How to Clean Laundry Effectively Without Expensive Detergents

How would you like to save a ton of money throughout the year, perhaps over $200, depending upon how often you use your washing machine. For a family of three, I wash about five times a week and save a boatload of cash by my choice of laundry detergent. If you do multiple loads a day, you will reap huge savings if you follow my plan.

My big secret? Dawn Original Scent dishwashing liquid is the big cost-saving secret. Dawn contains a surfactant which very effectively moves the dishwashing liquid throughout the washing machine water and allows it to penetrate the laundry for cleaning/degreasing. Surfactant action and agitation from the washing machine are all you need to effectively clean laundry. How much Dawn should you use? I have a 22-lb. giant capacity top-loading washing machine. I use approximately an ounce for a full load. That's 15 loads for .94, folks! I also use a cold water wash and a cold water rinse for most loads. Using hot or warm water will waste a lot of electricity and is usually not necessary. If you have dishrags you want to sanitize, it's best to throw them in a bucket of water containing chlorine and let them sit for a few hours. For dishwashing, buy the utility rags at Wal-Mart. I believe there are nine in a pack for around $3.00. You can find them in the washcloth section, usually on the end of the aisle. They are cheap and last a good while. And you don't have to worry about bleaching out a lovely rag.

Dawn Original Scent leaves no scent behind, cloying or otherwise. That's a plus for allergy sufferers or those who are annoyed by fragrances. However, if you miss that "clean" scent, you could opt to add a drop of essential oil to your laundry. I suggest lavender oil as it has a fresh outdoorsy scent. Alternately, you could add a drop of lavender or rose oil to a cotton ball and toss it in the dryer with the laundry.

For those of us who are trying to be a bit more green, you need to know that Dawn's surfactants are biodegadable and contain no phosphates. Surfactants in many laundry detergents are nonbiodegradable. Additionally, phosphates contained in some laundry detergent promote certain types of marine growth that cause an imbalance in the environment. Imbalance, of course, can promote the death of indigenous species, both flora and fauna.

An example of imbalance is the non-native purple loosestrife taking over the ponds and lakes borders in upstate New York. Purple Loosestrife spreads by seed but also by new roots sprouting from broken pieces of stem or roots. Loosetrife spreads radpily, crowding and shading out indigenous wetland plants like cattails and rushes. Indigenous birds, mammals and insects cannot use purple loosestrife. Foods webs and reproductive cycles are thus disrupted. Truly, this is frightening. Isn't it?

One word of caution about cost: buy Dawn Original Scent in the 15 fluid oz. bottles, not the refill size. At Wal-Mart, the 15 fluid oz. size is about $.94 a pint. The refill size, 55 fluid ounces, is about $3.00 a pint. You'll notice the refill size is at eye level and the small bottles are on the bottom shelf. Convenience can be costly!