In these financially tight days, we have to cut expenses wherever we can. This is particularly the case if you have to pay the higher prices for allergy-friendly foods, and not to mention the increase in groceries across the board. The grocery budget, more specifically household cleaning products, is a great place to start cutting back. Two weeks ago, I shared with you how to extend the life of dish sponges, if that is what you use to wash dishes.
by Richard Scarry
Today, I will give you a few easy tips to get a little more life out of your liquid laundry detergent.
- Did you know the number of loads that are stated on the front of detergent bottles indicates the normal of washes you get out of using the “1″ line? About a year ago, I read that clothes clean just as well using the “1″ line on the cap as filling the cap all the way to the top. Furthermore, it is better on the life of your clothes. As I have always been a “fill the detergent to the top” kind of laundry gal, I set out to experiment with this statement and found it to be true. For most normal washing loads and soil levels, I only use detergent up to the “1″ on the cap. My washing machine is a top-load high efficiency (without the center agitator) brand. I am able to do at least 2 loads of laundry for each washing to the previous 1 load in a traditional front loader or top loader. I love the fact that I save so much money on detergent and on the wear and tear of my clothes by simply stopping on the “1″.
- When I’ve gotten to the end of the detergent in the bottle, I turn it upside down to get the rest out. When I’ve gotten all that out, I add about 1 cup of water to the bottle and give it a good shake. I am able to get 2 additional washes out of my detergent by using these two methods.
- I only buy detergent when I have a good coupon that is matched with a good sale. I found a number of good sales on detergent over a year ago and bought about 6 bottles of detergent. I still have 1 bottle left! (Our clothes are clean too.)
- I am not brand loyal to laundry detergent. Many of you might argue with me on this point, but I have not found a difference with too many of the brands. However, I only buy HE detergent and “Free & Clear” products because of skin sensitivities to perfumes and dyes. Some of the detergents that I typically buy are Tide (only because of a REALLY good price and a coupon, otherwise it’s too expensive), All, Purex, Arm & Hammer, and Aldi brand. I have been pleased with all of them equally.
So, that is my budget tip for today. Is there anything that you do to extend the life of your laundry detergent in order to save money?
Don’t forget to check out the Willing Cook-A-Long challenge. This week’s dish is a winner!
Shared tip at Works for Me Wednesday.
I also put water in the empty bottle to finish off the last of the detergent. I am excited to hear of the “1 line” and plan to try it out on my next load! I have always been a fan of Tide because I think it takes care of most stains… but maybe I will now try other brands as well. Thanks for the tips!
My pleasure…I sound like Chick-fil-a
Let me know if you find any other brands that you like. I hate stains because I can never get them out very easily, no matter what detergent I use. I was told it is because we have hard water, which is probably the case.
We use less detergent (like you mentioned) and add 1/4 cup of Borax to help beef up that little bit of detergent.
Borax is a great idea to add to the detergent. I do it on occasion, but not as a matter of frequent use. Thanks for the tip!
I always read the label carefully. Different brands use different amounts, and I find that many of the earth-friendly detergents go farther than the petroleum ones. (My earth-friendly laundry detergent recommendations are in this article.) Whatever the bottle recommends, I try using about 3/4 of that amount, even though I always fill my machine to capacity. If the detergent is liquid and/or I’m washing white laundry, I add 1/2 cup of baking soda, which gets whites brighter and just makes things feel cleaner.
If the bottle is not the type that drains drips from the cup back into the bottle, then I hold the cup in the water running into the machine (while I’m throwing in laundry with my other hand!) to rinse all of the soap into the load.
When the bottle seems empty, I set it aside for washing the porch or basement floor–it’s really great for that!
Great suggestions! I haven’t used the baking soda for laundry but should. That makes complete sense. I’ve used baking soda on carpets to get them a little cleaner. I’ll check out the articles. Thanks!
Michelle