Laundry Detergent Cost Calculator: Cost per Load

Laundry detergent cost analysis helps you find the best value between liquid, powder, pods, and eco-sheets, and avoid overspending on premium brands when generics perform equally well.

Cost Per Load Formula:

CPL = Package Price / Number of Loads Per Package

For liquids where you measure by cap/line:

Loads Per Bottle = Bottle Volume (oz) / Dose Size (oz)

For pods: Loads = Number of Pods in Package

Monthly Cost:

Monthly Cost = Loads Per Month × CPL

Worked example, four products compared:

For a household doing 8 loads a week, which is 416 a year:

• Tide Liquid: 416 × $0.260 = $108.29/year
• Arm & Hammer: 416 × $0.107 = $44.54/year
• Tide Pods: 416 × $0.319 = $132.83/year
• Eco Sheets: 416 × $0.167 = $69.30/year

Switching from Tide liquid to the generic saves $63.75 a year, and from pods to the generic, $88.29. Those prices were current in 2024 and will have moved since, which is exactly why the calculator asks for yours instead of shipping a table.

Where the per-load count comes from. Bottles print a load count on the front, and it assumes the smallest dose line for a normal, lightly soiled load. Pods and sheets are honest by definition since you can count them. Liquid is where the number goes wrong: if you fill to the top of the cap rather than the bottom line, a bottle marked 96 loads gives you closer to 50, and your real cost per load doubles without the price on the shelf changing at all. Weigh a bottle before and after one wash if you want to know what you are actually doing.

Concentration is the other trap. A 2x concentrated liquid at twice the price is the same cost per load, not a saving, and the shelf tag showing price per ounce will tell you the opposite. Cost per load is the only comparison that survives a change in formula. That is the whole reason this page exists.

Overdosing Warning: Measuring cup markings are typically set for the maximum recommended dose. Using one-half to two-thirds of the recommended amount works equally well for normal loads, potentially doubling the number of loads per bottle and halving your CPL.