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How Much Do Laundromats Cost to Use?
There’s a large range when it comes to laundromat prices depending on where you’re located and how much is included in each wash or dry cycle. Generally speaking one load of laundry at a laundromat costs anywhere from $2.00 to $4.00.
This usually includes a normal-sized load of dirty laundry, washed and dried, and ready to go.
If you’re considering buying a washing machine and/or a dryer for your home but aren’t sure if it would be worth it, it’s important to look into the numbers more.
Is It Cheaper To Go To a Laundromat or Do Laundry At Home?
To find the true cost of doing laundry at home, it’s important to factor in the cost of buying, maintaining, and occasionally upgrading your own washing machine and dryer.
An average washing machine can cost anywhere from $500-$2000, and the cost is the same for an average dryer. Taking these costs into consideration, you would need to do a few hundred loads before you break even cost-wise.
Laundromat vs home washing cost comparison chart
| Item | Laundromat | Home Laundry |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $3-5 typically | $2-$3, $5-$6.50 w/ cost of machines |
| Detergent cost | High (priced higher, small quantities) | Low |
As you can see, there’s not a huge difference in the cost of using a laundromat vs home laundry, although for larger loads a laundromat becomes more expensive quickly. You should also factor in how much you’ll spend on gas when driving there or bus fare.
You’ll also want to consider how much more free time you’ll have to give up if you use a laundromat especially if you’ll have to deal with traffic when driving. All things considered, it’s clear that the costs are very similar (with doing laundry at home offering a big advantage in terms of time saved and avoiding hassle).
Over your lifetime, however, laundromats may be the more expensive option – especially for multiple/very large loads of laundry to wash. For each additional load, you’ll pay for both washer and dryer use, driving costs up quickly.
How Much Does It Cost to Run A Dryer For An Hour?
Let’s break down the cost of running your in-home dryer for an hour vs. running a laundromat dryer for an hour.
Average Laundromat Cost For An Hour of Dryer Use
The average cost to run a laundromat dryer for one hour is about $2.50. Prices can vary in different places, but this is a general average.
Cost At Home
For the electricity used in an hour of running your dryer at home, you’ll pay about $0.60. Factoring repair costs however, adding in how much you paid for the dryer and how much maintenance or repair it requires, that number could jump well over $3.00.
Assuming your washer or dryer lasts years though that would be lower and still better than paying to use machines in a laundromat.
Is Using a Laundromat Cheaper Than Buying A Washer And Dryer?
In the short term, yes. If you have a high-quality washer and dryer set that will last for years and will not require any additional costs, after many loads, the laundromat would no longer be the cheaper option.
The cost-efficiency depends on your unique circumstances and situation.
Are Laundromat Machines Better Than Home Machines?
Laundromat machines are much more efficient and industrial, allowing them to save a lot more water and electricity than at-home machines. The machines at laundromats are also usually larger than the ones that you would buy for home use.
This will allow you to wash and dry bigger loads at one time, therefore saving you both time and money. Additionally, laundromat machines tend to be much faster than home machines.
If you’re planning on doing special items like washing cushions or pillows they can make it easier thanks to their larger size.
Laundromat vs home laundry machines – which is best?
When comparing the two, instead of comparing the cost of one hour at the laundromat to one hour at home, it may be more appropriate to actually compare 40 minutes at the laundromat to one hour at home.
In all, the quality of the laundromat machines far outweighs the quality of the at-home machines. Though the prices at the laundromat can add up to just a bit more, it is generally worth the slight extra cost for the wide array of extra benefits.
The disadvantage again is the time factor – driving to and from the laundromat loading & unloading your clothes from the machines, and the time you’ll lose waiting for it to be done.
At home, however, you can do other things including relax, havin dinner, or spending time with your family between those things.
