What Laundry Detergent Do You Use?

1/2 scoop of Kirkland (Costco) brand and same size 1/2-1 scoop of baking soda (which I get from Costco in a 10# bag). My clothes never fade....and the baking soda makes the detergent last longer and need less of it!

Adding a bit of white vinegar to the rinse load helps soften the clothes without softener AND vinegar helps hold color in....but I can never remember to go do it during the rinse cycle.

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We make our own by mixing Borax, Fels Naptha (we use a cheese grater to grind it up), Baking soda, Washing powder, and Purex crystals. It lasts 5 or 6 months and costs about $20. I do TONS of laundry. It's totally worth it!

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I make my own, too, following basically the same recipe you'll find below, except that I use Zote soap because it's a pretty pink! Once I got the hang of the procedure, I found it doesn't take long to put together. You do let it sit for a day, though, before you use it.

Before I got into the do-it-yourself business, I was using Purex or Arm and Hammer. You've surely done this, but are you looking at what you buy to make sure it isn't one of those detergents with bleach already in it?

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Hi L.-

I make my own detergent (for the past few years) and it cleans as well (or better) and is MUCH cheaper!

I can scent it with an oil if I want...or leave it plain (and smells pretty 'fresh' plain as well).

I use fels naptha...borax...and washing POWDER (not soda). My recipe calls for some melting and stirring the kiddos help) but it works for us...and the savings are great! I may from time to time add some vinegar and/or some baking soda.

Prior to this, any store bought detergent (from 'baby safe' ones...to 'clears') made my one kiddo with sensitive skin have some 'rash'. I was hard pressed to believe 'making it' with these ingredients would help...but they did/have.

The $$ savings (and the fun) are merely added bennies!

Best luck!
michele/cat

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I have used Shaklee's Laundry liquid for almost 20 years. It really is safe -- they didn't just jump onto the 'green" bandwagon like so many others that really aren't. It is cheaper than anything but vinegar per load and works better than detergents. People who use detergents don't realize the strong chemical smells their clothes emit.

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My daughter and I are both alergic to Tide. Makes us break out in a rash that looks like chicken pox. Also, can't take the smell, that sets off the allergies too.

We use All Free and Clear. I aslo use Purex, but find that it doesn't clean as well.

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I use Arm&Hammer Free since the girls were babies. They do a number on their clothing and it doesn't always come out dirt free...like the cuffs on sleeves and such. I've just always assumed its because it's now stained with dirt. I've always thought, for the most part, that all detergents were basically the same. I'll be keeping my eye on this post to see what others have to say!

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I make my own! I got the recipe off the Duggar's website. Hubby has sensitive skin and loves it!

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we can't use Tide in this house- too stringent.

I use one of two:

All free and clear or
Arm & Hammer Free & clear

I wash EVERYTHING but towels and whites in COLD water. I use the polyester setting to keep colors from fading. washing in hot or warm water tends to bleed the colors faster.

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I use Vinegar, Salt and a touch of tide (so they do not smell like vinegar) for MOST of the clothes. For my man's work clothes I use more than a touch - ahh the scent of a blue collar man!

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I use Tide Free & Clear. Tried others but found they didn't clean as well as the Tide. I'll add some vinegar to help colors stay stable some times and occasionally a cup of baking soda if clothes seem especially stinky (aahhhh, the pleasures of living with athletic teens who roll up dirty, sweaty clothes and promptly leave them on the floor).

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We use Arm & Hammer or All. If you can avoid it use warm or cold water instead of hot too.

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we use ALL, and the only reason is, Sam's sells it, and my husband and boys need a detergent with no fragrance, and they sell a big jug of it there. I hate it myself. But my clothes do get clean. And it's only 10.99 for like 96 loads I think.

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We use Mela Power. It is concentrated so you use much less. It is made without the harmful chemicals that others have (like cancer causing agents that take 10-11 rinses to remove and otherwise sit on your skin all day/night) so it's safer for you and your clothes and there is less packaging (not to mention less bottles used since you use less) so it is better for the environment. It is also cheaper than the other detergents (not per bottle but per equivalent uses). All that and effective too.

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I've used Tide ever since I first lived on my own (actually I used it in college too). Right now I'm liking the Tide Pods with brightener and stain fighter combo in them.

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I use All free and clear, liquid bulk size from Sam's Club...about $15 a bottle that will last 3-4 months. I use Resolve spray for stains. Sometimes the quality of the clothes is more the culprit in fading than the washing, at least in my house where we have lots of Target and Walmart store brand clothes :)

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We use Gain and All Free and Clear. My oldest has to use Free and Clear or she breaks out in a rash.

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Cheer HE, Tide (sometimes), plus arm & hammer powder, vinegar.

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I just use purex. It's cheap, it doesn't make me have a rash like Tide does, it does the job. I use purex, and wash in cold for colors, and my colors are just fine.

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big cheap tubs of costco powder for most stuff, with seventh generation liquid for my 'good' clothes and work out wear.
i add some baking soda, and put vinegar in the rinse thingummy.
:) khairete
S.

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i use the "free and clear" all or whatever brand might be on sale. but that's because of my son's sensitive skin. i haven't really had huge issues with fading or anything, if i do it's generally because i bought a cheap shirt and it happens.

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I use All and occasionally switch to Tide if I have a good coupon or there is a sale. For tough stains I use Tide Stain Release powder combined with Shout and that almost always does the trick.

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What ever is on sale. I've never been able to find a difference in any of them.

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My favorite is Trend. It's cheap, cleans well and smells good. The major grocers usually don't carry it. You can usually find it at Dollar General or Family Dollar for about $3 a bottle.

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Tide is too expensive for us.

I use Gain, which I love, but Target quit carrying the smaller bottles and I can't budget in the large ones so I've recently switched to All Small and Mighty, which is also good.

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I use All HE in the dark blue bottle. It's very concentrated and you don't need very much.

I use Shout for stains or if it's bad, I just out a little All directly on the stain and let it sit a few minutes.

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Wisk tyde fades colors it's the worst nits expensive. Sometimes I use even no brand.

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I used to always use Tide, then switched to Costco brand for about a year... but found it wasn't getting things quite as clean. I'm back to Tide. But, I'm now noticing my husbands shirts are getting ring around the collar and 'pit' stains... so maybe I need to read more as well to see if someone has a better idea. Or I need to spray them with Oxy before every wash!

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whatevers on sale.. the past few times iv bought it its been between purex and xtra

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I use Gain, but only the smallest amount, even for a large load. I'll either add white vinegar or baking soda if I think something needs extra cleaning.

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I make my own with the Dugger's recipe. It smells pretty fresh and is a lot cheaper in the long run.

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We use Purex free and clear.

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Tide Free and Clear or All Free Clear, whichever one is on sale.

I tried Seventh Generation, but it doesn't get my stinky son's clothes clean or get the smell out of them! LOL!

D.

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I switched to Country Save about a year ago on a recommendation from my friend - the stuff is amazing! Works great, and my front-loading washer that used to smell like rotten eggs while running (no matter what I did to clean it!) doesn't smell anymore. Good for the environment too and bonus - it's cheap! I ordered a "case" of 4 boxes from Amazon for about $20 per box and ONE box lasted me 8.5 months! (I run about 3-4 loads a week)