Laundry Cost Per Load
Calculator

The calculator adds the washing machine's electricity use per cycle, water cost based on your local rate, and detergent or other consumables per load. Drying costs are usually counted separately since not every load uses a dryer.

Heating water is usually the single largest energy cost in a wash cycle, so switching from hot or warm to cold water can cut the electricity portion of the cost dramatically, often by more than half.

If you air-dry, leave the dryer cost at zero; if you machine-dry, add its electricity or gas cost per cycle since a dryer often costs more to run than the washer itself. Check the calculator's separate drying input if one is offered.

It's only as accurate as the water usage figure you enter for your machine and your local water rate, since both vary widely by model and municipality. Front-loading machines typically use significantly less water per load than top-loaders, which changes this line substantially.

Since most of the fixed costs (water, detergent, base electricity) apply per cycle regardless of how full the drum is, running fewer, fuller loads lowers your cost per garment washed. Compare cost per load against how many items typically fit to get a rough cost per item.