Laundry Cost Calculator — Rex's Toolbox

Rex says

Everyday utility math — the kind you'd otherwise pull up four browser tabs for. I keep it to one clean answer.

Try a scenario

Click to load — tweak from there.

Inputs

Loads per week

Water per load(gal)

Water + sewer($/gal)

Dryer energy per load(kWh)

Washer energy per load(kWh)

Electricity rate($/kWh)

Detergent per load($)

Laundromat wash + dry($)

Result

Cost per load at home

$1.18

Annual home laundry cost

$306

Annual laundromat cost

$1,430

Annual savings at home

$1,125

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How to use this

1Enter loads per week.
2Enter water per load (gal).
3Enter water + sewer ($/gal).
4Enter dryer energy per load (kWh).
5Enter washer energy per load (kWh).
6Enter electricity rate ($/kWh).
7Enter detergent per load ($).
8Enter laundromat wash + dry ($).
9Read your cost per load at home on the right — it updates as you type.
10Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.

About this calculator

Break a load down into water, heating, dryer electricity, and detergent so you can see the real cost per load and compare it to laundromat pricing.

FormulaLoad cost = water + water heating + machine kWh + dryer kWh + detergent.

Worked example

Using the values the calculator loads with:

Inputs

Loads per week: 5
Water per load: 20 gal
Water + sewer: 0.015 $/gal
Dryer energy per load: 3 kWh
Washer energy per load: 0.5 kWh
Electricity rate: 0.17 $/kWh
Detergent per load: 0.28 $
Laundromat wash + dry: 5.5 $

Results

Cost per load at home: $1.18
Annual home laundry cost: $306
Annual laundromat cost: $1,430
Annual savings at home: $1,125

What each field means

Inputs

Loads per week: The loads per week used in the calculation. Starts at 5 so you have a working example on load.
Water per load (gal): The water per load used in the calculation, measured in gal. Starts at 20 gal so you have a working example on load.
Water + sewer ($/gal): The water + sewer used in the calculation, measured in $/gal. Starts at 0.015 $/gal so you have a working example on load.
Dryer energy per load (kWh): The dryer energy per load used in the calculation, measured in kWh. Starts at 3 kWh so you have a working example on load.
Washer energy per load (kWh): The washer energy per load used in the calculation, measured in kWh. Starts at 0.5 kWh so you have a working example on load.
Electricity rate ($/kWh): The electricity rate used in the calculation, measured in $/kWh. Starts at 0.17 $/kWh so you have a working example on load.
Detergent per load ($): The detergent per load used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 0.28 $ so you have a working example on load.
Laundromat wash + dry ($): The laundromat wash + dry used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 5.5 $ so you have a working example on load.

Results

Cost per load at home: Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Annual home laundry cost: Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Annual laundromat cost: Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Annual savings at home: Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.

FAQ

Does line drying help much?

The dryer is usually 70–85% of the energy in a load. Skipping it is the single biggest lever.

Cold wash savings?

Cold water removes the heating load, which on an electric water heater is often $0.20–$0.40 per load.

Accuracy and limitations

Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary.
Results are rounded for readability; add a buffer before ordering, booking, or committing.
Double-check anything with a real cost attached against a local quote.

Cite this calculator

Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.

APA

RevenueLab. (2026). Laundry Cost Per Load Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/laundry-cost

HTML

<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/laundry-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Laundry Cost Per Load Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>

Markdown

Source: [Laundry Cost Per Load Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/laundry-cost) (2026).