Inexpensive Way to Wash Clothes

Avoid washing many types of clothing after each wear if they do not appear dirty or stained or smell. According to "Real Simple" magazine, many clothing articles only need to be washed after every three to five wears. This includes shorts, jeans, bras, skirts, dress pants and cotton pajamas. It does not, though, include tops, dresses, underwear and bathing suits. If desired, you can freshen up the clothes before wearing them again by drying them for about 10 minutes in the dryer using a fabric sheet, which you can reuse several times.

Make your own laundry detergent and liquid fabric softener using one of several recipes available online. For example, Binghamton University sustainability initiative recommends mixing 1 cup of washing soda and 1 cup of Borax to use as a laundry soap, using only 2 tablespoons per load. The website also recommends simply adding 1/4 cup of vinegar at the start of the rinse cycle to soften clothes.

Use warm water instead of hot water. Warm water cleans your clothes better than cold water without the added cost of using hot water. However, the "Washington Post" recommends that if you have problems with musty or foul smells in your laundry or washer, launder a load of laundry, such as your whites, in hot water once every five loads.

Dry your clothes on a drying rack or clothesline instead of using the dryer. Drying racks that hold a lot of clothes are available and are perfect for small indoor spaces. To kill germs in laundry -- such as after being exposed to fecal matter or vomit -- dry them in the sun. ABC News Medical Unit states that the ultraviolet light from the sun is just as effective at removing germs as bleach.