I've used homemade dishwasher detergent also, and while it worked pretty well, I found that the savings wasn't nearly as great as with laundry soap, and the product just didn't work quite as well either. So since I usually buy dishwasher detergent, I try to make sure I get the best bang for my buck.
These two Cascade products are priced the same: 20 count packs and 75 ounces of liquid gel.
The packs are so handy...no mess, no squeezing. But I was always pretty sure that they were overpriced compared to the gel. To confirm my suspicions, we kept a tally every time we used the gel. And the verdict? 45 washes!
I think I am completely cured of my desire to buy those cute little packs from here on out! And I think this little experiment helped me to be a more active consumer of the products that I am choosing to purchase.
I think I'm going to have to test the powdered dishwasher soap next and compare that to the gel
Read more of my thoughts on Active Consumerism.
I have never done an actual test, but I am actually convinced I get more washes out of a box of powdered soap than the gel! I don't know, I think that it's denser so you can use less? But that might be totally in my head. Let me know if you test it!
ReplyDeleteAs for those gel packs, I just look at them and see dollar signs. I try not to buy things with excess packaging (for example, pre-portioned 100-cal snacks) because it both adds to the price and it adds to the waste. Things like those gel packs have gone through a lot of processing, which uses up time & energy wherever they were made, and in my opinion are more wasteful.
I'm totally testing the powder next! And I agree abouthe individual packages that require more processing...especially individual snacks. The mark-up is HuGE, and it requires so little extra time to make my own "individual" portions in reusable containers.
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