Cutting down the cost of washing machine powder

[PeterC]

Yup. I use Bio-D liquid and get about 100 washes out of 5li. The machine stays (reasonably) clean and never smells. So, for me, about £17 p.a.

[Larry Caldwell]

Plus, you get the bucket.

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[Phisherman]

There is Naptha Laundry soap, washing soda and Mule Team Borax. There is a home recipe where you can make a laundry gel at a fraction of the cost of laundry soap powders. The home made stuff does not have some of the additives, fabric conditioners, etc.

[aemeijers]

I find that with softened water, I can use 1/4 to 1/3 of the recommended dose of detergent, and it still gets the clothes clean. In fact, in my previous apartment, until I cut down on the amount of detergent, I had trouble getting the clothes to rinse clean of all the soap. Had to run the washer a second time with no soap added to get the rinse water to come up clear.

-- aem sends...

[Brian Elfert]

Yes, I have a front load washer that recommends HE detergent. I think there are more choices for HE detergent now, but years ago the large bucket of Sears HE detergent was the least expensive way to go.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Costco exist in the UK, and I buy my washing detergent powder in the giant boxes from there. Takes me 1-2 years to get through one. It's much cheaper than buying the regular size boxes in shops (keep an eye out for Costco special offers as you start running out), but main reason is I don't have to buy and carry it home so often. Adjust dose to match the amount of dirt you expect it to need to remove from the clothes.

Bare in mind US washing soap and European washing detergent are completely different things, because the washing machines have completely different methods of washing.

[john hamilton]

============================================================================ Thanks to all. Could you elaborate on how us and uk machines wash differently?

[Gene S. Berkowitz]

This may have been true in the past, but the US market is transitioning rapidly to Euro-style front loaders. Top loaders are hardly even advertised anymore.

Until recently, many of the US-brand front loaders were built by Electrolux AB.

Of course, ours are bigger than yours!

--Gene