How much does laundry detergent cost per load

How to work out the cost per load

The cost per load is the price of the pack divided by the loads you get out of it. If the label prints the number of loads, that is all you need: a 64-load jug at $12.99 costs $0.203 a load.

If you start from the dose, the calculator works out the loads. With liquid or gel it is the size of the jug divided by the dose: 92 fl oz at 1.5 fl oz a load makes 61.3 loads. With powder it is the weight of the box divided by the dose, and with pods or tablets the count divided by how many you put in each load.

The yearly cost is the cost per load × loads a week × 52 weeks. The calculator does this for every product, marks the cheapest in yellow, shows how much you save in a year against the most expensive one and how many to buy for the months of supply you pick, rounded up.

In the EU the load count on laundry detergent follows a rule. Regulation (EC) No 648/2004, Annex VII B, asks for the number of standard loads of normally soiled fabric that the pack washes in water of medium hardness, 2.5 millimoles of CaCO3 per litre; a standard load is 4.5 kg of dry fabric. The same annex asks for the doses in ml or g for soft, medium and hard water. Regulation (EU) 2026/405 replaces it from 23 September 2029 with the same rules, and for dishwasher detergent it asks for the dose for a full 12 place settings machine.

A worked example

In the US. The calculator opens with a washer, 4 loads a week (208 a year) and 3 months of supply. The prices are examples: use the ones from your store.

• Product A, a 64-load jug at $12.99: $0.203 a load, $42.22 a year
• Product B, a 110-load jug at $19.99: $0.182 a load, $37.80 a year
• Product C, a tub of 42 pods at $13.99: $0.333 a load, $69.28 a year

The 110-load jug costs the least: $31.48 a year less than the pods. Three months is 52 loads, so one jug covers it.

In the UK, in litres. With a 30-wash bottle at 5.99, a 60-wash bottle at 9.99 and 40 capsules at 11.90, the 60-wash bottle wins: 0.167 a wash and 34.63 a year, 27.25 less than the capsules. One bottle covers the 52 washes of 3 months.

Laundry detergent cost per year chart

Yearly cost by cost per load and loads a week:

Cost per load	3 a week	5 a week	8 a week
$0.20	$31.20	$52.00	$83.20
$0.25	$39.00	$65.00	$104.00
$0.30	$46.80	$78.00	$124.80
$0.35	$54.60	$91.00	$145.60

Every 5 cents a load adds $2.60 a year for each load you run in a week.

Reading the label: loads, cap lines and HE

The load count on the label is based on the dose for one normal load, usually a line on the cap or a scoop. For big or heavily soiled loads the label may tell you to fill to a higher line. You can pick Liquid or gel or Powder and enter the dose you really use, or stay on Loads on the label and enter in the advanced options how much more you pour: going from 1.5 to 1.8 fl oz is 20% more, and a 110-load jug then lasts about 92 loads.

If you have a high-efficiency (HE) washer, check the label for the "HE" mark: the ENERGY STAR washer flyer notes that some manufacturers suggest HE detergents for the best cleaning results. Compare HE products with HE products.

With pods and tablets it is usually one per load. If the label asks for two on large loads, enter 2 under Per load. For the dishwasher the same applies: count the tablets in the tub or the loads printed on the gel bottle.

Common mistakes

• Comparing the shelf price instead of the cost per load. The big jug costs more at the register and can cost less per load, but a sale on the small one can flip the result.
• Pouring without measuring. Fill past the line and the jug runs out sooner. Pour 50% more than the label dose and a 110-load jug lasts about 73 loads, so each load costs 1.5 times as much.
• Trusting the load count with hard water or big loads. It is counted for a normal load; with a higher dose you get fewer.
• Writing prices in cents. Enter the price as it reads on the receipt: 19.99, not 1999.