How do you choose your laundry detergent?

I buy what works best. Smelling good does not hurt either

My wife has had issues with skin sensitivity to some detergents. Era has always been fine for her, so we've always used that. It's not exactly brand loyalty, more fear that something new will be bad.

Ingredients, then price.

Price, coupon, and performance.
If I have a coupon, I will usually buy that brand.
I don't like the performance of Arm and Hammer, so, even if that's cheaper than another brand with a coupon, I'll still buy the other brand.

Price, how well it works, and weather or not it makes my son break out in rashes.

All of the above except for the packaging.

I usually go for whatever I think will do the best job on my clothes while having no perfumes or scents added

Once in a while I go for an earthy crunchy brand, then after a while want my clothes brighter and switch back

By what's on sale.

Price, normally. I try to go for the middle of the range stuff so that it feels like my clothes have actually been washed but I don't have to fork out a lot of money for it.

I only buy one brand and its a lower priced brand but works well. If I have a coupon I will buy the higher priced brands if the price is comparable to the one I usually use. I like liquid only because our water is bad in this town.

I buy the cheapest crap I can find by bulk! But she on the other hand, buys the good stuff.

The little voices tell me what to choose

By scent and scent alone.....Gain smells the best!!!

Oh my gosh...I LOVE the way Gain smells. I make sure to always use it when I wash my sheets. I also like it because they are pretty good with giving out the coupons.

I buy the cheaper environmentally friendly stuff; it also comes in a bigger container.

Price...free is better

Odd, I had a girlfriend that was the same way and she always used Gain (I've never even heard of Era), and she could only use either Dove soap, or Level 2000

Some combination of the graphics on the package, brand loyalty and price. Actually, I couldn't even tell you what kind I use. I made the decision so long ago. Like many products I buy, I think I made the initial choice a long time ago and keep buying the same thing until they piss me off or something. It is quite possible that the first purchase was selected based on whichever box was closest to my hand when I pulled one off the shelf.

Do the little voices also say things like: "Clean up on aisle three"?

It's safe for septic

I buy a brand called Sun because it's affordable and the company doesn't test it's products on animals. It also does a good job cleaning my clothes and it's available in a dye/fragrance free version which is important to me because of allergies.

Basically price. But, I won't get the cheapest stuff because it just doesn't work. A lot has to do with the smell, too. I use Era, it's not as much as Tide, but works just as good, and it smells good, too.

Performance first and foremost. I chose the 'colour' variety as I have very few whites. I buy seperate 'Liqui-tabs' for whites - but in the same brand name as my regular one.
I buy brand names that I trust cos of the adverts. I won't buy unknown brand names or supermarket own brands. I don't trust their performance.
I used to buy, in my regular brand, a liquid that was specially for black clothes. But they either stopped making it or just stopped stopped selling it in the shops near me - so I switched to another brand for just that one thing of buy 'black laundry liquid'.
I'd prefer it if my regular brand still made it as I would go for brand loyalty.

Price is the only factor I consider.

I rarely choose it, but when I get a chance to I don't really care what I choose, (although I avoid generic brands and President's choice because they aren't good) but I take in consideration whether the detergent is scented. I buy odour-free products because their odour usually bothers me.

Price. Cheapest gets bought.

CHEER all way, nothing else, been using it for 10yrs now

Trying putting up stock on detergent aisle. It drives your nose crazy *crinkles nose*

Because mom used to buy it??? I'm actually surprised that this hasn't been given as an answer

Actually I don't. My mom does the laundry. I know she has a favorite kind she always buys, due to the performance and brand loyalty, but I am not even sure what kind it is.

I prefer using detergent's with no scents or coloring due to my allergies.

Price and other. The "other" is whether I have a lot of stuff in my backpack already -- because most laundry detergents are huge and weigh a lot when you gotta carry 'em on your back up a hill. So I look for smaller sizes too, besides cheaper prices. Lately have been buying ALL because it has a smaller size and sez it is a good stain remover.

I'll buy whatever isn't too expensive, and the smell (of any product I use, actually) is important to me, too. But I have to admit that when I lived in Canada I often splurged to get Tide just because it's the brand my mom used when I was a kid and the smell of it is very familiar and comforting.

For me it's not price so much as it's effectiveness.

shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Do they talk to you too?????????????

You know, that's a good point. I don't think it applies for me in this situation, but I'm sure there are things that I buy that my mother used to buy when I was a kid.

Other.. it's quite random.. although I prefer to avoid P&G.

I buy Tide too! I don't like to keep switching around and I found that Tide works for me with my allergies to some soaps.

I buy mine from the wholesale club. I look for any name brand that has a good price. Also, I don't trust the ones that say "bleach alternative" or something having to do with bleach because I'm afraid they'll discolor my clothes.

That must be terrible.

I am allergic to most laundry detergents. I can only use either Yes and Arm & Hammer. Other detergents, which I am allergic to, I would break out in hives.

I love gain too. I like to do my carpets with it. Are the coupons on the East coast more in value than those out west? The reason I am asking is because I do coupons--I have for years and I was told to subscribe to an East Coast Sunday Newspaper and then I could possibly triple my savings. What do you think? Is this true? It would be worth it, I think.

how so?

We get detergent specifically formulated for use with soft water. Can't buy it from the store.

I have always used the same one. Mostly packaging. I don't have any good logic except that it has always worked and I am scared to change because I don't want to ruin my clothes! I usually use Cheer because it claims that it does not fade colors. I only wash my hanging around cloths though. Too many laundry tragedies in the past!

The stores around here only double coupons up to a dollar. I was surprised to read that ROCKMAN (I think it was ROCKMAN, I don't remember where I saw that) was able to double a one dollar coupon up to two dollars. Anyway, I think that those stories about people who have, like, a $250 food bill who end up paying $5 after coupons are pretty neat, but, when you consider the amount of time that they put into the organization and research, is it worth it? Not to mention that I heard one of those stories one time, and she drove like 2 or 3 hours to a supermarket because they were tripling coupons. Well, when you factor in time and gas..........as I digress, sorry. I do it casually...I will try a new product if I have a coupon, and with my standard products, I'm still spending less than what the supermarket is asking for! Is it worth it? Well, as long as you are making the $1.50 back that you're spending on the Sunday paper, then it is!

I am allergic to fragrances, so I purchase only fragrance-free products.

yes, I guess that would have to be taken into consideration. Gas, time and money can make all the difference. I still may try to subscribe to an East coast newspaper anyway for maybe a few months to see if it is worth it. Just the Sunday edition so that I can get the coupons. Do you have an idea of what newspaper might be good for this without an extremely outrageous price. Are you on the east coast? I could use some advice on which one to subscribe to. Thanks for your help.

I'm confused. Why east coast? Do the papers in New Mexico not have coupon inserts in them? Yes, I'm on the east coast in Delaware. Our paper is called the News Journal, and it does has the coupon inserts!

It's ecologically friendly and fairly cheap - Ecover I think it's callled.

Do you have the same type of stores there as we do here? Most coupons in our papers are store specific.

East Coast was mentioned as a good source for higher priced coupons. I subscribe to the Albuquerque Journal and it has the Sunday inserts. I just wanted to increase my savings. Someone had said to try this (I can't remember who told me this) they did say in the East Coast papers would be better. I think they even mentioned the New York or Philly papers.

No the coupons aren't store specific. I guess that is because NM is basically rural. There isn't even 2,000,000 people in the entire state.

that could be a problem when collecting coupons

it sure is

Hmm..interesting. Let me know if this proves true. The Philadelphia Inquirer is the Phila. paper. (Phila. is my old stomping grounds) The NY Times is NY paper, but I think it's kinda expensive. And the coupons are not store-specific. Around here, the only ones like that are given out at the store. I DO wonder, though, if some products just aren't available in your area, and vice versa. Well, I dunno, let me know how it works out!!!!!!!!1

The Great Coupon Search

Thanks for the names. I guess I could have done a google search, but like most things if someone knows it, I like that kind of info better. I will probably see about subscription rates today. I will let you know about THE GREAT COUPON SEARCH. Who knows it may be something others (if they do coupons) will want info on.

Yup!

Well, inhaling all those things.

A bit, Gain/Tide/Snuggle/Palmolive/Bleach/Ammonia doesn't create a good mix for the nose. *achoo*

I go by pice and perfoemance. Fo that reason I buy Xtra liquid at Walgreens. Priced $1.99 to $2.99. Walmart also makes a powerful powder detergent. Walmart brand. If I could afford it I'd buy Gain. It's better than Tide.

Tide detergent and Downy fabric softener....nothing smells better or helps clothes last longer.

Price is #1 since I think that there is at most only a very small difference in the performance of different types of laundry detergent.

I would say average price I pay is about $3.00/40 load box of dry detergent. Sometimes I do a little better, $4/40 load box is probably about the worst that I do.

Need I say that I have absolutely no brand loyalty?

I choose cruelty free.