Laundry Detergents – 273 days old

[Mama2three]

I have often wondered, do more expensive laundry detergents work better than the cheaper ones. Some people, my mother included, will only use Tide for her laundry. My MIL usually sticks with Purex. I switch up often and usually get what's on sale or what I have coupons for. What do you think, do you have one detergent that's better than all others, or do they even differ enough to matter?

[Mrs. Pirz]

Personally, I don't think one is better than the other, it all depends on what stains you have and how quickly you treat them. I do find however that powder detergents are more abbrasive on clothing than liquid detergent. Sometimes it can clump up on the clothes and actually stain it but other than that, as long as you arent purchasing 1 ltr of detergent at .89 cents, you should be fine with any detergent.

[hunysukle]

Most detergents contain harmful ingredients such as fiberglass, which make you feel itchy. Plus, they are diluted with a ton of water, so you are actually paying for chemicals diluted in water. I prefer to use natural detergents or oxygen bleach (NOT chlorine bleach).

[Jessi]

I don't think they get your clothes any more clean, no.

As hunsuckle mentioned, though, they do contain other ingredients that might vary. There are a lot of them I can't use because of the chemicals, so I'm willing to pay a more expensive price to avoid those.

[Cornholio]

I always go with the cheapest and can't notice the difference. I have noticed that the gel tabs work better than powder or liquid though. I think the key is adding some bleach/color safe bleach to make the clothes pop more. As for the detergent goes though then I don't notice any difference.

[vpresson]

I don't think the price matters at all. I usually get the cheapest one which is usually a brand called Xtra i can usually get a really big bottle of it for the same price of a small tide or something and it works great and last long cause you don't need to use much of it so i don't think the price has anything to do with it.

[Adeal4u]

I've used all kinds of detergent, and I don't see a difference. I've even used shampoo if I was low on detergent before, so it's not really a concern for me. I think the smell is what you're really paying for, but I don't think my clothes are cleaner if I use a cheaper brand of detergent. I usually buy Tide or Gain, but I don't always look for a specific brand, I just grab the first one I see on the shelf.

[nash22]

I use the cheapest I can find and I use the powder detergent. There is really no difference,the clothes still turn out the same as expensive ones. I've bought expensive detergent only because it was the only thing left at the store and only thing is, cheap detergent sometimes leaves my clothes with white powder on them. Other that I don't see a difference.

[ACSAPA]

It depends on the brand. There are cheap brands that work well and then there are a couple of dollar store brands that are mostly water and don't create any suds. So you could buy some Xtra, Sun or Ariel and they work fine, but not all cheap detergents work and you'll run into some bad ones.

[sandooch]

I also go with what's on sale and have a coupon for. I really don't see any difference in cleaner clothes from one detergent to the other. Although, I will say that Gain detergent it the best smelling to me. And the scent lasts for days.

[Farrah]

I have gone through many phases of laundry detergent. I used to love Surf when it first came out, but when liquids came out the liquid Surf wasn't the same smelling as the powder, and I preferred liquid. I switched to Gain Liquid then. I love love the smell of it. I never cared for Tide, until they added Fabreeze to it. Now, I switch back and forth between the two. With a coupon of course.

[classicnyer]

I usually go with whatever is convenient, which is usually Tide because they sell it at the laundromat. I know that this isn't the cheapest way to go, though. I've been hearing a bit about homemade laundry detergents though and I'm wondering if it's worth it. Any of you try it?

[Gussie]

Not only are the detergents different, they periodically modify the formulas a little to prevent people from developing allergies to them. I used Tide for many years; I also have odor problems with my pet's blankets. We tried the Tide Sport formula that says it gets the odor out of clothes, like sweaty gym clothes. It was great - but by the end of the bottle, all those doggie blankets started to stink even worse! I don't know what happened there chemically, but I tried several different soaps until I ended up on Arm & Hammer with Oxy Action - and that has eliminated the odors!

[TNSabrina]

I believe there is a difference in the quality of laundry detergents. I’ve noticed that the cheaper brands do not produce soapsuds as much or you have to use double the detergent to actually see the soapsuds. My favorite is Tide with Febreze, but I also like Gain. If I have to budget, then I will purchase one of the cheaper brands, such as Fab. I’ve noticed the same with fabric softeners. Downy is costly, but it is definitely my favorite.

[ACSAPA]

I usually go with whatever is convenient, which is usually Tide because they sell it at the laundromat. I know that this isn't the cheapest way to go, though. I've been hearing a bit about homemade laundry detergents though and I'm wondering if it's worth it. Any of you try it?

I found this recipe on Pinterest for making your own laundry detergent and I like it a lot.
Initially it will cost you $25 for the ingredients, but that is a one time cost. If you do 6 loads a week, this detergent will last you a year. If you do 4 loads of laundry a week, this detergent will last you 18 months. So when you think about it, $25 is nothing for a year's worth of detergent.

DIY Laundry Detergent | How Does She...

[amy005]

I don't think any work better then the other really. But I do think that sometimes it is nice to get a more expensive brand because it makes my clothes and sheets/blankets smell better. The cheaper brands never seem to leave my clothes smelling good.. not bad either just normal/

[melapie]

I haven't noticed any difference really. Sometimes I buy Tide or Surf but I also buy not known brands most times especially if I'm on a budget (which in my case is most of the time haha). They clean the same, either way. And now I've been experimenting on homemade laundry detergent recipes so I can save more money. So far, I've been at it for the past two weeks, and I honestly think that it cleans just the same as the store bought ones.

[kittykarina]

I really don't notice a huge difference in laundry detergents. I'm one of those persons who always signs up for free samples and I've sampled many different detergents including Tide, Purex, etc....I'll wash my clothes to see if they are good compared to the others, that way I know which is worth purchasing, but none have stood out to me at all so far. Now there was one detergent that was dirt cheap and actually seemed to bleach our clothes. We never bought that one again. I do however always look for a detergent that has a great smell and leaves my clothes smelling good too.

[mountainside]

I have tried quite a few detergents and have found that most of them do basically the same thing. Except that some have more chemicals than others. I like Tide.