The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: FLA on September 08, 2015, 08:34:30 PM
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follow up to laundry thread. I often see people say they will never give up Tide when making a list of what they must have. I've seen it over and over and over. Is it really that much better than the cheap stuff? When I buy it, it doesn't seem all that different to me.
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Consumer reports has Tide as among the best performing. I buy the high ranked choice from the Kirkland brand. Works well enough for me.
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It seems to work well. I buy it because couponing websites always give alerts when it's on sale, and there's usually some great combination of the sale, store coupons, manufacturer's coupons, rebates and cash back that gives you Tide for $2 or so for a big jug. I was out of town during the last great sale combo, and had to send incredibly detailed instructions to DH. I only do this kind of maneuvering for Tide, Charmin Extra Soft and Fancy Feast. Almost everything else I buy is generic.
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I confess I have no idea. I buy all the brand name stuff (Tide, Gain, Sunlight, etc.) interchangeably, based on best price.
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Tide is not the same product as it was 50 years ago or even 15 years ago. The powdered Tide was so far superior to other detergents that I would not buy anything else. Tried a bucket of Costco Kirkland maybe five or six years ago, and some of that junk is still in the garage. It did not dissolve well and the clothes did not come clean. Been using it for washing floors and cleaning litter boxes. It doesn't even do those jobs well.
Now that phosphates have been removed from detergents, the cleaning power has suffered. The liquid stuff seems more comparable among brands. I bought a small container of the cheapest brand on an out of state trip once, and it worked well. I'm not as motivated to pay Procter and Gamble a premium price for Tide because the difference is marginal.
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IDK what the big deal is about Tide and I don't buy it. I buy the cheapest whatever is on sale and I have a coupon. Tide is basically *never* the cheapest. I got a free sample recently and I noticed that after washing my clothing had a strong Tide scent to it - which I found off putting. I guess some people associate that smell w/ clean laundry and like it? I have noticed that all my clothes get clean regardless of which detergent I use.
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It's a liquid asset.
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/03/why-are-criminals-stealing-tide-detergent-and-using-it-for-money/254631/
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Tide cartels, lmao. I would love to see the process in action. Shady guy on corner, 20 lbs of something under his jacket. "Psst, over here, I got what you need, girl," flashes red bottle. Transaction complete, "you go home and get those clothes REAL clean. Tell your friends." Tide fiend opens bottle, hands stop shaking, cold sweats go away after that sweet, sweet smell of real Tide.
I am a law abiding laundress, too poor for store bought Tide, I have to forget all about this cartel and continue washing my deprived family's clothes in generic CVS detergent.
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I was an avid Tide user and I'm not usually brand-loyal about anything (except toothpaste. Crest 4 Life!) but I switched over to doing the homemade stuff and I've never looked back. I think it cleans just as well and it is cheap as hell to make. Don't know why everyone isn't doing this!
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but I switched over to doing the homemade stuff and I've never looked back. I think it cleans just as well and it is cheap as hell to make. Don't know why everyone isn't doing this!
would you mind sharing the recipe?
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I was an avid Tide user and I'm not usually brand-loyal about anything (except toothpaste. Crest 4 Life!) but I switched over to doing the homemade stuff and I've never looked back. I think it cleans just as well and it is cheap as hell to make. Don't know why everyone isn't doing this!
Can you share your recipe?
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I was an avid Tide user and I'm not usually brand-loyal about anything (except toothpaste. Crest 4 Life!) but I switched over to doing the homemade stuff and I've never looked back. I think it cleans just as well and it is cheap as hell to make. Don't know why everyone isn't doing this!
Can you share your recipe?
Sure! Crazy easy!
1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda (not the same thing as baking soda!)
1 Bar of Soap, finely grated (I use a fine-hole cheese grater, like the kind designed for a hard cheese like Parmesan. Some people also use a food processor. They need to be really small soap pieces so they dissolve).
Mix together in a big jar. Use 1-2 tbsp per load.
Really, it is that easy! I usually use a few leftover soap bars from hotels as my soap, so that part is essentially free. You can use any kind though. I used a free bar of castille soap once and that was lovely! You can customize it with your favorite soap if you like the scent.
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Tide free does not contain some chemical (I am having a brain fart) that is often in scented products that is bad for the environment (fish, ambiphians etc). 7th generation also doesn't contain it but tide is easier to find.
I just try to find a detergent that is as simple as possible, that I don't have to make myself.
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1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda (not the same thing as baking soda!)
1 Bar of Soap, finely grated (I use a fine-hole cheese grater, like the kind designed for a hard cheese like Parmesan. Some people also use a food processor. They need to be really small soap pieces so they dissolve).
Mix together in a big jar. Use 1-2 tbsp per load.
I had a feeling it was this recipe. Another option: Ivory soap. Microwave the bar for 60-90 seconds on a paper plate or paper towel, and it'll puff up, cool off and crumble in your hands. No grating. I'm keen to point out that this only works for Ivory due to the air bubbles whipped into the bar. Any other soap will just melt.
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I was an avid Tide user and I'm not usually brand-loyal about anything (except toothpaste. Crest 4 Life!) but I switched over to doing the homemade stuff and I've never looked back. I think it cleans just as well and it is cheap as hell to make. Don't know why everyone isn't doing this!
Can you share your recipe?
Sure! Crazy easy!
1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda (not the same thing as baking soda!)
1 Bar of Soap, finely grated (I use a fine-hole cheese grater, like the kind designed for a hard cheese like Parmesan. Some people also use a food processor. They need to be really small soap pieces so they dissolve).
Mix together in a big jar. Use 1-2 tbsp per load.
Really, it is that easy! I usually use a few leftover soap bars from hotels as my soap, so that part is essentially free. You can use any kind though. I used a free bar of castille soap once and that was lovely! You can customize it with your favorite soap if you like the scent.
+1. I have been using this same recipe for a few years now. Easy, cheap, works. One batch fits well in a mason jar.
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Tide just gets my clothes cleaner than anything else I've tried.
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1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda (not the same thing as baking soda!)
1 Bar of Soap, finely grated (I use a fine-hole cheese grater, like the kind designed for a hard cheese like Parmesan. Some people also use a food processor. They need to be really small soap pieces so they dissolve).
Mix together in a big jar. Use 1-2 tbsp per load.
I had a feeling it was this recipe. Another option: Ivory soap. Microwave the bar for 60-90 seconds on a paper plate or paper towel, and it'll puff up, cool off and crumble in your hands. No grating. I'm keen to point out that this only works for Ivory due to the air bubbles whipped into the bar. Any other soap will just melt.
I did try this once, but the smell of the soap cooking in my microwave was just awful and the house smelled like it for days. I was so freaked out that I was inhaling a bunch of mysterious carcinogens that I went back to the grating method :)
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No Cook DIY Laundry Soap
1 Cup Washing soap
1 Cup Borax
1 tbls Dawn dish-washing liquid
Add first two ingredients into a 1 gallon jug with 3-4 cups of hot water (to dissolve the crystals). Then add the dawn and enough cold water to fill the jug.
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thanks for the recipes!
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Tide just gets my clothes cleaner than anything else I've tried.
+1. I started using it when I had horribly stinky cloth diapers. Nothing else had worked. Tide took the stink right out and made all of our other clothes cleaner too. I use original liquid Tide and use much less than directed. It works great.
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Consumer reports has Tide as among the best performing. I buy the high ranked choice from the Kirkland brand. Works well enough for me.
Which Kirkland variety is it you buy? Thanks!
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Anyone add TSP to get the phosphates back? We are on a septic and according to this: http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/pdf/WW/publications/pipline/PiL_SU13.pdf at low risk for contaminating surface or ground water with our septic placement, soils, etc. so I'm thinking about trying it.
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I may break down and try Tide next time.
I also highly recommend Dawn for dishes.
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Consumer reports has Tide as among the best performing. I buy the high ranked choice from the Kirkland brand. Works well enough for me.
Which Kirkland variety is it you buy? Thanks!
I buy the Kirkland free & clear, liquid. I have a front loading HE washer and the trick is to not use too much. I always fill it less than the line in my washer says to fill it to. For tougher stains, I throw in a scoop of Oxyclean into the load first.
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I was never a Tide user until moving in with my SO. He loves the stuff and was very passionate about it being the best. I didn't care enough to argue. I do have to say that I can tell the difference in clean with Tide vs the cheap stuff, especially with towels. I only use about 1/2 the amount recommended and I love the way everything smells fresh, not scented, just.....fresh.
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I use Tide because it seems to not fade my clothes as much as other detergents. I also use about half of the recommended amount and my clothes are clean.
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My DH says that the smell of Tide means "clean" to him. (Somewhere in the distance, a P&G marketing team cheers and chugs!)
As such, I buy Tide for the smell, and I also have a jug of homemade "utility detergent" that I use for stuff like bathmats and other stuff where the sensory experience is secondary.
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I use a slightly more complicated DIY recipe that has baking soda (in addition to washing soda) and some OxyClean added to it.
No idea if it's better than the simple soap-wash soda-borax mixture but a friend swore by it.
Either way I'm happy.
For anyone using detergents (commercial or homemade) keep in mind if your water is not hard, you need a fraction of what the label calls for. When we used Tide Free, I would add 1/3 of the lowest line in the cap even to the biggest loads and things were perfectly clean.
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Long PG
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I own nearly 50k in PG stock. Roughly 300$ in dividends quarterly. Thats whats so great about Tide.
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Great.. now I'm curious if Tide will clean some of my stuff cleaner.
I'm using some environmentally friendly detergent that's pretty damn cheap (mainly because it doesn't ask for a lot per load) and seems to get stuff clean just fine, but I was a bit miffed when some white hand towels stayed slightly brown (from all the dirt that were in our hands) after the wash.
I think I still have some partial box of Tide.. I may just have to collect some stuff and throw a load in.
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I used to use Tide, but switched to Purex 5 or 6 years ago. It works great. And I didn't have to switch to special HE because all their products are compatible.
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I'm using some environmentally friendly detergent that's pretty damn cheap (mainly because it doesn't ask for a lot per load) and seems to get stuff clean just fine, but I was a bit miffed when some white hand towels stayed slightly brown (from all the dirt that were in our hands) after the wash.
I think I still have some partial box of Tide.. I may just have to collect some stuff and throw a load in.
My Tide doesn't always get that out either, and I use a bit of OxyClean as well. In fact, I tried bleach and it didn't get my hand towels fully white again either. My solution was to buy grey hand towels.
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I'm allergic to Tide. I personally like the Arm and Hammer perfume and dye free. I think it does a good job on our clothes and usually is fairly cheap.
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FWIW, my very very laundry-expert clean-freak mother says that Biz is an excellent low-cost substitute for Oxy Clean.
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I buy the kirkland one that gets almost identical top ratings to the powder tide from CR. For way less money. Based on the nearly identical ratings, I concluded that P&G supplies knock-off Tide to Costco.
I use way less than called for, and if I am washing something especially nasty I throw in a bit of oxiclean with it.
I will be switching when this box is empty, though, because it is scented, and I don't like fake smelling stuff. So I may sadly go back to homemade (I found it a pain, and didn't think it cleaned well) or possibly explore Charlie's soap or some other hippie dippy brand.
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I buy the kirkland one that gets almost identical top ratings to the powder tide from CR. For way less money. Based on the nearly identical ratings, I concluded that P&G supplies knock-off Tide to Costco.
You may be right. Kirkland diapers are basically Huggies. I'll have to give it a try, because I don't love the price of Tide.
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I was an avid Tide user and I'm not usually brand-loyal about anything (except toothpaste. Crest 4 Life!) but I switched over to doing the homemade stuff and I've never looked back. I think it cleans just as well and it is cheap as hell to make. Don't know why everyone isn't doing this!
Can you share your recipe?
Sure! Crazy easy!
1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda (not the same thing as baking soda!)
1 Bar of Soap, finely grated (I use a fine-hole cheese grater, like the kind designed for a hard cheese like Parmesan. Some people also use a food processor. They need to be really small soap pieces so they dissolve).
Mix together in a big jar. Use 1-2 tbsp per load.
Really, it is that easy! I usually use a few leftover soap bars from hotels as my soap, so that part is essentially free. You can use any kind though. I used a free bar of castille soap once and that was lovely! You can customize it with your favorite soap if you like the scent.
Have you made a cost analysis of the savings between buying generic on sale versus making your own?
Would love to see if the home made saves anything. Let's assume we buy cheapest soap, borax and washing soda.
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We use Charlie's Soap. They have some marketing around it being biodegradable and scent-free, etc. but I suspect it's just MissStache's recipe in a box with a measuring spoon. :)
They claim the small package that I buy for ~$15 goes for 100 loads. I seem to be buying one every 26-28 weeks. Hmm.. Someone is using too much laundry powder per load. :)
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Tide just gets my clothes cleaner than anything else I've tried.
+1
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I'm using some environmentally friendly detergent that's pretty damn cheap (mainly because it doesn't ask for a lot per load) and seems to get stuff clean just fine, but I was a bit miffed when some white hand towels stayed slightly brown (from all the dirt that were in our hands) after the wash.
I think I still have some partial box of Tide.. I may just have to collect some stuff and throw a load in.
My Tide doesn't always get that out either, and I use a bit of OxyClean as well. In fact, I tried bleach and it didn't get my hand towels fully white again either. My solution was to buy grey hand towels.
Oxyclean is the only thing I've found that gets formula stains out.
I just bleach my towels. I love bleach. I'm switching us over to all white sheets and I can just do a bleach load a couple times a year.
Maybe I didn't use enough bleach? How much do you use per large load?
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Have you made a cost analysis of the savings between buying generic on sale versus making your own?
Would love to see if the home made saves anything. Let's assume we buy cheapest soap, borax and washing soda.
I did a cost analysis - but for liquid laundry detergent so slightly different recipe. I can make homemade laundry soap for about 1 cent a load - the cheapest laundry detergent that I could find was 25 cent/load (using the manufacture's recommended amount). Your mileage may vary, I live in Canada, in high cost of living area which rarely gets sales and coupons.
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Have you made a cost analysis of the savings between buying generic on sale versus making your own?
Would love to see if the home made saves anything. Let's assume we buy cheapest soap, borax and washing soda.
I did a cost analysis - but for liquid laundry detergent so slightly different recipe. I can make homemade laundry soap for about 1 cent a load - the cheapest laundry detergent that I could find was 25 cent/load (using the manufacture's recommended amount). Your mileage may vary, I live in Canada, in high cost of living area which rarely gets sales and coupons.
I just calculated per load for the Kirkland brand I use. I only buy it on sale ($10.99) and I can get about 30% more than the 126 loads listed on the package, because I use less than recommended, so say I get 160 loads. That works out to about $0.06 a load. Maybe a little penny or two more if I decide to throw in a scoop of oxygen bleach.
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I'm also allergic to Tide, so I used various fragrance-free detergents until I started making my own powdered detergent. I use the same recipe as MissStache.
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I grew up on tide but couldn't bring myself to pay for it so I started makong my own because I'm sensitive to scents. Whites aren't super white but I never really cared for white shirts/towels/etc anyway so no loss there. Cleans just fine and the ingredients are all used elsewhere for simplicity's sake. I used the dry recipe above, with felsnaptha (laundry soap) and the occasional oxyclean.
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Tide, and a lot of very highly performing detergents, used to have another ingredient that has been banned from retail clothes detergents, under the concept that the substance removes the oxygen from rivers and streams once dumped into those waters. Such low oxygen conditions are a threat to fish.
Of course, no one should be dumping waste water directly into natural waters anyway.
The substance in question is called TSP, or Trisodium Phosphate. It is still legal in commercial detergents, and you can buy it separately and mix it back in, but you cannot buy it already in either clothing detergents nor dishwasher detergents anymore. I do buy it, and mix a cup into a box of Cascade for my dishwasher, but I have a septic system, so I don't have to worry about some suffocated fish either. My understanding is that TSP is not banned in Canada, so Canadian Tide might still be great.
https://mises.org/library/why-everything-dirtier
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It's very popular amount my ghetto neighbors.
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It's very popular amount my ghetto neighbors.
This does not parse. It sounds like something a bot would post.
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I was an avid Tide user and I'm not usually brand-loyal about anything (except toothpaste. Crest 4 Life!) but I switched over to doing the homemade stuff and I've never looked back. I think it cleans just as well and it is cheap as hell to make. Don't know why everyone isn't doing this!
I always confuse Crest with Colgate, and I'm not sure which one I am currently using (though I think it's Colgate). What makes Crest better than the rest?
On topic: I currently buy whatever is at the dollar store I happen to pass by when I get close to or run out of detergent. So, a dollar for ~20 oz. They do an passable job, but they don't remove some obvious stains. I wonder if I will notice the difference if I use Tide... or maybe the stains are too old by now or something. Clearly, I am not an expert on this. I'll have to try it out someday. My mom used Tide almost exclusively.
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It's very popular amount my ghetto neighbors.
This does not parse. It sounds like something a bot would post.
Probably cell phone autocorrect and it was supposed to me "It's very popular among my ghetto neighbors."
You post on this forum using a touch screen? That must suck.
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I don't use Tide, though I'm planning to switch when I run through my current supply, but I have a 3 step stain treatment process:
1. Shout Gel on the stain. Put in the hamper. Wash and dry and usual. If the stain is not gone, proceed to step two.
2. Make a 2:1 paste of Oxyclean and water, smear on the stain. Put in the hamper. Wash and dry as usual. If the stain is not gone, proceed to step three.
3. Dawn detergent scrubbed into the stain with a used toothbrush. Put in the hamper. Wash and dry as usual.
One of those usually gets it out.
Thanks for the tips! I don't have any of that stuff, so I'll try them systematically over the next few weeks. Speaking of running out of detergent... I think I used the last of it a week and a half ago or so, and will need to get some more very soon. Tide, here I come!
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Tide just gets my clothes cleaner than anything else I've tried.
+1
Tide (and many other brands) contain optical brighteners. That's right, your clothes look cleaner, but they really aren't, it's an optical illusion.
We switched over from leading detergent manufacturers to Country Save detergent as a result of a lot o research to find a cloth diaper/baby bum safe detergent. A little of this stuff goes a long way, so I've found it to be reasonably priced.
I considered making my own, but the homemade ones are soap based, and as someone mentioned, prolonged use of the homemade formulas results in dingy looking clothes. Okay, I don't think exactly that was said, but whites not being white, etc, is basically the same thing. I have clothes that are a dozen years old (or more) and look great that I think could go on for a dozen more, and I don't want a year of homemade detergent to prematurely end their reign in my closet.
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I just bleach my towels. I love bleach. I'm switching us over to all white sheets and I can just do a bleach load a couple times a year.
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I love bleach for the smell. White sheets done with bleach, happy as a clam. I honestly think it was all those years of making hospital beds, I loved giving patients a fresh bed and everything smelled of bleach.
I did switch to mostly white sheets after purging. I love them because I can bleach them but I also like colored sheets. sigh, another tough decision for a woman with First World problems, lol
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I never use Tide because I am allergic to something in it. After a night of sleeping in sheets washed in Tide, I start to get really itchy and my skin gets irritated. I suppose I haven't tested that out since around early 2000s, but I love All Free & Clear. Plus, All goes on BOGO every 4 weeks or so, so that's when I buy it.
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Tide, and a lot of very highly performing detergents, used to have another ingredient that has been banned from retail clothes detergents, under the concept that the substance removes the oxygen from rivers and streams once dumped into those waters. Such low oxygen conditions are a threat to fish.
Of course, no one should be dumping waste water directly into natural waters anyway.
The substance in question is called TSP, or Trisodium Phosphate. It is still legal in commercial detergents, and you can buy it separately and mix it back in, but you cannot buy it already in either clothing detergents nor dishwasher detergents anymore. I do buy it, and mix a cup into a box of Cascade for my dishwasher, but I have a septic system, so I don't have to worry about some suffocated fish either. My understanding is that TSP is not banned in Canada, so Canadian Tide might still be great.
https://mises.org/library/why-everything-dirtier
The substance that is the issue is the Phosphate part of TSP. And the problem has nothing to do with untreated wastewater being dumped; it has to do with the fact that phosphates are difficult to remove from wastewater.
Also - your septic tank isn't removing phosphate either so it does get into the groundwater, which eventually gets into a surface water system. http://water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle-kids-adv.html
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My Tide doesn't always get that out either, and I use a bit of OxyClean as well. In fact, I tried bleach and it didn't get my hand towels fully white again either. My solution was to buy grey hand towels.
Well, I already use OxyClean for the PreWash in all my loads. I would bleach my white hand towels, but they're my pretty, with embroidery, fancy hand towels :(. Maybe I'll try some spot treatment with Shout or something.
My solution is the same as yours. For as long as we're playing with dirt, there's a grey hand towel hanging in the powder room. :P
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I use Tide because I like the smell and it's supposedly a "top brand". I also use Gain from time to time as well.
Side note: I unfortunately suffer from year round sweaty arm pits and this does awful things to my shirts. I've found that using a paste made of Baking Soda, Peroxide, and water mixed works wonders for getting the smell out of the arm pit area of my shirts and it also gets those yellow stains off my white shirts!
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Do the DIY detergents get clothes clean without hot water? That's one reason I use Tide Coldwater for whites. I also use Tide Free for colors due to the inclusion of fewer unnecessary toxic chemicals.
Can you use DIY detergents for HE washers?
We don't do that much laundry, so going DIY might save like $5-10 per year.
Tide free does not contain some chemical (I am having a brain fart) that is often in scented products that is bad for the environment (fish, ambiphians etc). 7th generation also doesn't contain it but tide is easier to find.
I just try to find a detergent that is as simple as possible, that I don't have to make myself.
Phthalates among others. They're probably pretty bad for people on a population level. But toxic chemicals are very understudied.
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Do the DIY detergents get clothes clean without hot water? That's one reason I use Tide Coldwater for whites. I also use Tide Free for colors due to the inclusion of fewer unnecessary toxic chemicals.
Can you use DIY detergents for HE washers?
Yes, I use DIY in cold water in a HE washer.
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I've been using Ecos with a dose of OxyClean when needed. Works great, and my clothes have a nice lavender scent.
Not sure if this matters to anyone, but P&G products scored the highest in 1,4-dioxane levels.
http://www.naturalnews.com/028846_laundry_detergents_dioxane.html# (http://www.naturalnews.com/028846_laundry_detergents_dioxane.html#)
I know it's NaturalNews, but still some good info there.
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Tide, and a lot of very highly performing detergents, used to have another ingredient that has been banned from retail clothes detergents, under the concept that the substance removes the oxygen from rivers and streams once dumped into those waters. Such low oxygen conditions are a threat to fish.
Of course, no one should be dumping waste water directly into natural waters anyway.
The substance in question is called TSP, or Trisodium Phosphate. It is still legal in commercial detergents, and you can buy it separately and mix it back in, but you cannot buy it already in either clothing detergents nor dishwasher detergents anymore. I do buy it, and mix a cup into a box of Cascade for my dishwasher, but I have a septic system, so I don't have to worry about some suffocated fish either. My understanding is that TSP is not banned in Canada, so Canadian Tide might still be great.
https://mises.org/library/why-everything-dirtier
The substance that is the issue is the Phosphate part of TSP. And the problem has nothing to do with untreated wastewater being dumped; it has to do with the fact that phosphates are difficult to remove from wastewater.
That might be true enough, but there is very little evidence that those phosphates are actually harmful to the environment. They favor aquatic plantlife (alge mostly), which might reduce fish habitats near treated wastewater release points. Notice, however, that even the EPA didn't consider it dangerous enough to actually ban phosphates, not even from industrial detergents. They simply, and quietly, banned retail manufactures of consumer products from using phosphates. In fact, the typical consumer can still buy these products, just not from a brick-&-mortar retail company...
http://www.amazon.com/Bubble-Bandit-Dishwasher-Phosphates-ALL-IN-ONE/dp/B007IJMZ7W
http://water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle-kids-adv.html
Wow, that's just adorable!
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It's very popular amount my ghetto neighbors.
This does not parse. It sounds like something a bot would post.
no bot, sorry for typo.
there is evidence that Tide is a hotly traded, stolen, and prized consumable among those of a lower sociology economic group. One's clothes must smell right, Tide-like, to be accepted in that peer group.
It's also an advertising biggest that lower socio evonomic class are brand conscious.
Now I recognize the possibility that ?Tide cleans better than others even though I don't really know.
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It's very popular amount my ghetto neighbors.
This does not parse. It sounds like something a bot would post.
no bot, sorry for typo.
there is evidence that Tide is a hotly traded, stolen, and prized consumable among those of a lower sociology economic group. One's clothes must smell right, Tide-like, to be accepted in that peer group.
It's also an advertising biggest that lower socio evonomic class are brand conscious.
Now I recognize the possibility that ?Tide cleans better than others even though I don't really know.
Fascinating. I knew it was one of the most popular black market items but I never thought of the smell as being important to lower socioeconomic peer groups.
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Have you made a cost analysis of the savings between buying generic on sale versus making your own?
Would love to see if the home made saves anything. Let's assume we buy cheapest soap, borax and washing soda.
I did a cost analysis - but for liquid laundry detergent so slightly different recipe. I can make homemade laundry soap for about 1 cent a load - the cheapest laundry detergent that I could find was 25 cent/load (using the manufacture's recommended amount). Your mileage may vary, I live in Canada, in high cost of living area which rarely gets sales and coupons.
I just calculated per load for the Kirkland brand I use. I only buy it on sale ($10.99) and I can get about 30% more than the 126 loads listed on the package, because I use less than recommended, so say I get 160 loads. That works out to about $0.06 a load. Maybe a little penny or two more if I decide to throw in a scoop of oxygen bleach.
The difference between 25 cents a load and 1 cent a load sounds like it might be worth it. If you can mix enough for 25 loads in 5 minutes, you are being paid 72$ per hour net. I don't know if the time/load amount is realistic though having never done it.
On the other hand, saving only 5 cents per load is like beeing paid 15$ net per hour. Not that great. I can probably find ways to make a better return with my time.
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I haven't bought a name brand laundry detergent in the last 3 years at all; just what was on sale the cheapest off brand. Never had any problems.
However, I recently moved and I don't have a washer/dryer any more. So I have to take my laundry to the corner laundromat. I ended up buying Tide Pods Detergent. The only reason is that I won't have to carry a heavy jug of detergent with me. I thought about just pouring some liquid detergent into a small container to carry, but I don't like that for few reasons - the container gets gunky and sticky, I have to remember to refill it, and I have to carry something back from the laundromat. With pods, I just take 1 or 2 of them with me depending on how much laundry I have and I'm done. I got a large box of them from BJ's with 120 pods. This will last me over a year. Works for me at the moment.
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follow up to laundry thread. I often see people say they will never give up Tide when making a list of what they must have. I've seen it over and over and over. Is it really that much better than the cheap stuff? When I buy it, it doesn't seem all that different to me.
I'm not in the “never give it up” category, but about a year ago I did switch from the whatever happens to be at rock bottom price to Tide.
I find it cleans a lot better, and my clothes (and towels and bed sheets) smell a lot better. Also, if I wait for a sale and use a coupon, it doesn't cost a lot more than the cheap stuff. I count it as a small luxury.
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My grocery store routinely has 32 load bottle of Gain or Arm & Hammer for under $2. Making my own makes no sense to me.
I usually have a bottle of Tide bought on sale with coupons just in case I have and exceptionally dirty load. But honestly, I don't see all that much differnce between it and the cheap stuff. But our clothes normally are not filthy.
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Tide won't work for me, I'm sensitive to something in it - even doing double rinse cycles I will get itchy hives.
I've gone through many trials, and found that FOCA from Sams doesn't bother me, so that's what we're using.
I tailor it with some other stuff as needed.
DH greasy work clothes - add Oxyclean and (most important) pre-soak for at least an hour.
Bleach for whites.
Mrs. Stewart's Bluing...omg, this stuff is cool, fairly benign, and cheap. Add to jeans every few months to refresh the color. Keeps DH looking spiffy at work, and helps stretch the clothes budget.
Add a tiny bit occasionally to whites when they get dingy, it really brightens them back up.
Bluing can also be used to brighten gray hair if its tending to yellow - but be careful, it only takes a teeny bit.
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I've been using Ecos with a dose of OxyClean when needed. Works great, and my clothes have a nice lavender scent.
Not sure if this matters to anyone, but P&G products scored the highest in 1,4-dioxane levels.
http://www.naturalnews.com/028846_laundry_detergents_dioxane.html# (http://www.naturalnews.com/028846_laundry_detergents_dioxane.html#)
I know it's NaturalNews, but still some good info there.
+1 on Ecos. I'm allergic to just about everything, even a couple of the "free and clear" brands. I don't react to Ecos. We use the magnolia and lily scented one.
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This is so weird, I just noticed that we are using Tide.
I have some vague recollection that DH came home with it because Sam's Club didn't carry Cheer any more. Out of the blue, we changed to Tide. And DH said this happened months and possibly even years ago.
hmmm, I don't really notice a lot of brand stuff.
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Don't have a clue what the hype is all about - it's overpriced for what other brands can do just as well! I use to use Tide until I realize how much $$ I was spending on it. I switched to Arm & Hammer and flippin love it. My hubby exercises almost daily so has lots of smelly gym clothes; A secret is to use about 1/4 Cup of white vinegar in with the really smelly clothes. Also, too many people actually use too much detergent - which is bad for the fibers in your clothes.
Another savings tip is I cut my dryers sheets into fifths - just enough to remove static. Fabric softener is also not good for your clothing when overused.
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I made a little spreadsheet last year to compare costs per load, comparing liquid and powders. The 495 loads is the amount you get from a batch using the standard size boxes with 1 TBS per load. (I actually weighed this stuff out to determine that!) This amount last about 18 months for us. I make my own bar soap so my cost is actually less than what's shown here. Naturally, your cost will vary depending on where you live.
Homemade = $.03 per load = $15.70 for 495 loads
Tide Ultra for HE Machines Liquid = $.20 per load = $99.61 for 495 loads
I've attached an image of the spreadsheet.
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I'm sensitive to scents, and grew up on Tide. Tide w/o dye and perfumes was fine, but for some reason I tried All w/o dye or perfumes and have been fine with it. No kids, so not many stains. It's also cheaper than Tide.
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I made a little spreadsheet last year to compare costs per load, comparing liquid and powders. The 495 loads is the amount you get from a batch using the standard size boxes with 1 TBS per load. (I actually weighed this stuff out to determine that!) This amount last about 18 months for us. I make my own bar soap so my cost is actually less than what's shown here. Naturally, your cost will vary depending on where you live.
Homemade = $.03 per load = $15.70 for 495 loads
Tide Ultra for HE Machines Liquid = $.20 per load = $99.61 for 495 loads
I've attached an image of the spreadsheet.
A lot of people on here who use commercial detergents don't use the recommended amount but rather much less. I can tell you that I buy a $18 container of Tide from Costco on sale. I would say it lasts me at least six months. At seven loads a week, that works out to about 10 cents a load. And like I said, I believe a bulk container might last me even longer. But based on this calculation, going to homemade would save me at most $25 a year.
Homemade is still cheaper, but the cost difference isn't usually as stark as what articles make it out to be. I remember one blog once having a headline like, "Save hundreds of dollars a year by making your own laundry detergent!" Well, considering I don't spend anywhere close to that on detergent per year, I couldn't possibly be saving that much.
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I made a little spreadsheet last year to compare costs per load, comparing liquid and powders. The 495 loads is the amount you get from a batch using the standard size boxes with 1 TBS per load. (I actually weighed this stuff out to determine that!) This amount last about 18 months for us. I make my own bar soap so my cost is actually less than what's shown here. Naturally, your cost will vary depending on where you live.
Homemade = $.03 per load = $15.70 for 495 loads
Tide Ultra for HE Machines Liquid = $.20 per load = $99.61 for 495 loads
I've attached an image of the spreadsheet.
Really cool sheet!
One thing I noticed is that one of the laundry detergents, the tide powder one, weighs in at 150 once for 11$ or so. That is 11.79$ to your 15.70$ and 150 ounces to your 204. 75% of the price for 73% of the product.
Assuming that that detergent is similarly powerful ( a fair assumption unless they use fillers), you should be able to use as little as your homemade recipe (half an Oz. I guess) for a similar price.
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I use the Aldi brand, I remember seeing a consumer report on it while I lived in Germany and it was top rated. I've tried them all and my favorite was always Arm and Hammer, I think it does the job as well as Tide, but for some reason not so readily available around here.
I especially like the Aldi version for delicate laundry - it is scented and they only have it once in a while, but it is the best I've found.
Oxy clean for stains and I don't even own a bottle of bleach. A couple of days ago I saw Aldi had oxy clean, but it was only a special deal so not a regular item for them. Saved me about two bucks or maybe closer to three over the regular oxy clean price - and oxy clean never has any coupons past 50 cents.
I would buy Tide, it is a great product, but the price - not so much - I think Arm and Hammer is every bit as good.
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Yeah, do not use the amount of soap they tell you. Use less.
My parents had to take apart their washing machine and clean the outside of the tub and various other parts. Laundry detergent had built up over time and gunked up the machine. I use at most half of what they say, usually less. In fact, it's hard to measure that small amount so I often dilute the detergent with water.