Does Buying Brand Name Laundry Detergent At Dollar Tree Really Save You Money?

It's a pretty common belief that buying something in bulk saves you money; big box wholesale stores like Costco, Sam's Club, and BJ's thrive on this business model. So, in theory, 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 are actually 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) are 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.

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 at Dollar Tree cost only $0.12 per ounce. Since the 84-ounce bottle of Tide sold at Target is $0.15 per ounce, buying the smaller bottle won't cost you more and might 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. 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.

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 on Reddit said that cheaper detergent was not effective; in many cases they had to rewash their clothes with other brands to actually get them clean. Some added that cheap detergents 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.