Advanced options
poured by eye is typically 30-50% over
own-brand powder is about 9p
Pods cost 2-3x powder per wash for the same clean (consumer-test results have own-brand powders repeatedly matching or beating premium pods on stain removal): you're paying for not scooping. The bigger leak is dosing: caps and scoops poured generous run 30-50% over dose (soft-water areas need the LOW end of the dose table), and overdosed liquid is why machines smell. Softener is optional on most loads: towels actually hate it (it coats the fibres that do the drying).
What The Laundry Detergent Calculator Works Out
- Cost per year: (detergent per wash + softener and extras per wash) x washes per week x 52. The aisle runs from about 9p a wash for supermarket own-brand powder to 35p for eco sheets and premium pods; a six-wash household on brand liquid with softener spends about GBP 95 a year.
- The switch saving: the same washes on own-brand powder at 9p and the difference. Consumer testing repeatedly finds own-brand powders matching or beating premium pods on stain removal, so the 2x to 3x pod premium buys dosing convenience rather than clean. Powder's bleaching system also whitens whites that liquids cannot.
- Dosing, the hidden multiplier: caps and scoops poured by eye run 30% to 50% over the dose table, soft-water areas need the table's minimum column, and half-loads want half doses. One calibration with kitchen scales and a marked scoop takes about 30% off the annual figure and leaves a fresher machine.
- Your pack price and washes per pack (advanced): enter what you actually paid and the wash count printed on the pack to replace the format's typical price with your real per-wash figure. Big-box powder obeys the bulk-buying rule of unit price and stores for years.
- How much you overdose (advanced): the percentage over the dose line you pour, which scales the detergent cost. The card shows what the surplus costs a year before the extra rinse cycles and residue smells it also causes.
- Loads you could skip softener on (advanced): towels, bedding, sportswear and microfibre never want softener (it coats the fibres that do the absorbing), so the share of loads that could go without turns into a yearly saving.
- Stain remover, whitener and machine cleaner (advanced): the yearly spend on the rest of the laundry shelf. A GBP 1 stain bar for collars and cuffs is cheaper than upgrading the whole wash's detergent tier.
- Compare against (advanced): change the benchmark from 9p own-brand powder to whatever alternative you are weighing up, such as 14p brand powder on offer.
- All-in laundry chemicals per year (advanced): real detergent cost including overdosing, plus softener, plus extras: the full line in the household budget.