Laundry Soap - Umatilla,OR

I have had good luck with arm and hammer liquid, I use the regular for the dark and the one with oxy boost for whites. Sometimes I also soak my children's socks in oxiclean before washing, it seems to help brighten them up a little.

Good luck, I really miss my tide, too, but I bought the arm and hammer this weekend at 2.99 for 44 loads, while the Tide is around $7 for 32 loads, so its an amaizing savings !

Any chaap soap can benifit from the addition of borax. I add a talbespoon full to every load and get clan clothes that smell really good. Borax comes in a green box and is in the laundry isle. It also has many more uses.

Safeway Select Free is a new discovery I made. It doesn't seem to fade clothes (in fact it seemed to make some brighter!) and it is dye and perfume free. You can usually pick it up for 4-5 dollars a box and that washes 60 loads. Both my hubby and my 15 month old have sensitive skin, and this detergent doesn't bother them at all. Good Luck!

I've been making my own soap for about 2 years now. I have very sensitive itchy skin and once I switched it made a huge difference. My recipe is 8 cups borax, 8 cups Washing Soda (not baking soda) and 8 bars Fels Naptha Soap (grated). You can find everything in the laundry soap aisle at Fred Meyer. I use the cheese grater attachment on my kitchen aid, but you could use the cheese grater blade on a cuisinart or do it the old fashioned way. I combine it all in a 3 gallon bucket and shake well to mix it up. 1/3 of a cup in a large load. A 3 gallon bucket lasts me about 3 months (there are 3 people in my house). In addition, I use plain old white vinegar for fabric softener. I fill my downy ball to the medium line and toss it in the wash. The vinegar removes all odors, but doesn't leave the clothes smelling like vinegar. This combo makes our clothes come out cleaner and softer than conventional detergent. Good luck!

If you have a warehouse membership, buying laundry soap in bulk is a real money saver. I spend about $13 each for the 170 oz jug of Kirkland Signature (Costco) Eco friendly HE detergent and Kirkland liquid fabric softener. I do about 7 loads a week and a bottle lasts us about 4 months. It says on the bottle that it had 110 loads in there, but I think I get a bit more out of it because I don't use the full amount for each load. Our clothes come out clean and there isn't any damage or significant color loss. I also wash almost exclusively in cold water, which cuts down on the energy costs and limits the color loss as well. I only use hot water for sheets and towels. Occasionally, if I have a lot of stains in my daughter's clothing, I'll wash her things in warm water, but I always use a cold rinse. Pre-treating stains is key to getting them out in cooler temperatures. I use Oxy Clean spray for stains and use it sparingly. Hope this helps!

I make a game of buying Tide for as little as possible. Both CVS and Target have sales, with money back, and both accept coupons. You do have to watch very carefully, as things can be advertized as a great deal, but are not really on sale. Tide makes a great unscented detergent.

I also make sure I do not use too much detergent, which is not easy to do, as the caps are difficult to measure with. So I have a clear plastic measuring cup, and use a little less than 1/4 cup in a large load. This seems to be enough to clean the clothes well, and little enough to be rinsed out, so the clothes don't look dingy.

I recently started making my own. Cost less than $10 and each batch lasts over a month. It only takes me about 15min to make, let sit 24 hrs and then 5min to funnel it into plastic bottles. This has cut down my laundry costs to pratically nothing!! I do also put baking soda in as a booster but I buy a 6lb bag at Sam's club for about $6 and it last a few months. Also, vinegar makes a great fabric softener and doesn't smell once it's dry. Look up "how to make liquid laundry soap" online for simple directions. Personally I like using Fels Naptha better than ivory.

We recently went through this same issue. Saving money by buying the $2.99 sun brand or something similar. Boy did it back fire. Our clothes got so musty smelling and our Washing machine actually molded (not sure it was entirely the soaps fault)...so we switched back to our longtime favorite ARM AND HAMMER. Its great for getting the smell out of my husbands workout gear and it keeps the other clothes fresh and clean also. Its cheaper than Tide and we think it works great!

i watch for sales, may not end up with the same detergent all the time but it pays off. i bought a ton of tide on clearance for only 4 dollars for the big bottle. i try to make sure when i am shopping for that i am not in a real need of it or i will end up paying more. K mart marks down a lot of there detergents. Gain goes on sale a lot where you can get 2 for the price of one

I have been using Purex for years. I can always find it for a good price. I only use liquid laundry soaps. I have never had any problems with any clothing wearing out or fading faster with it. I do find that when we visit Grandma, who only uses Tide powder, the clothes take a beating. It might be simply switching detergents that is h*** o* them, but I would suggest you try a few different detergents to see. Some of the cheapest ones could give you skin problems as well, so if you have sensitive skin in your family try a free and clean detergent.

I'd love to know what you find out from your own experience! I have tried cheaper detergents too and just don't feel they clean my clothes as well or 'treat' them as well. So for now, I watch for sales as well as wash in cold, soak most things with a little Biz Bleach (it's the best!) and hang most things to dry. Let us know if you do find a great cheaper alternative.
Oh, and if you have a RiteAid, there are great deals you can get through there with couponing (including $5 off any $20 purchase and 20% off any non sale item on the first Tuesday of the month.... you can combine both of these deals (and manufacturer coupons!) for a pretty sweet deal! Good luck!

Best detergent for your money is Biokleen liquid soap. Only need a small capful to wash and it is fragrance free in the health food section. Gives you over 60 washes in one bottle (that is a cost saving). And most cheap detergents come with lots of fragrances and chemicals which is shown to cause asthma, breathing issues, rashes and decrease immunity in children.

Arm and Hammer I use it because I can get the fragrance free kind. It was also good for babies, and I am allergic to alot of detergents.

"Charlie's soap" is great. I use to sell it when I had a online baby boutique in AZ. Whole foods has it for a great price and it is amazing. I think it is about $10.00 for 80 loads (powder) liquid is a little more.

The also have a all purpose cleaner which I use for a number of things but the cost is more for the amount you get. We have been using both the laundry soap and the all purpose cleaner for about 3 years now and they are great products. They have a website too. http://www.charliesoap.com/

I was lucky to find it at the wholefoods in Bellevue on 16th for such a great price. It usually runs about $14.95 a bag in baby boutiques.

Hope this helps,
K.

Hi K.,

I don't like to spend alot on laundry detergent either. I usually go with Purex since it's alot cheaper than Tide or Cheer. I think it cleans just as well and it's made by the same company. But, I always clip coupons from the Sunday paper and look for sales and stock up. Some of the best sales I find are at drug stores. Look at your weekly circulars, some drug store or supermarket has detergent on sale. To make my detergent more effective if our clothes are very dirty, I will add in Borax or the store brand color safe bleach. Now, I also have a high efficiency machine (I just bought the Whirlpool Carbrio), and it doesn't have an agitator, so it's better for the wear and tear on clothes.

Hope that helps,

M.

When trying to save money I have learned one BIG lesson. There are times when you get what you pay for. Laundry soap and trash bags are the biggest ones I can think of. When I am using 3 and 4 trash bags instead of one higher quality one then am I really saving any money? The same with laundry soap. My clothes are worth the extra cost, even though most of my clothes came from Wal-Mart and Cato. I'm not saying I go buy Tide, it just costs too much. I do use Gain, I have tried the cheap ones and we itched, our clothes still had dirt on them, stains didn't come out, and they stank like they hadn't even been washed. I also had to add more of the cheap stuff just to get a tiny bit of suds on top of the water. It was like I didn't even put anything in. I always use warm water, most laundry soap now has enzymes in it to help it clean and cold water kills them off and the soap just doesn't dissolve as well.

I say cut back somewhere else. It is more expensive to buy new clothes and allergy drugs than to purchase higher quality laundry supplies. Buy some middle cost detergent and see how it works for you.

Kirkland brand detergent from Costco! It's the same ingredients as Tide and smells great... And it's cheaper! Also, to save on the clothes, we don't put much in the dryer. I hang most of our clothes... I only dry things like socks, onesies, that type of thing. It's an easy way to save on your clothes and keep them looking new for a long time.

Hi
I used Tide and Clorox for years. I was introduced to a company that manufactures household cleaning products. I was alittle sceptical at first, but they are 100% guaranteed. I have switched my shopping from Walmart, Dollar General, Kroger to this manufacturer.(No extra money out of my budget) The products are concentrated, so I use less. They have no harmful chemicals in them so if one of my kids gets into it I know they will only get an upset stomach AND NOT have to have their stomich pumped. My clothes look brighter, the lint trap in the dryer does not fill up like it did with the others. The clothes LAST longer as long as we don't grow out of them. Give me a call an I can give you comparison prices so you can see how much you will save. There is a 60 day guarantee on the products even if you use it all up and then you decide you do not like it you can return the empty container for a FULL refund.

T. Michael
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I use Kirkland brand, and it is great. I use liquid, because I wash everything in cold (gentler on the cloths), and powder does not always fully rinse in cold, forcing you to use more water and power to re-rinse. I get the unscented kind (my son has skin issues), and it always gets our cloths clean and fresh. I also only use a portion of what they say you need, about half. Using less will not only still get your cloths clean, it will keep anything you hang dry from feeling so stiff (the heat from the dryer usually breaks down any extra detergent that can make cloths feel stiff, so if you hand dry I would definitely only use half of what is called for.)

Actually, soap nuts are a very economical way to wash clothes and they work really well! I know it sounds weird but we've been using them for about 2 years and not only are they great on sensitive skin (because they are all natural) but they really work! We even use them to wash our cloth diapers so you know that if they work for that, they'll work on just about anything!

You can get them all over online (just search). We sell some in our online store at www.hazelaid.com.
One bag costing $23 will wash 150-200 loads of laundry so that's 12 to 15 cents a load.
If you click on "about soap nuts" you can learn more about how they work.

good luck!

I don't know what kind of washer you have. We have the newer front loader kind and I just changed to ALL (HE) brand. I like it so far - my clothes smell so clean. And the price is not to bad either.

My sister turned me onto Ecos that you can get at Sam's. I think it is 17.99 for 200oz and uses a small capful for each load. I have a 5 1/2 month old and I was using Dreft, which I hated because it made everything so scratchy and had to divide up my loads between her stuff and ours. I do not need any additional fabric softener, it is made with natural ingredients, and has gotten all the usual baby stains out of her clothes. No fading noticed like I did with the Dreft and All Clear.

Here's something that will save you money: Use half the recommended amount of a high-quality liquid detergent, then add about 1/4 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup white vinegar. Also, skip the fabric softener. With the baking soda and vinegar you won't need it. Also, most fabric softeners have many carcinogens that I don't want touching my or my family's skin.

We've been doing our laundry this way for about a year now. One bottle of detergent lasts forever, and our clothes come out clean, fresh, and soft.

we use purex, usually find on good sale and is very good! even wi th my son sensitive skin

By Far.... Melaleuca's MelaPower!! You only use a 1/2 oz of detergent per load. Clothes are great smelling, very clean (and I've never had to use spot cleaner with 3 kids!) and for 64 loads it's only $12.99!!! The best part is that the stuff is CHEMICAL FREE there are no dyes, bleach or anything. Let me know if you want more info!

Its cheaper to buy the bigger sizes and going online you can usually find coupons for them. I like arm and hammer.

Purex usually isn't too expensive and works well. Usually the best way to save is to look for sales and use coupons.

I use the costco brand. It's great! I think it's only like $13 and it lasts a long time.

I make my own soap, it has no scent, but you can add a couple drops of essential oil if you must have some smell. We've been using this for almost a year and it works really well. (We use it with our front-loading washer which is perfect since it is low-sudsing.) It costs mere pennies per wash and a 5 gallon bucket has lasted us almost a year. You can buy Fels Naptha at www.soapsgonebuy.com.

1 Bar grated soap I use Fels Naptha
2 cups Washing Soda
3 - 4 gallons hot water
Melt grated soap in saucepan with water to cover. Heat over medium-low heat and stir until soap is dissolved.
Pour hot water in large pail, add hot soap and washing soda. Stir very well.
It will separate a little bit between uses, so I keep a paint stirrer next to the bucket and give it a quick swish before using.
Use 1 cup per full load or 1/3 cup for front loading washers.

Try Arm & Hammer laundry detergent. When Tide changed their formula last year my husband broke out in hives and I had to find something else. I like Arm & Hammer liquid it works great and is quite a bit less in price than Tide or some of the others.

I agree. Melaleuca's Melapower is amazing!! It will knock you socks off!
I have 3 kids and 2 boys. We have no issues with stains and you sure can't beat the price!

Baking Soda. I use it in addition to laundry soap. It is fantastic.
Also it is a better cleanser and much better for your hair than shampoo, so that should save some more money for you. Add one tbs to one cup of water and apply to very wet hair. Fabulous, clean, manageable.
Try adding 1/2 cup to you laundry loads for cleaner fresher clothes.
You can also use it to clean your kitchen sink and the bathtub with shining fantastic results. I love the stuff.

I love Arm and Hammer, but I also like the Target brand up & up. I just bought some the other day and it was very reasonably priced and works really good.

Arm and Hammer ... Hands Down!!!

Well, here is my opinion. I am a chemist. I will tell you that detergents are tested and synthesized and you are going to pay for them. You can buy decent soap, or you can pay to replace your clothes sooner, your choice.

Try to stay away from powders if possible. They have a habit of sticking to the lining of clothes, even after they've been washed really good. My family has sensitive skin so I started using Purex Natural Elements. I can get an 88 fl oz bottle for under $6. And, instead of using the recommended amount they tell you, (this is also a 2X kind) use half of that. It still gets your clothes clean the same and you are saving even more. Something else you could try is, I use my laundry soap to pretreat my clothes too! Soon as the stain hits, put a little of the laundry soap on the stain, rub it in a bit and then wrap it up and place it in your laundry basket. Nine times out of ten, the stain is gone. No excess products needed. :D

If you want to save 30-40% off products you need for your house that work then switch stores. www.livetotalwellness.com/D. or call ###-###-#### for more info. Risk free!

I am particular about laundry detergent b/c I have sensitive skin. I like Tide - and watch for great sales. I have great results with Costco detergent as well - it is 113 loads for $13.99 or something - it rated well in Consumer Reports too!

I also use All Free and Clear at times - especially when it goes on sale.

I have made my own detergent in the past as well - with washing soda, soap, borax...

I agree - cheap detergents just aren't worth it! Clothing is an investment. Wash in COLD water and try to air dry too - that will help save money - and your clothes!!!

We use to make our own powder laundry soap and it worked really good and was cheap to make. You can find recipes online for making liquid or powder laundry soap. It's a little more time consuming to make the liquid if I recall so have never tried it and now that we use liquid soap buy it. We have used Xtra from Walmart or one of their other cheaper brands and they seem to work just fine.

I second the suggestion on Charlie's soap. I think you get a great quality for the price. I can't stand the smell of all the fragrances in the name brand detergents. Charlie's is simple and effective. it's gentle on clothes and is the recommended detergent for certain brand of cloth diapers.

Hi there, I scour the discount stores....like Deals Only (nest to T.Joes) and the Grocery outlet for deals on Arm and Hammer. It is the best that I can find and I am on a strict budget....I do not use household product like other families do. I can't afford to. I also use only one fourth to one half of what they actually say to use...I have a little one ounce scoop and only use the powder kind. It seems like the liquid is just a rip off to me. I just bought a box at the Deals store that was 6 dollars where it would normally be about 11 at a regular store...keep looking the deals come at different rates...and it works well.

Try All with no fragrance. It's great! And you can buy it at the Grocery Outlet, which is a great place to shop!

I love Surf detergent!! I have bought dreft for my kids when they were babies, but it's expensive so as they grew older, I went back to surf and tide. After using both detergents, I realized Surf somehow makes my laundry stay fresher longer. If you read the label, it mentions something about the detergent giving your laundry fragrant bubbles or something....the marketing information they come up with is comical, but sometimes and in this case true!!
I also buy earth friendly detergent, eco-friendly brands about once a month.
I would focus on inexpensive, high-quality. I wouldn't go for "cheap". You think you're saving money, but in the long run, you are going to spend more by making up for it with extra amounts of the cheap detergent. I also use fabric softener because I love soft cottony feeling clothes and towels :-)

Hi,
call me N. B. I rep for a manufacturing company that has safe green products including Laundry detergent and it is about 40% less than the stores without the harsh chemical impact and environmental impact and it works better.
You can email me at ____@____.com to give me your phone or call me direct. ###-###-####. It's a really great referral system. N. B

We use Arm and Hammer when we buy detergent. Otherwise, we make our own with soap (can use whatever, but we use the Fels Naptha bar but a lot of our friends use Ivory), washing soda (put out by Arm and Hammer), and Borax. You can make it liquid, but it is time consuming to make and we find that it separates a lot, so powder is easiest. All of these items can be found in the laundry aisle. Just grate up your bar of soap and add equal parts of soda and Borax (Usually 1 cup each) -- Use 2Tbsp for each load. You can adjust your recipe to however it suits you. It is a lot less expensive than purchasing laundry soap all the time.

I use the Costco laundry detergent that comes in a 20 pound tub. It seems to work pretty well. It's not as good at removing stains as tide with bleach, so I have to pretreat. But I've never noticed and damage to my clothes.