Poll of the Day > Have you ever tried real cheap laundry detergent?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Mostly talking about , yeah, they are major brands though , just not nearly as highly regarded as something like Tide , liquid. Esp. stuff like Xtra or Arm and Hammer gallon containers that were like 5 times less than what tide was selling for. Any of you think those are just as good as tide?

I used Arm and Hammer for years and the only thing that happened was that the underarms of some of my t-shirts ended up going really weird. Like they'd shrink in a straight line and go hard as a rock, just under the arm. It wasn't noticable when wearing those shirts unless I lifted my arm. My guess was that it caused some chemical reaction in the washing machine between the Arm and Hammer detergent and any deodorant residue on my shirts.

I've switched back to Gain and Tide because my local stores don't seem to stock Arm and Hammer (plus the smell of Gain and Tide is way better, and honestly a bottle of laundry detergent lasts long enough that the cost savings isn't a big deal), and that issue hasn't happened since.

for dinner?

my household has been working through a single tub of Costco powder laundry detergent for over two years and we're less than halfway through

Yes

Tried, yes.
They bite. My mom taught me early on that tide, gain and All are the best three.
My whites get dingy and less dirt gets removed with other brands.

We used to use them when I was a kid. As an adult, I mostly have just used the tide pods, a scoop of oxy clean, and stain remover on any visible stuff.

Can't say I remember them being much different. Cleaning clothes is more in how you treat certain stains rather then what product you use.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX0LRdWnGOc

Dikitain posted...

tide pods, a scoop of oxy clean

Why both?

I currently use the storebrand detergent from Sam's Club; it smells great but I need to add oxy-based cleaner for tougher stains like antiperspirant marks.

pedro45 posted...

Why both?

Because oxy clean isn't detergent. It's a stain remover and color preserving agent.

Do the pods do a poor job with colors and stains?
I use the liquid and only use a stain remover for the tough stains.

pedro45 posted...

Do the pods do a poor job with colors and stains?
I use the liquid and only use a stain remover for the tough stains.

What stain remover , Shout? You can pour liquid tide right on stain right?

i do love me some tide laundry sauce

I mix hydrogen peroxide and dish soap together as my stain remover. I wouldn't say it's better than the best, but it's definitely adequate.

Oh I've tried cheap stuff when I need it and some are better than brands. Don't knock it.

Laundry detergent is a scam btw it is super concentrated and you only need like barely a tablespoon of it for a medium to large sized load. Never use the cap fill measuring thing, they just want you to buy more.

Or just use a some distilled white vinegar, or baking soda, or a tiny amount of flakes from bar soap with no added oils, scents, or emollients. It depends on what material you're washing. But honestly you really don't need some special detergent just to wash your clothes, linens, towels, etc. You'll save money and be more eco-friendly if you just stop using it altogether.

Be like me and cut out shit like that to spend the money you save from it on actually healthy food, like real olive oil, or by growing your own vegetables. Makes life much easier.

you wouldn't catch me dead not using laundry sauce fr

ConfusedTorchic posted...

you wouldn't catch me dead not using laundry sauce fr

I read this comment and then a minute or two later I opened Facebook and this was the FIRST thing to pop up.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/c/cdf28f5b.jpg

You'll never get your whites truly eye-gougingly bright without bleach and laundry bluing, but you definitely don't want to use that stuff on colored clothes. I also run them on the whitest whites setting on my washing machine.

I do my wool socks as a separate load using the wool setting, to reduce wear and tear on them.

I do towels as a separate load, since I normally use fabric softener on my clothes and while that would make the towels softer, it also makes them less absorbent.

When I wash blankets, those are usually a load to themselves, using the bulky items setting.