which laundry detergent do you use??

[kfeusse]

If you use a cheaper brand and you don't make your own, which brand do you use? We don't have any super dirty clothes here. My husband has a desk job and although I have 2 boys, they typically don't get super dirty, so just your normal dirty clothes here.

 

And, do you use something different for towels? Before I started using Tide, my towels would smell horrible...now they don't...but I am wondering if I would NEED to use Tide for that result.

 

Thanks.

[elegantlion]

We use Arm and Hammer Liquid. It varies between scents, as I don't like a scent and if dh is buying he doesn't pay attention. We have front loading washer and dryer and I generally use a lot less than expected unless the load is really dirty; dh is in construction.

 

I don't use anything special on the towels and we never have an issue. I don't like powder because of all the fillers.

[Mom28kds]

I use the homemade det. that is on the Duggar's website. It lasts me about 6 months and only costs $1 each time I make it. I have 8 people living in my house.

[SailorMom]

I've tested A LOT of laundry detergent. I even made my own for a while. The homemade stuff works fine, but I have to admit that after a few months, I couldn't get the sweaty smell out of my sons' gym clothes and our whites didn't look as white. It may have just been the recipe I was using.

Anyway, of the less expensive brands I've found that the cheapest I can go and still get clean laundry would be Whisk or All. I LOVE Tide, but can't afford it. Whisk and Snuggle do just as good a job (imho) as Tide and Downey.

[lavender's green]

I use All free&clear and I've always been happy with it, but I add either TSP or oxyclean to dirtier/stinkier loads.

 

ETA: It costs about $12 for the big container and lasts my family of 3 for 3 months, and I'm very liberal about laundry (sheets twice a week, bedding once a week, etc).

[nono]

I use my own -- I make the dry type with ivory soap. I don't have a sweaty smell problem because I pre-soak all my running clothes in Oxyclean. Commercial detergents didn't get my stink out without the oxy pre soak either!

 

Why I use my own is that everything is SOFTER than when I used commercial detergent. So, I would suggest trying their version of detergent (Ivory Snow) and see what kind of results you get. You might like it! It seems to go on sale frequently around here, so you might be able to pick it up for cheaper than what you are currently using.

[Cinder]

I use All. One of the blue bottles. Actually I like to cut it with some of the free & clear; I find the scent is a little strong. Dh doesn't want to switch totally to free &clear; he likes some scent on the laundry. Tide gives me a headache. All does not, even at full strength. And it does well on cleaning.

 

ETA: I use the small & mighty and just half a capful even for a full load.

[Guest]

We use the Tide pods. They aren't the cheapest, but I like them. I know that by using the pods, they last longer than the liquid or the powder because I use the appropriate amount, whereas I usually overfill the cup when I do it myself.

[Mergath]

We use Tide. We tried using the cheap stuff for a long time, but our laundry came out of the wash smelling almost as bad as when it went in. :ack2: Then I tried using the Mrs. Meyers stuff and it works well, but you have to use quite a bit of it and we were going through it too quickly. I finally just gave up and started using the expensive brands. There are only three of us, so it lasts awhile, at least.

[Karen in CO]

Arm & Hammer, Gain or All - Deepending on the price of the BIG bottle and who is shopping when I run out. Tide bothers my dd's excema. When her eczema is bad, we switch to All Free and Clear just to make sure we aren't adding to the problem. I only use about half the recommended amount. I learned long ago with washing cloth diapers that detergent build-up causes stink.

[sparrow]

Tide. Homemade seemed to stop getting our clothes clean and any other store-bought brand makes my son itchy.

 

I don't fight it anymore. Tide works and that's all I buy.

[JFSinIL]

After using a LOT of the cheaper stuff - and having to buy new jugs of it all the time - I finally bit the bullet and got Tide (coupons, sales as much as possible). It really does the job and I use less so it lasts longer. I have Oxyclean (sp?) to add for really bad stains. I try and stick to the Free and Clear Tide (white jug).

 

We do not use any fabric softener in the washer or drier. Waste of money.I like the idea of the pods - but many of my loads are smaller (delicates, etc.) and how do you split a pod in half? Plus load for load pods cost more.

[amsunshine]

We use Trader Joes lavender liquid detergent because it doesn't contain enzymes and we have enzyme and other skin sensitivities here. I love Vaska, too, but it is hard to find and pricier than the Trader Joes brand. We don't use fabric softener -- just plain white vinegar in the softener compartment. I use Fels-Naptha soap for scrubbing stains and a scoop of Borax as a laundry booster if we need it. All of this works for us!

[Farrar]

I use whatever's on sale or cheapest at whatever store I happen to be shopping at when I need detergent.

[gingersmom]

Tide with bleach alternative (although I think they call it something else now)

[Crimson Wife]

Do you know anyone who sells Melaleuca? My MIL does it, and the MelaPower detergent works better than Tide at about half the cost.

[Word Nerd]

I tried Arm & Hammer, All, and Purex for a while but went back to Tide because nothing works as well for me. I also use Borax as a laundry booster depending on what I'm washing. Switching to white towels also helped, as I can use bleach when needed.

[kalanamak]

I got several boxes of 7th Gen scentless powder off Amazon in one pack. I mix it 50/50 with Oxyclean from Costco. I have a front loader and I use about half a teeny scoop .... maybe a Tablespoon and a half? I use white vinegar in the "rinse" spot. Works fine. I do put extra strong SHOUT on choc, blood, grease, first. For towels, I hang them up to dry before they go in the hamper, and that has been the fix for me. I hang them on the back of a door which has a heat-vent behind it, or, in a sunny window.

[TammyinTN]

We use Kirkland Ultra Clean pods it's $12.95 for 90 loads. Works wonderfully and about .14 a load.

[AndyJoy]

We've used Country Save from Amazon.com since DS was born (I needed something phosphate free for cloth diapers). I've been very happy with it and it goes really far. Between that and a bottle of Shout our stuff gets nice and clean. We don't have a problem with smelly towels.

[Orthodox6]

Non-scientific response because I cannot chemically analyze the products. I always have suspected that the lower-cost liquid laundry soaps are lower-cost because they have a higher water content and a lower "cleaners" content. They have not performed well for us.

 

Tide Pods here for regular-sized loads. Method liquid-pump for small loads. No longer use fabric softener much since it sank into me what it actually is doing to the fabric.

[Mekanamom]

Another Trader Joes liquid laundry user here. I add 1 tbs scoop Oxyclean and a scoop of washing soda as needed. Vinegar rinse.

 

Another one that works well for us is Ecos (but I rarely get that these days as I do almost all our shopping at Trader Joes.)

 

I line dry my laundry... But when we do use the dryer, I either skip dryer sheets and just use those dryer balls, or I'll pop in one of those reuseable Method dryer sheets.

[Mandylubug]

We use wisk and snuggle. I have found after moving cross country and back that it really depends on the water in your local area to determine which detergent works best. I have used multiple detergent recipes. Liquid and dry ones...and they all ended up making my whites grey and yucky after a couple months. They also had a weird reaction to micro fleece blankets and they would have a weird twang smell that would not go away. In GA, Wisk works great for us, even on sweaty running clothes and my husbands sweaty work clothes. In AZ, we used Gain successfully.

[cjzimmer1]

When I had a top loader I used All free and clear. Once I got a front loader I switched to powdered because the liquid was too messy to get in the cup (I tend to spill alot). I tried Charlie's I hated it. In less a month by whites were yellow and everything was grease stained. Then I tried homemade (powdered), which just added food stains to my already messed up clothes and everything needed to be pretreated to achieve some level of cleanness. Then I tried Tide just because I needed something to clean up my clothes. However, I saved my little scoop from the bag of Charlie's (I believe it is 1 TBSP) and use it to measure the Tide. I use 1 TBSP for very full loads (remember I have a front loader so this is a lot of clothes) and I use 1 1/2TBSP for wet towels that got left around too long before washing and have the funk smell. I've priced it out and the Tide actually costs me less money than the homemade stuff and I don't have to pretreat anymore, my clothes are white and the grease stains are gone. The big box (cost about 25.00 around here but I always wait till it's on sale and I have a good coupon) lasts me close to a year and we do 1-3 loads of laundry every single day.

[Cindy in FL.]

I use All Free and Clear. It gets the clothes clean and doesn't make my kids' eczema act up.

[Freckles]

I've been using the Dugger's recipe for a couple of years, but I love to splurge on liquid Cheer. Any other Cheer users here?

[Pawz4me]

Tide or Gain.

[Ellie]

I've used Amway laundry products for everything since 1975. I have no plans to change, ever. Clean clothes, economy, good for the environment...a win-win in all situations. :-)

[mytwomonkeys]

i only use gain or all.

 

i buy it when it is on sale with coupons & stock up. it usually cost me $3- $3.50 a bottle.

[kubiac]

Tide Free & Clear or homemade

[somo_chickenlady]

Gain Original or Era, b/c I love the smell of both of them the most out of all the detergents. I always use Gain on my towels and sheets, even when I'm using Era on everything else, as well as generic Oxiclean.

 

I also use Era to mop my floors. When I worked at Wendy's in high school they used Tide to mop their floors b/c it cuts grease really well, so I have always used laundry detergent to mop. Plus, it makes my house smell SOOO good!! :)

[Parrothead]

I use Tide. It is the only detergent that doesn't freeze (and separate) downstairs in my freezing basement.

[Holly]

Charlies. I order it from Soap.com and get 2 tubs (80 loads each) for $25. You just use a tablespoon for each load (I add an extra 1/2 T for towels). A 2-pack usually lasts us about 4 months.

[chiguirre]

I use All or Up&Up, depending on sales. They both work well for us now that the kids aren't as hard on their clothes.

[Heatherwith4]

I've tried other brands, but I keep coming back to Tide. All is not too bad, though.

[Joyofsixreboot]

Arm&Hammer Free which doesn't upset asthma or sensitive skin.

[prairiewindmomma]

Costco's Tide generic...1T/load.

[Laura Corin]

I used unscented Ecover. My towels smell fine: completely neutral.

 

Laura

[KatieJ]

I'am with Ellie here. Amway for over 30 years and no plans to switch. It seems expensive upfront, but you only need a tbls for an average load of laundry. A jug lasts me a very very very long time.

[Barb_]

Costco's Tide generic...1T/load.

 

I used to use Tide, but I tried Costco's Liquid in the Red bottle. It's a lot cheaper than Tide and it works as well or better. I've tried other brands, but this is the only one I'll use outside of Tide.

[kewb]

When I am not using homemade I usually buy arm & hammer free.

[OnTheBrink]

Cheer liquid and Target brand dryer sheets. I also use Shout gel for stains. I like Tide, but it's so $$. At Sam's, Cheer is a lot less expensive.

[jeninok]

We use Arm and Hammer or All usually. I prefer tide but it tends to irritate my delicate bits. I also use oxiclean for heavier and more soiled loads such as jeans and cleaning towels.

 

We also use about half the recommended amount and our clothes seem cleaner when we use less.

 

I found some cleaner called LA's Totally Awesome that I use for really tough stains or anything with urine/throw up on it.

 

That cleaner is a dollar and will clean anything off anything. I usually clean with vinegar/baking soda or just hot soapy water, but it is my standby for really tough cleaning.

[Clarkd]

Tide HE but once in awhile Era.

[magnificent_baby]

I have used Gain for the past several years. Gets the clothes very clean, and love the smell. Also use Shout spray, as needed, and toss in Oxyclean powder if there are stains I'm trying to fight. It really is inexpensive compared to how long it lasts.

 

Tried Tide a few times, and I thought it faded my clothes, maybe it was my imagination though. Every once and awhile I get faded grey looking stains on my whites, but I think that is build up from the machine. I do use the Tide wash machine cleaner every month or so when my machine starts to smell funky. LOVE that cleaner, it smells so good!

[rwjx2khsmj]

I was having a difficult time with a stale smell from my front loading washer. I started using Nellie's All Natural Laundry Soda and I love it. The smell from my washer is gone and my clothes are clean, clean, clean.

[TranquilMind]

If you use a cheaper brand and you don't make your own, which brand do you use? We don't have any super dirty clothes here. My husband has a desk job and although I have 2 boys, they typically don't get super dirty, so just your normal dirty clothes here.

 

And, do you use something different for towels? Before I started using Tide, my towels would smell horrible...now they don't...but I am wondering if I would NEED to use Tide for that result.

 

Thanks.

 

 

Free and Clear from Costco. Also that natural one that smells like flowers (can't remember the name, but I add a little).

[Guest]

I do use the Tide wash machine cleaner every month or so when my machine starts to smell funky. LOVE that cleaner, it smells so good!

 

Thanks for posting this! I bought this but haven't used it yet.

[DawnM]

I used to make my own. I used it for 2 years. I decided I didn't like it all that much.

 

I now use Kirkland brand Tide Alternative (Costco brand) and use half the recommended amount. I am very happy with it, even at half the amount (which is still 75% less cost than real Tide and is rated right up there with Tide in CR.)

 

Homemade was about .02 per load

Kirkland is about .04 to .05 per load

 

I can live with the difference.

[Lanny]

We use the FAB powdered detergent. My wife prefers the Lemon scent, but that's frequently more expensive. We have a top loading Whirlpool (made for USA market) that will be 18 years old at the end of this month. My wife says the washing machine is her "best friend".....

 

When the washing machine was approximately 8 years old, it needed service, the first time. The Whirlpool service man was astonished, that it had never had service before, because it was so clean inside.

 

He told us never to change brands of detergents, because one brand can interact with another brand and cause a chemical warfare inside the washing machine.

 

My wife learned how to fix our Whirlpool and every 2 or 3 years, I go to buy a set of 4 tiny plastic parts that cost approximately USD$6.00 and she puts them into the machine and the machine works. :-)

 

BTW: The first 9 years we had this Whirlpool washing machine, it was outside, where we lived before. It doesn't look like a brand new machine, but it has a heart of Gold. :-)