Which Laundry Detergent Costs the Least Per Load?

My new year’s resolution for 2013 is to live more frugally, and thus save more money. For example, I plan to actually measure the laundry detergent, not just dump a random amount in. (Yes, I confess, I’ve been guilty of that!)

I started wondering which laundry detergent costs the least per load. It can be confusing to determine which is the best value, because they all seem to come in different sizes with the different amount of loads per box.

I ventured to my closest Wal-Mart and I wrote down all of the prices, amount of the detergent, and the number of loads.

I found 11 different types of powdered detergent at Wal-Mart. Since there are different packaging sizes available, I wrote down a total of 22 prices. I then put all of my data into an excel file and calculated the cost per load.

I discovered that the laundry detergent with the best value per load is Sun. The cost per load for their biggest package (177 loads) is approximately $0.056328 per load. The cost per load for their second package (80 loads) is $0.06225 per load. And, the price for the smallest Sun detergent box (40 loads) comes to about $0.062 per load. So, roughly, each load using Sun detergent is between 6 and 7 cents per load. Since Sun won my little comparison contest, I am going to give it a try! I googled “sun laundry detergent reviews” and read some positive opinions.

The second place detergent for the best value was Arm & Hammer in the smaller package, $8.47 for 100 loads. That came to $.0.0847 per load. Ironically, the larger box ($13.47 for 120 loads) is more costly at $0.11225 per load.

In third place was Surf, at $0.09025 per load. However, it is important to mention that this is a Wal-Mart “rollback” price. Before the rollback it was $0.11175 per load. (The price was $10.97 for 120 loads but had originally been $11.97.)

The fourth place is Fab. It costs just 0.0925 per load. It is $2.96 for 32 loads. The rest are as follows: Great Value Wal-Mart Brand ($0.095583/load), ALL ($.11175/load), Gain ($.0.1238917/load), Purex with Crystals ($0.123333/load), Cheer ($0.137125/load), Tide in the larger package ($0.171764/load), Roma (0.21995/load), Tide in the smaller package ($0.22/load), Dreft ($0.29475) and lastly Foca. Foca is $0.3469/load in a large package and $0.38775 in a big package.

So, the lesson I learned is to try Sun detergent. It seems to be the best value. However, remember you can find coupons. I did find coupons listed on eBay for $1.50 off any size Tide. However, even with the coupon, Sun is still cheaper than Tide.

All of my comparisons were on powdered detergent. I had heard that powered is much cheaper than liquid. However, is it not a significant difference, and some brands are cheaper than powdered. Great Value liquid detergent is only $0.12 per load. However, Cheer liquid detergent is $0.34 cents per load.

Please keep in mind that prices can vary around the country. While Wal-Mart is usually cheaper than other stores, some might have even lower prices. Also, remember that prices do fluctuate and rise with inflation.

If you are searching for frugal living tips, please read “Frugal Living Tips for Frugal Moms.” Also, please read “Tips for Saving Electricity.” You can also try to make your own laundry detergent. Read these articles here for advice.

Happy Shopping!