detergent and regular washer and dryer depreciation. All of these contribute to the true cost of laundry per load.

Electricity Cost:

Modern washing machines use between 0.3 to 2 kWh per load depending on the settings and efficiency while dryers use 2 - 4.5 kWh per load. The average electricity price in the US is $0.15 per kWh from the Energy Information Administration. 

Water Cost:

Depending on the model of your washing machine, the amount of water used varies between 30-40 gallons. A standard washer price is $0.42 per load.

Detergent Cost:

Again, this depends on the brand and type with budget detergent between $0.10-$0.15 while premium detergent pods are $0.35 to $0.50. This brings average detergent cost to $0.25 per load according to consumer product pricing data and manufacturer usage guidelines.

Appliance Depreciation

Washing machines and dryers also contribute since typical appliance lifespan is 10-12 years for washers and dryers. Considering 300 loads per household the depreciation cost comes to $0.45 to $0.50 per load.

Total Cost of Laundry at Home

Combining these expenses the total cost of laundry is $1.40 to $1.65 per load. 

Cost of Using a Laundromat

For people without their own machines, laundromats are the most common option. But unlike home laundry, laundromat pricing bundles utilities into the machine fee. Typical laundromat costs include washing machine fee, dryer fee and optional detergent purchase.

Laundromat Dryer Costs

Dryer pricing typically works on a time-based system with typical pricing of $0.25 for 5–7 minutes. Considering the drying time per load as 30-45 minutes on average an estimate for this step would be $1.50 to $3.00 per load.

Total Laundromat Cost Per Load

Combining washer and dryer, a laundromat load would cost around $4.00 to $8.00 while in large cities prices can exceed $10 per load.

Cost of Dry Cleaning

Dry cleaning is much more expensive because it uses chemical solvents instead of water and involves significant labor. Instead of “per-load” pricing, it is usually per garment.

Typical Dry Cleaning Prices

• Shirts average $3 to $7.
• Pants average $6 to $12
• Dresses average $10 to $20
• Suits average $15 to $30
• Coats average $20 to $40. 

Cost of Laundry Services : NoScrubs Pickup and Dropoff Laundry Delivery Service

Laundry services are introducing a whole new form of doing laundry - outsourcing it to experienced Scrubbers at affordable prices. We’ll pick up your laundry, wash, dry, fold and deliver it right back to your doorstep in as little as 4 hours at $1.25/lb. Check if we’re at your city and explore our pricing. If your laundry needs are different, we’ll work with you to create a solution. You can customize and create your own perfect plan with NoScrubs and increase your savings.