Well, it's still rainy, cold & gloomy outside so I still can't get decent pics. Don't get me wrong, I love it...cause I get to do this:
The sun seems to be trying to peek out for a bit so I might get some pics this afternoon. Til then I thought I'd share with you a quick thrifty tip that I discovered about 6 mos ago. It's not anything earth shattering but it will make a difference in your shopping budget.
I read an article in Yahoo news several months back about laundry soap and how you really don't need to use the amount of soap the manufacturer tells you to. Cause think about it, if you use more soap you'll be buying more soap. Isn't that what they want??
And really, the soap just helps the cleaning process along. The agitation in your washing machine is doing most of the work.
So I thought I'd try it. I used to use almost a full scoop of detergent for each load. And I went through a lot of detergent. Not sure how a family of 4 can have so many dirty clothes!! So I switched to using only 1/2 a scoop. And do you know what I noticed?? Nothing. Nadda. Zilch. My clothes were still clean. They still smelled fresh. And I was using half the amount of soap, saving my family money.
Now, I will also tell you that I use Tide, which is a bit more pricey than other detergents. But I buy it on sale, with a coupon whenever possible, saving me a little money. I have found that Tide is totally worth the extra money. When I have purchased less expensive detergents I find that I have to rewash something because a stain didn't come out. That wastes money in detergent, electricity and water. So I stick with Tide. Plus, I broke out in hives from one of those cheaper soaps and had to throw it out & rewash everything. Talk about a waste of money.
One final note - I do still use a fuller scoop when I'm washing dirtier clothes like my son's baseball uniform or clothes that my kids were playing outside in. But I can't tell you how much money I've saved in detergent. It takes me much, much longer to get through a box of soap than it used to. And I love that!
With ALL the laundry I do, I go through a 50oz thing of liquid Tide a month. That is using 3 tbsp per load, sometimes less if it is a not so full load.
ReplyDeleteI always use less than what they say too for the same reasons. Additionally, it's good for the environment too because you're not putting so much detergent into the waterways. It seems like my mom and I rarely buy detergent, one time we even wrote the date on the bottle to see how long it would last!
ReplyDeleteI use liquid ALL and I always use half the amount. For stinky dog blankets I use the full amount plus some Febreze...LOL!
ReplyDeleteGood tip! Gotta love saving money!
Kim
So many detergents are full of fillers. I use a soap by Norwex (not sure if it is available in the States though). It is a lot pricier but you need such a small scoop that it lasts a long time.
ReplyDeleteI use a bit less than is recommended but now that I read your tip, I need to try less. My favorite detergent is Surf. I buy it at Sam's and it lasts a long, long time.
ReplyDeleteI have migraines and have to use unsented soaps and deodorant. My son also has very sensitive skin, so I buy liquid "ALL Free and Clear". I use half the recomended amount and it works like a charm. If something is very soiled I just make sure to pour the soap directly on the stain. If clothes or towels are smelly I add a cup of white vinegar. I cut dryer sheets in half also (if I even use one at all).
ReplyDeleteAll Free & Clear actually made Sunshine break out in a rash. We use 7th Generation & have a front loader so I tend to use less detergent than if I had a top loader.
ReplyDelete