Is Having A Washer And Dryer Cost Effective?

It depends how many people are in the building but it is definitely a plus. I have rented in places where the landlord has a washing machine for tenants to use and it's worth it. Condos generally have them too, but you can get annual cover to fix machines and as long as they are looked after (descaled and not overloaded) they last a while. Only when it's cold do pipes sometimes freeze and cause issues.

 

Generally speaking - even though modern day washing machines and dryers are extremely energy efficient and after the initial cost of acquiring them - have relatively low running costs - for those that do no more than 2 or 3 loads per week - going to the laundromat is usually considered to be the most cost effective of the two.

However when you factor in the time element - especially if having to travel quite a distance - the extra cost paid for convenience - can very often prove to be way more beneficial than the monetary savings - so in reality - I think its more a matter of deciding which would be of the most benefit - the monetary savings or the time saved.

That said - as its common practice where I live for landlords to provide laundry facilities - for which they recover the running costs as well as the initial outlay of installing the machines - by charging the tenants a small yearly fee - I think it would be well discussing the possibility with your landlord - particularly as you've got nothing to lose by doing so.

 

Honestly, this is one of the places where I draw the line. I'd rather have my own washer and dryer in my own house or apartment, and be able to do laundry at 3 a.m. in the nude if I choose to do so. I've dealt with laundry rooms before, and also laundromats. They are a pain, especially in certain areas where they're constantly crowded, or the places are frequented by people I don't want to be around.

At my last place, I shared the washer and dryer with the home owner. They had a special needs daughter who would go in the laundry room and find my clothes in the machines, and toss them on the floor, so I had to really stay on top of it, and use a timer so I'd get there before she did. It really drove me crazy, although that was still preferable to using an off-site laundromat or laundry room within an apartment complex. When the washing machine broke and the owner showed no inclination toward getting a new one, I requested one on Freecycle, got one, and had him drive me over there in his truck to pick it up. I left it there when I moved, and that was o.k., because I bought both a new washer and dryer when I moved in here.

 

Some apartments have laundry rooms built in to each unit, but you generally have to supply (and maintain) your own washer and dryer, which is certainly more convenient. But I've also read some articles recently saying how it's not good to be running clothes dryers in confined places like that, in small apartments or condos, because it makes the air quality bad (releasing dust and dampness into the air which can cause respiratory infections and irritation, mold, etc..). Plus that extra space for a laundry room in your unit is either going to cost you more in rent, or take up what would have been more useful space such as a larger living room or bedroom. Or worse yet, both.

On the other hand, whether you have a shared on-side laundry machine and dryer, or go to a laundromat, the costs of using those machines can really add up. If you're spending about $8 a week washing and drying clothes, that adds up to over $400 a year, practically the cost of buying your own machine(s) - you could probably get a washer and dryer used for that much.

Also, you have to deal with other neighbors hogging up the machines, leaving their clothes in them and not coming back to them for hours or days, or worse yet, making a mess of the machines, such as leaving a pen in their pockets. I had to use a laundromat for a brief period of time, and several times people came in with clothing that had been skunked, because they didn't want to stink up their own machines at home.

 

I am one of the people who prefers a laundromat. Does it save money? I don't know. Quarters for the machine vs water & electric & maintenance. The detergent is the same. What I do find is that it saves me time. I can do three loads, washed and dried in multiple machines at the same time, in just over an hour once a week. That's all of our laundry (three person minimalist household, no small kids) AND I can still multi-task by working on my laptop in the free wifi while my stuff is in progress.

 

Here in the UK, the vast majority of homes and apartments have washing machines. They are considered to be an essential item and can cost as little as £160. I can't understand why apartments in the US don't have them. Are they all a different size to ours, like the type you see Marge using in The Simpsons?

 

I don't think I've ever seen Marge doing laundry, so I can't answer that question. From watching shows about home renting and buying here and in Europe, it seems most are smaller over there, and from what I've seen of appliances, they also tend to be smaller over there. Here in the U.S., the mantra is often the bigger the better. My washer and dryer are about standard size to slightly larger than the lowest level, but there are certainly larger ones. I'm not a fan of stackables (where the units are stacked on top of one another to save space) because I'm short. The cheapest new units here that I've seen are maybe $330 on sale. I think I paid about $450 each for mine, because I got a deal for buying both the washer and dryer, and mine are middle of the road, price and quality-wise.

Standard apartments here don't usually come with washers and dryers. Even rental houses don't often come with washers and dryers, although most do come with connections for them. When I moved back down here, I specified that I needed in unit washer and dryer, because my schedule was crazy, and I never knew when I would be doing laundry. The apartments were slightly higher in cost because of having the washers and dryers. The only good thing, other than the convenience of having them in the unit was that if something went wrong, the apartment maintenance guys would handle it, and fix or replace the machines. Apartments with washers and dryers have tended to be classified as luxury units, but nowadays, it's becoming more common for people to expect to have them in their apartments.

 

You may not believe it but we have no washing machine nor dryer. We have a laundry woman who comes over twice a week to do our laundry by hand. We pay her substantially, more than $10 per day, for that. But we have just a little laundry since only my husband and I are staying here. That laundry woman has been with us for more than 5 years already. But lately we are thinking of buying a washing machine to make her work a little easier.

 

I have to agree that a washing machine and dryer are a necessity. I have always lived in an apartment or home that had a washing machine and dryer available to me. Even now with my home I will use my washing machine and then in the summer if I choose hang my clothes out to dry. It saves money, your clothes smell great and it's less wear and tear on your clothes. But I live in Canada and in the winter a dryer is a must. We are on time of use for electricity so depending on what time it is there is a different charge for the energy you are using. The cheapest time for me to do laundry is on weekends or after 7 pm, which is what I do.

 

I've honestly never taken the time to average out the various costs to see which one is actually cheaper. I know that I prefer the convenience of having my own machines. Even when I had just a washer and was hanging out clothes, it was still better for me than going to the laundromat.

I don't like dragging everything (physically challenged), and I also don't like when the place is full and I have to wait forever. The price per load has really gone up too.

You also have to consider the fact that you don't know what someone may have had in the machines before you arrived. You could end up with dye, grease, gum, etc. on your clothes. That doesn't even touch on germs, or the fact that someone with pets may have used it if you are allergic. I'm highly allergic to cats, so it's always made me nervous to use a laundromat.

 

It would be so nice if your apt. home had a laundry room with a key like we do here in Hawaii. On Sat. there was a workman fixing something too in the laundry room. It's under lock and key that we get to open the laundry room with washers and dryers. One day someone got in it and spray painted the laundry room. It was so sad to see it and our landlord just sent us a warning to lock it up so no one can get in to make mischief. He's a good landlord! I hope you get a laundry room for your family to use at your apt. home soon!

 

Washing machines are basically classified into Top loader and Front loader . Top-loading washers have the door at the top, have a vertically oriented tub and fill with water from the top. They use up more water. The front-loader has the door at the front and spins clothes through a horizontally oriented tub, like a dryer. It only partially fills with water at the bottom. Less water requires less electricity to heat, which saves energy. The Environmental Protection Energy estimates a savings of up to 50 percent in energy use. And in the case of dishwasher , it uses less water and time. It also uses less energy to heat it up. It’s true i believe . Because after started using a dishwasher my water bill has got reduced. But please take care while selecting the brand and the shop. I bought GE dishwasher from Best brands showroom here in Toronto before 2 years..

 

I don't have a washer and much less a dryer machine; I live alone and no much room for those huge appliances

I do my washing by hand and clothes are set to dry outside. However some items are too heavy when wet, being hard for me washing them, but I won't pay the laundromat service that is expensive. Better, I have in mind to buy this small washer, only that Walmart has it for sale in red color instead,

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A washer is a must for families with at least 3-4 members, and size of the appliance depend on load needs and available space. Dryer is optional and dependable on your needs as well; if you have no way to get clothes drying out, a dryer is also a must.

I know some community apartments have shared laundry areas and this certainly makes life easier for all.

 

I think they are a good thing to have because it saves you a lot of time and effort having to go to the laundromat. Personally, I'd much rather just handle my own clothes rather than giving them to strangers, so that's already an advantage to me, and not to mention I don't have to anywhere just to clean my clothes and pick them up afterwards. If you don't do that much laundry though I could see how it would be more efficient to just pay for those services once in a while, but if you plan on doing it regularly enough then it's probably much worth it to just have your own machine.