Laundry Cost Per Load Calculator – Estimate Your Laundry Cost
Turn detergent, utilities, and machine usage into a realistic per-load cost before you start the wash.
How this calculator helps
Laundry cost isn't fixed - a small partial load of towels and a full load of heavily soiled work clothes use very different amounts of detergent, water, and dryer time. This calculator starts from a load-size preset so the detergent, water, and energy inputs reflect what you're actually washing, then layers in wash temperature and weekly frequency to get a realistic per-load, weekly, and annual cost.
Formula: Cost per load = detergent + fabric softener + water cost + electricity cost + dryer cost + hot-water surcharge.
Assumptions: Load-size presets adjust detergent, water, and machine energy to typical values for that load type; you can still fine-tune every field to match your own machine and utility rates.
Worked example: A regular-size load with detergent of $0.80, water and sewer cost of $0.60, electricity of $0.45, and dryer cost of $1.25 totals about $3.10 per load - roughly $12.40 a week at 4 loads, or about $161 a year.
If you sometimes use a laundromat instead, toggle on the laundromat comparison below the results to see whether washing at home is actually saving you money once utilities and machine wear are counted.
- Load size: Presets scale detergent, water, and energy use for a small, regular, large, or heavily soiled load.
- Detergent cost: Cost of soap or pod used per load.
- Water and sewer: Utility cost from washing and drain usage.
- Electricity: Energy for washer and any heated wash cycle.
- Dryer cost: Energy use for drying, if applicable.
What the result means
Per-load cost is a useful way to compare laundering habits, especially when load size or cycle temperature changes the energy and water use. It also helps you understand whether a higher-efficiency washer, smaller loads, or switching to cold water has a measurable payoff.
The loads-per-week table above shows how your total cost scales with frequency: because most of the per-load cost is proportional to detergent, water, and energy used, weekly and monthly totals scale almost linearly with how many loads you run - so cutting one load a week has roughly the same savings whether you do 3 loads or 7.
Home washing vs. the laundromat
A laundromat bundles machine cost, water, and energy into one flat price per load, so it can look cheaper or more expensive depending on your home utility rates and machine efficiency. The comparison toggle above subtracts your calculated home cost per load from the laundromat price you enter, then multiplies the difference by your weekly and annual load count so you can see the real dollar impact of each option over a year, not just per load.
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Energy bill estimator, Appliance running cost, and Utility cost planner help tie household routines to their ongoing utility costs.
Frequently asked questions
- How do the load-size presets work? Choosing small, regular, large, or heavy-soil automatically fills in typical detergent, water, and machine energy values for that load type; you can still edit any field afterward to match your own machine.
- Can I use this with a laundromat? Yes. Enter the total cost of machine use and utilities as the relevant fields, or use the laundromat comparison toggle to weigh a flat per-load laundromat price against your home cost.
- Why include dryer cost? Drying often adds more than detergent and water combined, especially for larger or heavy-soil loads that need longer cycles.
- Is this strictly electricity? It covers common utility costs for a load, but you can adjust inputs to match your local rates and products.
Creator & reviewers
Creator persona
- Jordan EllisHome costs & household planning
Reviewer personas
- Avery BennettPersonal finance & everyday budgeting
- Devon ShawFormula & assumptions review