Does Buying Brand Name Laundry Detergent At Dollar Tree Really Save You Money?
It's a pretty common belief that buying something in bulk will save you money in the long run; big box wholesale stores like Costco, Sam's Club, and BJ's thrive on this business model. So it would seem like common knowledge that buying products like laundry detergent in bulk would follow that same model. Smaller bottles may be easier to carry yet typically not as cheap, so it's easy to assume that the tiny bottles of detergent sold at Dollar Tree would actually be more expensive in the long run.
For Dollar Tree's baseline price of $1.25, you can buy an 8-ounce bottle of Tide Original Liquid Laundry Detergent. It is certainly smaller than most laundry detergent bottles, which tend to average anywhere between 42 to 132 ounces, and it is typically believed that buying smaller bottles or packages of something means the price per pound (or in this case, per ounce) would be higher. However, when you compare this particular bottle with larger Tide bottles sold at other major retailers, the price is either similar or even cheaper.
The benefits of buying a smaller laundry detergent bottle
If you do the math, the 8-ounce bottle of Tide Original Liquid Laundry Detergent sold at Dollar Tree costs around $0.15 per ounce, while the 10-ounce bottle of Tide Simply Clean & Fresh and the 10-ounce Gain Original cost only $0.12 per ounce. Compared to the 42-ounce bottle of Tide sold at Target, which costs $0.18 per ounce, this is cheaper.
Many other bottles, such as the 84-ounce and 132-ounce sizes, all have a similar price point of $0.15 per ounce. The smaller Dollar Tree bottle is even cheaper than the three-pack of 10-ounce bottles sold on Amazon, which equates to $0.16 an ounce. So buying the smaller bottle won't cost you more — and might actually be better for you in other ways.
Why is that? First, those laundry detergent bottles can get heavy. A lighter bottle is much easier to deal with if you have to carry it up flights of stairs or over to a laundromat, which is especially helpful for the elderly. Plus a cheaper-priced bottle works well for anyone on a tight budget. One reviewer wrote on the Dollar Tree site that using the small bottle helped save cash during a move to a new apartment when money was tight. And while it may seem like a waste to keep buying smaller bottles, there are a few genius ways to repurpose your empty laundry detergent bottles, like turning them into storage containers or even plant pots.
Is it worth buying cheaper detergent?
There's a level of trust that comes with buying a name brand product that has customer loyalty, but what if there are other detergents on shelves that are even cheaper per ounce? For example, you could grab a 42-ounce bottle of L.A.'s Totally Awesome Detergent at Dollar Tree for the same price of $1.25. You get so much more bang for your buck, yet customers have revealed that buying cheap detergents isn't worth it when it comes to properly washing your clothes.
Shoppers admitted on Reddit that cheaper detergent was not effective and in many cases they had to rewash their clothes with other brands to actually get them clean. Some added that cheap detergents will cause the water to turn grayish and affect the color of their clothes.
If price is a concern, shoppers suggest buying powdered detergent instead of liquid detergent, like Oxydol Power Oxygen Base Cleaner for just $0.08 per ounce. On the other hand, some argue that powdered laundry detergent has its disadvantages, since it could leave residue on your clothes. Regardless, if you feel more comfortable buying a liquid detergent from a name brand that you know you can rely on, Dollar Tree offers budget-friendly solutions in the shape of 8-ounce bottles that are easy to handle at a very affordable price.