Laundry detergent price comparison Australia: which bottle is really cheaper?

Laundry detergent price comparison: read per litre, not the bottle size

The quick answer: skip the bottle size and read the unit price. Then compare liquid with liquid, powder with powder and pods with pods, and check whether the special is a real low before it goes on your list.

Laundry detergent comes in small bottles, big bottles, concentrates, powders and pods. The price on the shelf tag tells you what the pack costs. It does not tell you what each wash costs, and that is the number to compare.

We make Discount Trolley, so the bias is obvious. The app shows the unit price in search and on each product page, right under the shelf price. On a laundry liquid that line often reads per 100mL, so a 1L bottle and a 4L bottle can be lined up on the same number.

• Unit price beats price per bottle.
• Compare the same form of detergent.
• Check the special before you stock up.

Why a bigger bottle is not always cheaper

Most of us assume the loudest special is the best buy. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it is not. Look at the Coles laundry powder screenshot below, dated 15 October 2026: a name brand powder on a loud special is not the lowest price per 100g on the screen. Another pack on the same screen has a lower unit price.

Concentrates and ultra bottles are another trap. You get fewer millilitres for the same shelf price, but each pour is meant to do more. That only helps if you use the dose the label says. If you still pour like a big bottle, the concentrate was not a bargain.

There is a second catch. A big bottle only wins if you use it before it goes flat or you switch brands. If half of it sits under the sink unused, the cheap bottle was not cheap.

• Bottle size is a packaging choice.
• Concentrates need the right dose.
• Buy a size you will wash through.

Liquid, powder and pods: compare like with like

Unit price only helps when you compare the same kind of detergent. Liquid, powder and pods or capsules often sit in the same aisle, but they are different products. A price per 100mL on a liquid is not a fair test against a price per 100g on a powder, and pods are often priced per 100 items.

Sensitive, blacks and delicates ranges are another shelf again. They cost what they cost for a reason, so do not line them up against a standard wash liquid unless that is what your clothes need.

Pick the form your machine and clothes need first, then let the unit price decide between the packs that fit.

1. Same form first, then unit price.
2. Liquid is not powder.
3. Pods are a different test.

House brand vs name brand laundry detergent

Supermarket house brand liquids and powders sit next to the big laundry names. For a standard wash, house brands are often worth a look, but do not assume. Put one house brand bottle and one name brand bottle of the same form side by side and let the unit price decide.

Name brand detergent moves on and off special, so the gap can change from week to week. On a good week a name brand bottle can beat the house brand. On another week it might not. The only way to know is to check the number on the day you shop.

When you find a bottle you like, save it as a favourite so you can reopen it fast next time instead of hunting through the aisle again.

• Test one house brand and one name brand of the same form.
• Check the gap on the day you shop.
• Favourite the bottle you like.

Laundry specials and stocking up without overpaying

Laundry detergent is a classic stock up buy, and a big special tag makes it easy to buy on the badge instead of the price. A loud special on a big bottle can still work out dearer per litre than a quieter bottle at its normal price.

Before you load up, open the product in Discount Trolley and look at the price history. Dete, our koala, reads that history and holds up one sign: Good time, Wait if you can or About usual. When there is not enough history yet, the sign says Not sure yet. Tap the sign to see the chart.

Today's deals is the other quick check before you leave home. It shows what is on special now with the was price next to it. A real low is a fair time to buy a bottle ahead, as long as you will wash with it. For more on judging a deal, read how to spot a fake supermarket special and when a bulk buy grocery deal is worth it.

• Buy on a real low, not on a loud tag.
• Check price history before you stock up.
• Read the was price, not only the badge.

Compare laundry detergent across stores on one list

Detergent usually goes in the same trip as the toilet paper, bin bags and dish liquid, so it belongs on the same list. Add the bottle you want to My List in Discount Trolley, and the list shows a count for each store so you can see where your lines sit before you leave.

To check the same bottle at other stores, open the product page and scroll to Compare Stores. It shows the same product at other stores where data is available, and it tells you plainly when a product is not stocked somewhere, so you do not make a wasted trip.

For the habit on any household staple, read how to use unit prices to find the cheapest groceries. For another household check, see toilet paper price comparison Australia. For a pantry unit price sibling shipped yesterday, see flour price comparison Australia. To weigh a second stop, read should you split your grocery shop across two stores.

• One list for detergent and the rest of the shop.
• Compare Stores for the same bottle at other stores.
• Check while you have signal, then shop the list.

What Discount Trolley does (and does not) claim about laundry detergent

Discount Trolley helps you check the grocery price information that is available for the detergent on your list. It does not promise savings, crown one brand or store as the cheapest forever, or carry the full range at all stores. Prices and specials change, so check again on the day you shop.

Woolworths, Coles, ALDI, IGA, Harris Farm, Priceline and Chemist Warehouse where data is available. Not affiliated with those stores. The shelf can differ from the screen. Live prices need a connection.

For more staple comparisons, see flour price comparison Australia, toilet paper price comparison Australia, olive oil price comparison Australia, pasta price comparison Australia, rice price comparison Australia, compare bread prices Australia, butter price comparison Australia and cheese price comparison Australia.

• No invented savings or rankings.
• No forever cheapest brand or store.
• No affiliation with the supermarket chains.

Questions shoppers still ask