People Need More Low Cost Laundry Detergent Options!

Eloise shared her opinion about the need for more low cost laundry detergent choices in the marketplace these days. Basically, she believes laundry detergent just costs too much these days!

Eloise says:

There should be a price set in place for laundry detergents... the price to clean clothes is so far out of control as Americans struggle to even pay the price to clean laundry.

These huge companies are making millions, yes millions, as we make less and less. It is detergent, simple detergent. Why the constant greed of hiking the price? There is no reason to have a simple basic need cost this much! ...Ahh, but the key word is "need; of course...

These companies could still make millions if they cut these prices back ..., and fill a need at the same time.

Taylor says:

Thanks Eloise for sharing your opinions and thoughts about the cost of laundry detergent in the current economic situation.

I agree, some detergents are beginning to cost A LOT of money! Just recently here on this website, we've been having a running dialogue about Gain powder detergent raising prices and formula changes, with lots of discussion about how expensive this detergent can be. However, this dialogue could easily be going on for lots of detergents, not just Gain.

So, what do you think? Do you think that laundry detergent costs too much these days?

In addition, have you found a good low cost laundry detergent that you like to use? I know many people are trying to figure out the best cheap laundry detergent out there, to keep their families clothes clean without breaking the bank.

Share your opinions, ideas and thoughts in the comments below. I would love to hear what you have to say!

I've listed what both I and a majority of readers have suggested most frequently as the top three brands of cheap detergents that actually work well for cleaning clothes below.

We've also discussed the pros and cons of making your own laundry detergent to save costs, plus whether it is better to just buy the big name brands using coupons and sales to cut the price some!

Join the discussion below.

Purex Is My Choice For Cheap But Still Good Detergent

Several people have said that Purex is their low cost brand of choice, and I have to say I understand why.

This stuff is both inexpensive, and having used it on my clothes I was happily surprised how well it works.

You can check out lots of Purex detergent reviews here from readers, as well as see below why people like this brand so much.

Anne Winchester says:

Purex liquid detergent works for me.

Coupons for Purex can be found many times at Coupons.com.

Walgreens runs specials on it several times a year. I try to save my coupons for when they have a buy two, get one free sale.

Coupons.com often has a $1.75 off two bottles of Purex. I stock up this way.

Julia says:

I don't like homemade laundry detergent. I have found Purex brand to work well. Stock up when it's on sale.

Stephanie says:

Make your own (use borax, soap, and washing soda) OR I got a bottle of Purex for FREE because of a coupon.

I have not paid more then $6 for laundry soap in a few months!

I Love Arm & Hammer For Cheap Detergent That Works!

Another brand that a lot of readers enjoyed is Arm & Hammer.

Here's what some readers said:

Lawanna says:

Arm & Hammer. The stuff is awesome, gets out stains, and smells great. This what we have been using for years.

Michele says:

I love Arm & Hammer with oxy clean.

Erin says:

I'm not a big fan of homemade. I haven't had a lot of success getting boy funk smells out.

We buy 5 gallon buckets of Arm and Hammer for 18 bucks. Lasts our family of 7 for 2.5 months on average.

Taylor says:

I myself have tried this brand and thought it did well, although I am partial to Purex or ALL, compared to this one.

You can read more reviews and information about Arm & Hammer brand here.

ALL Laundry Detergent Works Great But Is Inexpensive With Coupons

Shai says:

ALL goes on sale about once a year, and they put out coupons. I LOVE THEM! I get the ALL no scent added.

I paid with coupons and sale for a 32 load bottle $1 a piece. I stocked up and haven't purchased detergent in a year and a half.

Running low, so going to pick some up today. I got this deal at Walgreens, they're pretty good!

Local stores will sometimes do this too.

I'm also ready when it comes to fabric softener. I get dryer sheets from Snuggle. They are $2 at my grocery store year round. Their .50 coupon is doubled at my store, making them $1 a piece. You can't beat it.

Taylor says:

Thanks for your review.

You can check out lots of ALL detergent reviews here for lots of different scents and varieties of this brand.

I have personally really liked ALL and thought it works really well, but I will say that without coupons it is much more expensive than Purex, for example. So, this is kind of in my mind an in between option between the really cheap but effective brands (Arm & Hammer and Purex) and the really expensive brands like Tide and Gain.

However, if you watch for sales and use coupons like Shai says you can get a really good price for this detergent, and it works quite well in my opinion.

Responses From Readers About How Expensive Laundry Detergent Is

I got a lot of responses about this topic from readers, I really must have hit a hot button issue, huh?

I've collected some of them below, but I'd love to hear from you as well, so be sure to comment with your opinions as well as any suggestions you have for ways to save money on your detergent!

Make Your Own Detergent & Other Laundry Supplies

Several people have made this suggestions. Here's some examples:

SR101 Reader says: Make your own! I have a recipe I follow to make my own laundry detergent, dish soap, fabric softener, window cleaner, baby wipes etc.

It saves TONS of money and the end result is cleaner and better smelling than what I could buy in the stores!

Taylor's Response Re: Making Own Cleaning Products

I would love to hear your laundry detergent recipes!

You are right. Many people have started making their own laundry detergent because commercial brands are so expensive these days (and some people also do it for environmental reasons).

I have provided some homemade laundry detergent recipes here. In addition, I would love to hear other people's recipes for detergent!

You can share your homemade laundry soap recipes here, or read others that have already been submitted.

In addition, I would love to hear any other homemade cleaners or laundry supplies recipes too! My homemade cleaning products recipes are here. In addition, you can share homemade cleaners recipes here, or read lots of other recipes already submitted here!

Buy Store Brands & Generics

While I listed three national brands above that lots of readers suggested work for them, there are lots of store brands and generics that are also available.

For example, Karen says: "Yes, it is very expensive! I buy the store brand most of the time. I don't see any difference whether you buy store brand or name brand. They all clean the same."

Taylor's response re: Store Brand detergents:

I have to agree, and disagree with you about store brands Karen. I have tried some and been quite happy with them, and others were a big disappointment.

That's typical though I think with all generics and store brands, and isn't something only found with laundry soaps.

That's why I'm excited to say that I collect reviews of both big name brands and generics, in all the product reviews here on the site, because I want to know if I'm wasting my money paying for a brand name or not.

You can check out lots of store brand laundry detergent reviews here (scroll down to find them, as well as lesser know national brand reviews), and be sure to share your own if you've used a product you loved (or hated).

In addition, many readers have said their favorite store brands in the comments below.

I Buy The Big Brands With Sales & Coupons

Finally, there are those who don't like to spend the money but feel that the expensive name brands work the best, so they try to save money on them with sales and coupons. Here's an example:

Rene says: "I use the more expensive because I've tried the others and was not happy with them. I have learned that not all loads require huge amounts of detergent. When it comes to some loads, I've cut the amount I use in half. While there are only 3 of us, we generate a lot of laundry due to jobs and school. I can make a rather large bottle last quite a long time now. You just have to think about your loads a little more before washing and throwing in the detergent."

Karin C. says: "I tried homemade laundry soap for six months with very little success. I used borax, washing soda and Castile soap and it would not clean like I had hoped. We have hard water and it left a film in the washer and clothes grew dingy, so I went back to store bought and have found that generic/store brand just don't clean as well as the name brands so I stock up when on sake and use coupons :)."

Taylor says:

As you can see there are a large range of opinions on this topic, as well as suggestions for saving money when washing your family's clothes.

I've also begun collecting frugal laundry tips and tricks here so come check out that page as well, to get more ideas.

I'd also love to hear from you, suggesting your favorite low cost detergents, or anything else about laundry you'd like to share! You can share your tips and ideas here.

Photo courtesy of Pixel Drip

Related Pages You May Enjoy

Washing Detergent Guide: Facts & Essential Information

Laundry Tips & Tricks For Busy Moms

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