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The cost of living crisis means UK households are looking to cut back in any way they can, including more efficient ways to use the washing machine. With laundry a regular task for many, an expert has shared various simple ways to help save money. John Stirzaker from NetVoucherCodes said: “For many families the laundry can be costly but there are actually a lot of ways to reduce the cost of your laundry.

“Small changes like using dryer balls and selecting quick options are actually really effective in the long run and you won’t notice any difference in the quality of your clothes and how they’re cleaned.

“One of the biggest things is washing your clothes at off-peak times. Off-peak times are when less people across the UK will be using energy in their homes. Think really early in the morning or late evening after 7pm or 8pm.

“It’s not always possible to do this but if you can it will definitely save you some cash.”

If you can, the expert recommended waiting until you have enough laundry to fill the washing machine up.

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This is because the appliance will use the same amount of energy no matter how many clothes are in there, so Britons are better off waiting until the laundry piles up.

The expert added: “However, newer washing machines do have half-load settings.

“This tells the machine there are less clothes and therefore less water is used.”

If using a tumble dryer in the winter months, it is important to not overfill this appliance.

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John explained: “Putting too many clothes in the dryer means that they will take more time to dry and you’ll need to have it on for longer.

“This will result in an increased use of energy so try not to fill the dryer up to the brim.”

However, if looking to save money this winter, the tumble dryer is best avoided altogether as it can be pricey to run.

The expert continued: “An obvious way to save money on laundry is to line dry clothes.

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“If the weather forecast is rain then you can always air dry your clothes inside on a drying rack. Just be sure to space out the clothes so they dry properly.”

Putting laundry on at off-peak times tends to be when energy is at its cheapest.

According to the expert, this is usually early in the mornings or late at night. It is cheapest during these times as most people aren’t using energy during these hours.

John said: “It’s easy to neglect the dryer filter, but a regular clean will help your dryer to work more efficiently and safely.”

The expert added: “It’s worth buying some dryer balls which help separate clothes in a drying cycle, allowing more air flow between them.

“This means they’re able to be dried quicker and uses less energy which will cost you less money.”

A lot of machines have a quick wash option, which is suitable for most washes, unless clothes are heavily stained.

John explained that a quick wash will wash laundry in less time and use less energy.

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