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Why Is Laundry Detergent so Expensive?

I was wanting to know if laundry detergent is expensive where you live?
And what type do you use, and why is it so expensive?

Thanks,

Teresa from VA

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Silver Feedback Medal for All Time! 290 Feedbacks
November 4, 20070 found this helpful

If you are looking for a savings on laundry detergent, try and buy it in the discount stores such as Big Lots or the dollar stores.

I never buy detergent in the large chain grocery stores, it is just too expensive. Try and buy off brand or generic detergents, why pay all of that money for a well known brand.

 
By K (Guest Post)
November 4, 20070 found this helpful

Ditto to what Marge said.

Unfortunately our family needs to buy UNscented detergent which narrows the choice a lot. But you can find coupons for some brands and certain brands seem to be on sale more often than not so combine the sale with the coupons. (We use ALL Unscented Brand.)

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There are several recipes around the net to make your own powdered or liquid laundry soap. I have never heard if those have annoying scents or not for us sensitive types. It is sup to be a lot cheaper to make your own than to purchase ready made detergent.

Another hint is to NOT use the massive amount they suggest per load on the package. Your clothes will still get clean.

And unless you are digging ditches or something most clothes can be worn more than once before needing laundering.

www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=make...

 
By incarablu (Guest Post)
November 5, 20070 found this helpful

As the price of gas goes up so goes detergent as well as products that uses gas or pretrulem (sp?) in the base goes up as well. And the best way to get away from that is to look at dollar stores or lower price places. That or make your own.

 
November 5, 20070 found this helpful

After years of experimenting I have concluded that Tide works the best for me, either powdered or liquid! I always have a coupon for it and buy it where it's the cheapest in our area, usually Wal Mart (they're frequently cheaper than Dollar General, on Tide !). DO NOT use the amount of detergent they suggest! Start out using 1/2 or 1/3 of the recommended amount. Unless there are absolutely filthy dirty clothes in my washer I usually use only 1/4 of the recommended amount! Getting two, three or even four times the amount of laundry loads per container of detergent really cuts down on the cost, and your clothes are still very clean! If you doubt me............do a simple experiment. Put a load of laundry in your washer and fill it with water as usual.....but DO NOT add ANY detergents. Let the washer agitate for 5 minutes or so and then open the lid and look at all the suds in the water!

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THAT is excess detergent (and fabric softner and ????) that did not get rinsed out of your clothes in previous laundry attempts!
I realize that there are many variables..........there are different kinds of water (hard, soft & ??), some washers are more efficient than others, some types of fabrics are harder to clean than others and on and on. I just know that Tide works the best for me and I was pleased to read in a recent Consumer's Report that Tide was at or near the top of their preferred list.
I did try making my own, grating the bars of soap, adding the borax, etc., etc., but in the end the final result was disappointing. It did not clean nearly as well as Tide and my clothes had a unpleasant musty smell to them. In the end it just was not worth it to me, but ..."to each his own".

 

Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 169 Posts
November 5, 20070 found this helpful

I have always known that Tide would clean better than other detergents but DH and I have very sensitive skin so we could never use it because of the perfumes. Imagine my glee when I discovered that it now comes in free and clear! I'm a Tide kind of gal from now on.

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As Grandma Margie says try using less of it since it is powerful stuff. That should save you some money.

 
By Betsy (Guest Post)
November 5, 20070 found this helpful

I do several things which cut my detergent cost--

1) I have a front loader, which uses less detergent anyway--I only use about 1 Tbsp for a load of laundry (that's 1 Tbsp of my "mix" below). Even when I had a top loader though, I had a 1/4 cup measuring cup that I used for laundry--which is way less than the amount listed on the box;
2) I mix equal parts powdered detergent with baking soda in a tub to use in the laundry;
3) I buy detergent in bulk at Sam's--the generic is less than $10 for a box that does 200 or so loads, if you were to use a full scoop.

The last box I bought at Sam's was in Sept 2005 and I JUST used it up last week. So for $10 plus about 3 giant bags of baking soda from Sam's (about $4 each), I've done laundry for 2 years!! We have hard water, which should require more detergent, but our clothes get very clean.

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And I do a lot of laundry--anywhere from 12-15 loads per week.

Betsy

 

Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 149 Feedbacks
November 5, 20070 found this helpful

sometimes venders at flea markets sell bins of items from canned foods staples in boxed foods, even detergents. They are cheaper. I often wondered about where they got them that they could sell them cheaper & just not use them thereselves. I have bought them before and they smell & work just fine. Although I do not buy can goods there because I'm affraid they might of frozen at one time. But I do chips, crakers etc if the exspiration dates are just a few weeks out dated and not too long.

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flea markets are great places to save a scrubbies too for your dishwashing. so high priced in stores.

 
November 5, 20070 found this helpful

Yes laundry soap is expensive where I live just like it is everywhere else. It costs because the manufacturers KNOW we NEED it & we'll buy it no matter what the price. And this applies to almost everything today. I make my own laundry detergent & fabric softener so it doesn't hurt my pocket book. Take care.

 
November 6, 20070 found this helpful

The main factor of why laundry Detergent is so expensive is because of advertisement cost and now because of fuel cost. I work for a wellness company that sells laundry detergent amongust alot of other wonerful products that are cheaper, better and are envirormentally safe. And the products are backed up by a 100% money back guarantee if you are not completely satisfied, so you have nothing to lose for trying the products, they even get shipped directly from the manufacture right to your door. If anyone is interested in finding out more about this wonderful company and how you can not only save money, but have products in your home that are safer for your family and work better then the products you have already, Please contact me at Jpcasino17@aol.com

 
By wha (Guest Post)
November 6, 20070 found this helpful

Try making your own with some recipes readers have provided on this site. I have been doing this for a couple of years and have turned other people onto it as well, without complaints. It costs just cents per load.

 
November 6, 20070 found this helpful

You are right, just yesterday I was shopping for laundry soap. My washer requires HE (high effiecncy) soap, which I think means it needs to have a soap with less suds. For an example, I always use tide= 13.99 $ for a 100oz bottle. I took the chance this time to buy my stores brand also 100oz for 3.79 $. Used it last night..no problems, it was also HE. No dont get me started with cereal..: )

 

Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 107 Feedbacks
November 6, 20070 found this helpful

I get the brand of laundry soap called Extra. I get it a Walgreens at the lowest price. Walgreens has in-store sales that they don't publicize. A couple months ago for on extra large jug its was $1.70 I think it was 100 oz. I got 7-8 (all they had at the time) it last till Spring, and it cleans just as well as anything else.

 

Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 104 Posts
January 23, 20080 found this helpful

Betsy, how much baking soda would I need to add to the generic brand of laundry det from Sams? I'm wanting to mix baking soda with the dry in order to stretch it as far as I can. I don't buy the liquid; it seems less economical.

 

Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 104 Posts
January 23, 20080 found this helpful

I have yet to find cheaper prices on laundry detergent and a lot of other things at my local dollar store or Big Lots. I've found a few things cheaper at Dollar Tree like baggies but that's about it. What's even worse is I've been going to Goodwill looking for bargains and thats a real joke. I say a poster frame in there yesterday priced at $20 and I had just bought 2 at $10 each on sale at Hobby Lobby. Don't know about you guys but I'm getting real tired of trying to find the bargains. LOL

 
June 1, 20180 found this helpful

Detergent is so expensive because its made from petroleum. However, we use detergent more for the smell than anything else. You dont really need soap to get your clothes clean.
Unless my clother are really funky, I wash w nothing. I spray stains, urine, & sweat marks w a solution given by Heloise: 1/3 water + 1/3 dish soap + 1/3 non-sudsey ammonia mixed in a recycled spray bottle. And occasionally I use no more than 1/3 cup in the washing machine.
It works as good as Shout. Some people wadh w Borax to deoderize the clothes. About 3x/yr, I wash w powdered Tide just cuz it reminds me of home when I was a little girl. (And thats actually why its a best seller: nostalgia). Enjoy!

 
June 1, 20180 found this helpful

Detergent is so expensive because its made from petroleum. However, we use detergent more for the smell than anything else. You dont really need soap to get your clothes clean.
Unless my clother are really funky, I wash w nothing. I spray stains, urine, & sweat marks w a solution given by Heloise: 1/3 water + 1/3 dish soap + 1/3 non-sudsey ammonia mixed in a recycled spray bottle. And occasionally I use no more than 1/3 cup in the washing machine.
It works as good as Shout. Some people wadh w Borax to deoderize the clothes. About 3x/yr, I wash w powdered Tide just cuz it reminds me of home when I was a little girl. (And thats actually why its a best seller: nostalgia). Enjoy!

 

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