Is it worth it to buy cheap laundry detergent?

[Alexandra]

I had a container of generic powder detergent and wonder if perhaps it is leaving stains behind. After something goes through the dryer it seems to be a permanent stain.

So what detergent do you use that you swear by? Should I be pre-treating?

Thanks for any help on this!

[Ria]

I make my own. It cost pennies per load and is better than anything I used to buy.

 

Ria

[rockermom]

I make my own. It cost pennies per load and is better than anything I used to buy.

 

Ria

 

What do you use to make it?

[Ria]

Oh, it's soooooo easy! All you need is water, a bar of Fels Naptha soap, borax, and washing soda (the soap, borax, and washing soda are easily found in the laundry section of the grocery store). I'll link to the recipe I use. A few things I do that aren't mentioned in the link: after I let the soap sit overnight, I use an immersion blender to whir it all up the next morning; you could use a wisk, too. Then I use a funnel and put the soap in one-gallon milk jugs. Be sure to shake the jugs before using.

 

I have a front-loader and this works better than the HE laundry detg I was buying!

 

http://plainoldkristi.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-to-make-homemade-laundry-soap-step.html

 

Have fun! This really is amazing!

 

Ria

[Janet in Toronto]

I pretreat regardless of the detergent i"m using. I either use a "green" stain spray (Simply Clean) or a tiny bit of dishwashing soap (for handwashing dishes, not machine). The latter works great for those grease stains that you sometimes don't see the first time through the machine.

 

WHen I was experimenting with different laundry detergents, if I got a brand that didn't seem to work very well, I threw in a handful/cup of borax along with the detergent and that really helped. I also use it with white loads on a regular basis.

 

My regular detergent is one that may only be available in Canada (President's Choice Green Laundry Detergent) but I sometimes use Tide Free if I can get it on sale. I like the green one because it is formulated for cold water washing and is scent/dye free, which my DH needs for his skin.

[asta]

I have used everything from homemade to "eco-friendly" to all of the name brands.

 

Nothing gets crap out the first time like Tide.

 

It's the magic fairy dust of washing detergent, IMO.

 

 

asta

[Janet in Toronto]

I used this recipe for making my own soap for a while but my DH had problems with his skin, probably from the Fels Naptha soap. It worked really well, otherwise.

Edited October 24, 2008 by Janet in Toronto
Forgot to quote Ria's post.

[Erica in PA]

I have used everything from homemade to "eco-friendly" to all of the name brands.

 

Nothing gets crap out the first time like Tide.

 

It's the magic fairy dust of washing detergent, IMO.

 

 

asta

 

I agree that Tide works best for us. It's one of the only name brand products we use, because I do try to save money wherever I can, but keeping our clothes nice and clean so that we don't have to buy more, that is saving money as well! Other brands just don't seem to work as well. I've been using only Tide for about a year, and I can't remember the last time I found a new stain on any of our clothes.

 

Erica

[JFSinIL]

I use the $3 generic store brand stuff (liquid - not powder).. I do have OxyClean to dab on any evil stain. I do not separate whites, either - everything goes through together in warm/cool water.

 

If we have a tummy bug etc. in the house, I also add color-safe generic bleach to kill germies.

Edited October 24, 2008 by JFSinIL

[homeschool2boys]

We use Gain or Arm and Hammer. I like both of them but I like the smell of Gain the best. The only one I really hate and refuse to use is Surf. It dont desolve in the water right (even in hot water) and leaves streaks of laundry soap on my dark clothes. It also has a smell that I dont really care for.

[abbeyej]

No, I think generic powder is useless. It's not a savings if it doesn't *work* (or even damages clothes).

 

I appreciate the Tide works well, but I can't *stand* the overpowering scent. It just makes me choke.

 

We use All Free and Clear, and a pre-treat any visible stains. I also use Oxyclean on occasion.

[elegantlion]

I use liquid Sun. I've never had an issue with it. I prefer liquid over powder.

[OnTheBrink]

I was a die-hard Tide user until I tried Melaleuca's HE laundry soap. I LOVE it and it the scent is light.

 

I've never had success with the cheap soap.

[Rich with Kids]

I use Purex. $6 for 64 loads.

[Blossom'sGirl]

I am planning on switching back to homemade detergent for the winter when clothes tend to be just wet and not muddy. I tried the homemade soap at our previous house which had very hard water and was not impressed. I don't like the smell of Fel's Naptha so I am going to try a different soap. I have tried Tide and really did not see a difference worth the extra $$$. I have been using unscented ALL or Arm & Hammer all summer with a white vinegar rinse.

 

I do have to say that with 4 boys I am not a "whites must be white" type of person. Bleach is not good for us to wear or smell and I could care less if their socks are their whitest. Each boy has a drawer with "nice" clothes for only going out.

[Tabrett]

Anyone know why Tide work so much better than the rest of the detergents? I need a generic Tide.

[Titus.Two.Five]

I recently started buying the powder detergent from Save Alot. It is called Ultra Vista (it reminds me of powder tide, even the box looks similar). It cleans our clothes well, and leaves a fresh, but not overbearing scent. I found it cleans better than liquids for us.

 

Stains do get pre-treated around here with spray and wash.

[Colleen in NS]

Oh, it's soooooo easy! All you need is water, a bar of Fels Naptha soap, borax, and washing soda (the soap, borax, and washing soda are easily found in the laundry section of the grocery store). I'll link to the recipe I use. A few things I do that aren't mentioned in the link: after I let the soap sit overnight, I use an immersion blender to whir it all up the next morning; you could use a wisk, too. Then I use a funnel and put the soap in one-gallon milk jugs. Be sure to shake the jugs before using.

 

I have a front-loader and this works better than the HE laundry detg I was buying!

 

http://plainoldkristi.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-to-make-homemade-laundry-soap-step.html

 

Have fun! This really is amazing!

 

Ria

 

This is basically the same as what I do, except instead of using a pan to cook the soap/water on the stove, I just grate the soap right into the bucket, and pour boiling water over it, and stir it up with a wooden stick.

 

I didn't know you could use it for front loaders; I'll have to tell my Mom about that!

[GreenKitty]

I am sensitive to most every laundry detergent on the market. We buy Purex Free and Clear. I use to make my own though found it became a chore.

[mommaduck]

We tried some of the "free" and "free and clear" stuff (ALL being one of them) and they all (no pun intended) irritate my family's skin. Tide is the ONLY thing that gets our family's clothes clean, make them smell nice, and doesn't irritate.

[TraceyS/FL]

The Laundry Forum - http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/laundry/ - has a variety of recipes for homemade. What i found interesting was the emphasis on extras to put in your wash to combat your particular water issues. hard/soft/minerals/______.

 

Does anyone here use Charlie's Soap? that seems to be the fav over there.

[Ellie]

I only buy Amway laundry products, and have done so for over 30 years. They're economical and environmentally safe, they do a great job, and Mr. Ellie doesn't have skin rashes :-o

[KIN]

Does anyone here use Charlie's Soap? that seems to be the fav over there.

 

I use Charlie's Soap and really like it!

[Erica in PA]

I was a die-hard Tide user until I tried Melaleuca's HE laundry soap. I LOVE it and it the scent is light.

 

I've never had success with the cheap soap.

 

How do the prices compare? My sil uses Melaleuca products, and I could order through her, if the price is cheaper than Tide.

 

Erica

[amy g.]

I really like Tide, but my 10 year old has horrible eczema when we use it.

 

I made homemade laundry soap, and loved how it cleaned, but she had a reaction to the Fels Naptha as well.

 

We used Arm and Hammer Free. Her skin cleared up, but our clothes were dingy.

 

I've started making my own with left over scraps from our homemade soap. I use equal parts of ground soap scraps, borax, and washing soda. I don't add water or anything else.

 

A couple of teaspoons cleans a big load of filthy clothes, and Dd's skin does not react to it at all.

[runamuk]

I've used Tide with bleach for years and love it. It really did a good job on dirt, grass and stains. But the price of Tide jumped quite a bit at the commissary recently, so I started looking for a cheaper alternative. Most of them have overpowering scents, though, and I have a sensitive nose. My sister uses Arm & Hammer with Oxyclean, so I thought I'd give it a try. It works pretty well and I'll use it since Tide is out of our budget right now.

 

I've found that I can't stand the smell of liquid laundry detergents - they seem to be much stronger smelling than their powdered counterparts.

[LizzyBee]

Nope. I am a cheap person, but I only buy Tide. Getting clothes clean the first time is the cheapest way to do laundry.

[Guest cindylouwho]

I do a lot of laundry with six kids and two adults. It's a never ending job. Fortunately I actually enjoy doing laundry. Since I do not want to give my the tide for cleaning the clothes because I see a signifigant difference in the clothes that I have washed in the cheap stuff. The tide keeps them looking brighter for longer. However, since I wash a lot of towels I have taken to washing the towels only in the cheaper laundry detergent. They may not look at bright but they are clean and it serves its purpose. ;)

[Ellie]

It wouldn't be worth it to *me*. Mr. Ellie is allergic to all laundry products except Amway's. Happily, I've been using Amway products for over 30 years and I can't imagine my laundry being any cleaner. Amway products are economical, too.

 

Disclaimer: Yes, I am an Amway distributor. But I wouldn't have kept doing it for all these years if the stuff wasn't good, KWIM?

[Guest bohdi tree]

Oh, it's soooooo easy! All you need is water, a bar of Fels Naptha soap, borax, and washing soda (the soap, borax, and washing soda are easily found in the laundry section of the grocery store). I'll link to the recipe I use. A few things I do that aren't mentioned in the link: after I let the soap sit overnight, I use an immersion blender to whir it all up the next morning; you could use a wisk, too. Then I use a funnel and put the soap in one-gallon milk jugs. Be sure to shake the jugs before using.

 

I have a front-loader and this works better than the HE laundry detg I was buying!

 

http://plainoldkristi.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-to-make-homemade-laundry-soap-step.html

 

 

This is awesome! I've tried the whole spectrum... all the "green" stuff, very expensive... and I've gone back to Cheer. This one sounds like a good recipe. Thanks for sharing!

[OnTheBrink]

How do the prices compare? My sil uses Melaleuca products, and I could order through her, if the price is cheaper than Tide.

 

Erica

 

Sorry, missed this! According to the catalog, one bottle of MelaPower (192 loads) is $29.99 which is equal to 6 bottles of 300oz Ultra Tide (192 loads total) at $61.74.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Definitely not worth it. Why skimp on detergent when clothes are so expensive? If I'm washing dh's slacks and dress shirts, a single load could be worth hundreds of dollars! The rest of our clothes aren't as expensive as his, but it would still take at least $100 or $200 to replace a single load of clothes. It's not worth it to me to save a couple bucks in detergent, if it's going to ruin my clothes.

 

I definitely don't buy cheap detergent. They're mostly filler that is frequently very hard on fabric -- it causes it to wear out faster, look dingy sooner, and doesn't clean. From what I understand, Tide cleans well, but I personally can't stand the strong smell of it, or other retail varieties. If someone gives us hand-me-downs, I always wash them (even though they're obviously clean) to get the smell out.

 

I use Amway laundry products. They have no filler at all. I use the powder, and use less than a fourth cup per load. I use their Prewash for tough stains, and add their enzyme booster (called Trizyme) for the kids' weird, unknown stains. :) The scent is very light, and the clothes not only look clean, they feel clean. They don't have that powdery feeling that many detergents leave behind.

[Avila]

My kids have issues with eczema, so I use All Free and Clear, and I really like it. For really tough stains, I dab on some Clorox 2. It is cheaper than Tide, but probably not as cheap as some of the other things mentioned. I almost never have stain issues, though, and my middle DD is pretty messy.

 

I do have the stuff to make my own laundry detergent, but I am chicken to try it because I don't want to go through the itching if it doesn't work! Maybe some of the posts here will convince me to finally do it.

[Katiebug_1976]

I also make my own soap, but use a powder recipe. I use 1 bar of Fels Naptha Soap (grated), 1c. Arm & Hammar Washing Soda, and 1C. Borax. Mix it together, and stor in a container. I use 1-2 TBSP per load. I have used this recipe for about a year now, and we really like it! Fels Naptha Soap also washes out poison ivy/oak oils, and since dd & dh are highly alergic, it has really helped in that area. My friend, that is also using this recipe has 2 kids with skin conditions, and the Fels Naptha is kind of irritating to their skin, so she uses ZOTE instead and that seems to be working out well.