HIMself has been doing our laundry for a while now. It is one of those chores I gladly gave over to HIM as we attempt to simplify our lives in 2012. I really don’t ask for much with my clothing, but everything has started taking on the same shade of grayness that indicates he is less than ‘aware’ of what goes into the new HE3 washer at the same time. He also buys the detergent and that means we use the ‘cost the least’ brand. That is not so much working for me!
typical stains on my colorful artist pants
My creative lifestyle has been somewhat sidetracked while HIMself is hogtied completely at my mercy recovering from his broken ankle surgery, I have been forced to pick up the slack in the household duties department. Short list? Feeding the pets, cleaning the kitty litter, taking out the trash, grocery shopping and laundry…I will only admit this once…he seems to do a lot around here!!! Shhhhh…
HIMself
Meanwhile back to the laundry. I decided to challenge myself to a little comparison shopping mission for laundry detergent. First, I got out my sketch pad and doodled about what was important to me when I send my clothing to be cleaned.
What do I want from a laundry detergent?
- Performance (I am an artist, so my clothing gets all sorts of unusual stains as shown above)
- Fresh smell (I am not too much for perfumy smelling clothing)
- Value (I am an artist, just so I don’t become the starving type, my detergent needs to be affordable)
That’s ALL…and I don’t think it is too much to ask!
The Maze of Laundry Detergents
(fade in Mission Impossible music here) The laundry detergent aisle in my Walmart seems to offer a plethora of products. It is a sea of orange and white. I liked the bright and sunny vibe of the aisle initially. But soon I was bogged down in a maze of big bottles, smaller bottles, gigantic bottles shaped like castles that I cannot lift…250 fl. oz…seriously? I remember why I gave this chore over to HIMself!!! See the entire shopping experience in slides here.
I am on the lookout for an alternative to the pricey HE3 name brands…but I do not want to sacrifice CLEAN! The less expensive HE3 detergents we have tried come at a cost – quality of clean. So what’s a momma to do?
Mission Laundry
After what seemed like a fortnight of label reading, I decided to opt for two detergents…Tide and All! Everybody has heard of these brands. Most people know about Tide’s performance…and I so want a detergent that performs like Tide but costs much less!!! Next, I headed to the pasta aisle to get the makings for spaghetti…that should mess up a white napkin pretty well. Did I mention that I am now having to cook and clean the dishes too? That will be an upcoming whining sad tale post.
So I finish this little shopping expedition with a package of white fabric napkins, tomato sauce, pasta, bread and my detergents…and a few other things (must have been hungry).
Home to cook, deliver dinner, clean the kitchen and run my laundry detergent challenge…woe is me.
Cajun catfish with a side of pasta!!!
Mission Accomplished ~ The Results
So this one exhausted artist blogger has visible scientific (for an artist) proof that the most expensive brand does not always do the better job!!! TA DA…
before
after {All} both are white and did the job perfectly - the All cost must less!!!
As you can see from the above before and after photos, the All performed just as nicely in removing the pasta sauce stains as the pricier Tide. I was thrilled that the All detergent was $5 with a dollar off coupon. However, if you are listening…please, please someone come up with an affordable solution to the brand name HE3 detergents that actually work!!! I don’t even mind paying a little more than the bargain brands. That is all we are begging pleading asking for here.
This post has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions, photos and humor are 100% my own. #cBias
You can come cook for my family too! 😉 We have sensitive skin issues in my house and we can only use Purex. It’s very affordable as well and seems to get our clothes very clean. Hang in there, that ankle of his has to heal sometime, no?
I usually always go with the cheapest, but I’ve learned lately the cheap stuff isn’t always the best!
How creative! I love the comparison work on pasta sauce which is a highly requested item in my home and with 4 kids 7 and under, you can imagine the stain drama. Now where can I score that $5 coupon?
I have always been satisfied with Arm & Hammer Sensitive – no fragrance, dyes or brighteners mean no residue on my clothing! 🙂 That meal looked delicious by the way! 🙂
This is so great and informative! Thank you so much! I hope that he feels better soon!!
I used to pick the first that caught my eye or cheapest, but the cheapest (or most expensive) doesn’t necessarily make it better or worse as you have shown. I prefer ALL stainlifter for my family
I love All, I’ve been using it for years!
OK – first- you rock! Second, I love the way you explained everything and make it so easy for us to understand the process of choosing and using the detergent! Thank you so much! 😉
We love all in our family!!! I am glad to know that it stands up to the test!! 🙂
I loved reading this post Rebecca! I’ve been a Tide user since I can remember and mostly because that’s what my mom used on my clothes growing up and I get nervous to try a new detergent for fear it won’t work as well. Thanks for the great comparison post!!!
I always use Tide because I don’t want to sacrifice clean fresh smell by using a cheaper detergent. Its good to know there is something else out there that works just as well and will save me some money. With 4 kids I do TONS of laundry!
With a family of 7 at home I normally do pick an inexpensive detergent. But some of them do not do the job and my clothes don’t smell fresh… everyone wants their clean clothes to smell clean!
Thanks for your test! Great pictures by the way… and hope your hubby is feeling better soon!
Great post. Hope HIMself is back on his feet soon. That way you can spend your time creating 🙂 I just bought All today at the store—decided to splurge, usually buy the cheaper stuff, but it just doesn’t seem to work as well.
I have always been all about the All…it’s so nice to get some scientific validation 🙂
TEE HEE…I am a scientist now!!!
My primary concern is that my cleaners are free of toxic chemicals (including fake fragrances to cover up chemical smells). Since I have young children and I am a nursing mother that is at the top of my list. Then, price. That’s pretty much it! I buy almost all my non-perishables online in bulk…so price includes it being available on one of those sites with free shipping 😉
I am a Tide user – have been for years. Every now and then I try a cheaper brand and it just doesn’t seem to get things as clean. My husband usually notices before I do that the clothes seem a little “grayish” Loved your post.
I pay no attention to names on labels…I pay attention to what works. (And trusted recommendations from bloggers who rock, of course!)
This is FANTASTIC! Thanks for the comparison, it makes it easier to see what to try! I try new detergents, but I usually go back to Tide and Purex. I like Wisk, too. Loved your drawings, and I hope HIS foot heals soon!
I’ve actually used Melaleuca laundry products since our oldest was born. They’re delivered right to my doorstep. What a fabulous post, Rebecca….awesome photos.:)
awesome comparison job! I go for unscented always (I have ISSUES with scents and dies that are unpleaseant!) and try to choose organic/natural if I have a coupon. Price is a big concern some weeks so I can’t always choose something pricey
The blog-master herself has outdone herself!
As for me I am a good ‘ol Arm and Hammer unscented detergent,,,,,!!
I am going to show this to my hubby who insists the most expensive detergent is always the best. Thanks for the info Rebecca, fantastic post.
Wow, I’m kind of stuck at that catfish dinner. It looks scrumptious!! Those stains came out so nicely!
This is so good to know–we have been a Tide family for as long as I can remember, but it does get expensive. I am so glad to know there is a less expensive option that will get my clothes clean and bright! (By the way, your Cajun Catfish sounds to delicious!!)
Okay, thank you for this comparison! Sometimes I feel bad because I always buy detergent that is on sale, and I’m wondering if I am missing out on something by not getting the expensive bottle!
Sorry to hear that your other half is off his feet. Mine had knee surgery yesterday and I’m exhausted already.
I stopped buying from the store when I couldn’t get the grass stains out of my sons jeans. We used to use ALL. So far the enzymes in Melaleuca spray and the detergents have worked wonders for us. I think we’re meant to get 96 loads out of one small bottle. We may get more because we have soft water.
AWESOME post Sister! Thank you for taking the time to make this happen…on such short notice, with the FLU and Mike in a Cast…wow! You are Awesomesauce! ***BIG HUGS***
Amazing! Many thanks! My spouse and i continuously wished to write on my site something of that nature.