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Laundry Cost Calculator

Use this laundry cost calculator to estimate what laundry costs per load, month, and year from energy, water, sewer, and detergent assumptions.

Last reviewed June 6, 2026Source note includedFree tool

Live calculator

Laundry cost

Cost per load$1.28

Electricity, water, sewer, and detergent per load.

Monthly laundry cost$27.81

Weekly cost multiplied by the average weeks per month.

Annual laundry cost$332.80

Weekly cost multiplied by 52.

Cost per load
PartEstimate
Electricity$0.63
Water and sewer$0.30
Detergent$0.35
Total per load$1.28

Utility estimates depend on local rates, fixed fees, taxes, runtime, billing period, and household usage. Compare against the actual bill before settling up.

Quick answer

Laundry Cost Calculator: what it calculates

Laundry Cost Calculator calculates laundry cost from loads per week, washer kWh, dryer kWh, water gallons, and utility rates. The visible formula is Cost per load = washer kWh x electric rate + dryer kWh x electric rate + gallons / 1,000 x water rate + detergent cost.

ResultLaundry cost
InputsLoads per week, Washer kWh, Dryer kWh, Water gallons, Utility rates
FormulaLaundry cost formula

Formula

Laundry cost formula

Cost per load = washer kWh x electric rate + dryer kWh x electric rate + gallons / 1,000 x water rate + detergent cost

Actual energy and water use vary by machine, cycle, temperature, load size, and drying method.

How to use

Steps

  1. Enter how many laundry loads you run each week.
  2. Enter washer and dryer energy use per load.
  3. Enter water gallons per load and your water plus sewer rate.
  4. Add detergent cost to see cost per load, month, and year.

Example

Sample calculation

Loads/week5
Energy3.5 kWh/load
Water25 gal/load
Estimated costAbout $1.28/load

Calculator use

Best for

  • Use this laundry cost calculator to estimate what laundry costs per load, month, and year from energy, water, sewer, and detergent assumptions.
  • Estimating home utility cost, shared bills, appliance usage, or service charges before splitting or budgeting.
  • Testing usage changes such as shorter showers, different appliance cycles, rate changes, or roommate shares.
  • Keeping rate, meter, usage, and fixed-fee assumptions visible before comparing against a real bill.

Before relying on it

Check first

  • Leaving out fixed service fees, tiered rates, taxes, delivery charges, minimum bills, seasonal rates, or billing-period length.
  • Using appliance labels, averages, or old bills without checking actual runtime, local rates, and household usage.
  • Splitting a bill without agreeing whether fixed fees, shared rooms, guests, or unequal usage should be weighted.

Details

What to know before using the result

Dryer impactOften the largest cost

Electric drying can dominate the per-load estimate compared with washer electricity or water.

Water rateUse water + sewer

If your utility bills sewer from water use, include both rates for a fuller household cost.

Cycle settingsCan change the result

Hot water, long cycles, high heat, and small loads can raise the real per-load cost.

Source notes

References used for this calculator

U.S. Energy Information AdministrationExplains how watts, hours of use, and kilowatt-hours relate when estimating electricity consumption.EPA WaterSenseExplains household water use context for estimating water-related utility costs.

Benchmarks

How to read the result

Under $1/load: Lower estimate.

More likely with efficient machines, line drying, low rates, or low detergent cost.

$1 - $2/load: Common planning range.

Useful for household budgeting when both washing and drying are included.

$2+/load: Check inputs.

Can happen with high electric rates, long dryer cycles, small loads, or expensive detergent.

Calculator accuracy

Methodology and assumptions

Formula

Cost per load = washer kWh x electric rate + dryer kWh x electric rate + gallons / 1,000 x water rate + detergent cost

Inputs used

Loads per week, Washer kWh, Dryer kWh, Water gallons, Utility rates

Limitations

Utility pages use visible usage and rate assumptions. Actual bills may include tiers, service fees, delivery charges, taxes, minimums, seasonal rates, and provider-specific rules.

Last reviewed

June 6, 2026

Cite this page

Toolkit Shelf. Laundry Cost Calculator. Last reviewed June 6, 2026. https://toolkitshelf.com/tools/laundry-cost-calculator

FAQ

Common questions

How do I calculate laundry cost per load?

Add washer electricity, dryer electricity, water and sewer cost, and detergent cost for one load.

Why does dryer use matter so much?

Dryers usually use much more electricity than washers, so drying time and heat setting can drive the result.

Does this include laundromat cost?

No. This estimates home laundry utility and detergent cost. Laundromat machine fees should be added separately.