The sweet spot between detergent cost and performance

Over on Patreon we released our second State of laundry wrap-up focusing on detergents. In Australia, OMO and Biozet were the clear favourites. With RRPs of AU$12-15 per kg or per litre, these detergents are extremely costly. At full price, you’d be spending over $400 a year on detergent! How do cloth families afford this?

No one wants to spend more than they have to on detergent, so we’re sharing our top tips below on how to maximise savings for your favourite detergents.

Use sales cycles to your advantage

The truth is, these detergents go on sale so regularly that you very rarely (or never) need to pay full price.

Note: this post was written in March 2026 and is based on current Australian supermarket behaviour.

Australian supermarkets currently include detergents in their high-low pricing models. This is where a product is sold at a high price for a set time, then regularly discounted to 50%. 

This constant yo-yoing obscures the true cost of the detergent, making our favourite options seem far more expensive than they actually are.

Use this pricing strategy to your advantage and stock up when your preferred detergent is on sale. That way, you have some spare in the cupboard until the next sale. If you are running low, compare a few supermarkets online, as sale weeks often alternate between different chains.

Look at non-supermarket options for buying detergent

Speaking of comparing, changing where you shop for detergent can also save a lot of money. Expand your detergent search by cross-checking prices at different retailers:

• Big Box & Warehouse: Costco, Big W, Bunnings, Mitre 10, rural supply stores
• Discount: Reject Shop
• Online: Amazon
• Direct-to-consumer: The Dirt Company, b clean co

Be wary of purchasing parallel-imported (grey market) OMO. Overseas detergents are sometimes formulated for different washing conditions, meaning the suggested dosing amounts can be a lot higher than the Australian variant, cancelling out any savings.

Some of these retailers nestle poor-performing detergents alongside high-performing ones. If you are unsure, look up the detergent on our detergent index or ask in our Facebook group.

Consider the cost per wash, not just the overall price

You don’t need the most expensive detergent to achieve great results with cloth nappies; you simply need one that is effective.

An expensive detergent does not necessarily mean a better wash performance, but we have found that cheaper detergents often don’t cut the mustard. Cheaper detergents have fewer active ingredients, thus they require higher doses or additions like laundry booster to get decent results. This ends up increasing the total cost per load.

Where premium detergents shine is that they consistently wash well, targeting a larger amount of stains and soiling.

Over and over again, we see better results and better value from buying mainstream mid-tier or premium detergents on sale, rather than paying full price for economy or ultra-economy options. 

If you want to check the value of a given detergent, use our detergent dosage calculator to determine the actual cost per wash, rather than just the shelf price.

The last word on detergent value

Managing laundry costs doesn’t have to break the bank, even when using premium brands like OMO or Biozet. By shopping strategically and cross-referencing prices, you can maintain high laundry standards while staying well within your budget.

Tell us, are there any detergent-buying tips we’ve missed? What have you done to score amazing detergent deals?