Hot Or Cold Water? Premium Or Bargin Detergent? What Is Most Frugal?

     Some time ago I did a post on laundry. Different temps for different types of laundry and such. A big question I have been thinking about is detergent. Why is there so big of a spread in price?

      I usually buy my store's brand. It seems to work fine. But would I get a much better result with the high dollar name brand? Or am I just paying for advertising and sponsorships. 

     As I am writing this I am doing a load of work clothes. Tonight I am using cold water instead of the hottest setting that I usually use. When I wash my pots and pans at work I use very hot water as it cuts the grease better. So I will find out if cold water will cut the grease in work clothes. 

     As I will be doing my grocery shopping tomorrow I am going to buy a small size of the high dollar detergent. I will try another load of work clothes in cold water and check the results. If the results are similar I can deduce that high dollar detergent is only paying for advertising and sponsorships. If I find a difference one of life's mysteries will be solved. As at this juncture I am under the impression that soap is soap. 

     The same goes for bleach. Several years ago Clorox cut the size down from a gallon and still raised the price. Sort of spearheaded a trend. As most manufacturers have done the same thing over the last few years. As with detergent I have been buying the store brand or even dollar store brand for years. It still seems like bleach. 

     So over a period of a week or two I should be able to have a concise answer to these mysteries. As I use a coin laundry hot or cold water does not change the price. But as a homeowner that has to supply the water and machines these results could save a lot over the long run. As not having to use hot water will cut done on your energy bill. Whether you generate your hot water by electric or gas. 

     Again this is a boring subject. But when I see people using a high dollar brand I wonder if it is worth it. Imagine if you are buying $12 detergent and are getting the same results as my store brand for $3? So this experiment could potentially save you $9 a week. Or conversely justify the extra expense. Nine dollars a week comes out to $468 a year. Cold water for the homeowner would probably save around $100 a year. So this is a lot of cash you could do other things with in my book. 

     So stay in touch. I will keep you posted as to the results. If they are mark ed that represents something to consider. If they are not, It's up to you.