Though pods for the laundry might not seem like the most frugal of options, I love them. They’re easy to use, help me to avoid using too much detergent (since we mostly pour without measuring) and come with stain removing properties right inside of that little Tide Pod.
However, Tide Pods can be quite expensive. While browsing through Costco a few weeks ago I stumbled upon the Kirkland laundry pacs and I knew that I had to give them a try. After all, they were $9 cheaper than our current Tide Pods. Wondering about the differences between the two? Here’s my take.
Price
Tide Pods: $23.99/90 pods
Kirkland Laundry Pacs: $14.99/90 pods (winner)
Both brands recommend using 1 pac for most loads. 2 for heavy, or heavily soiled loads.
Scent
Tide Pods: Fresh, fills up the entire laundry room (winner)
Tide Pods: Fresh, fills up the entire laundry room (winner)
Kirkland Laundry Pacs: Well, it’s not that Tide Fresh we’ve become used to but it’s not awful by any means. It was subtle, but fresh after washing.
Stain Removal
Tide Pods: Includes brightener and stain remover
Kirkland Laundry Pacs: catch and release technology in the detergent to help remove stains
I use resolve quite a bit for stains, so I noticed no difference in stain removal between the two detergents. The Tide pods did seem to ‘brighten’ whites a little better. I had a shirt that had been stained with some kind of sauce of the baby’s and both the Tide Pods and the Kirkland Ultra Clear pacs were unable to remove the stains alone, I had to use a stain treatment to get the results.
Container
Tide Pods: Flip open lid (winner)
Kirkland Laundry Pacs: Pull off Lid
Both are suited to regular and HE washers. Make sure that you put it in with the clothes, and not in the detergent area.
Both are suited to regular and HE washers. Make sure that you put it in with the clothes, and not in the detergent area.
So - Which Did I Choose?
When it comes down to it, the better value comes from the Kirkland brand pacs. They’re comparable with the Tide Pods (although the pods have a bit of an advantage for whitening clothing). We’ll be buying the Kirkland Laundry pacs because of the great price (at $9 less per package and even more on sale).
What do you think? Do you Pod or Pac?
What do you think? Do you Pod or Pac?
