Are single-use laundry pods worth the money?

Single-use pods are convenient than pouring liquid or powder each time, and also is a lot more convenient if you need to use a Laundromat or you have teenagers doing laundry who tend to over-estimate the amount of detergent needed by a lot.  But is it worth the extra money?

Suprisingly, the Costco brand of these single-use pods outperformed Tide and Sunlight in Consumer Reports testing – yes really.  And the Costco brand of pods are significantly cheaper than their brand name counterparts.  So for ease of use, buying the bulk Costco Brand is actually cheaper.

You can also find coupons for the pods as detergent companies are trying to get consumers to convert to the more expensive laundry detergent, so stock up on the coupons and take advantage of coupon doubling and sales.

If you have small kids, be aware that these are appealing for little kids who view them as toys.  If you have small children in the house, make sure they are stored in a child-safe container out of reach if curious hands, such as on top of a stacking laundry unit or on a high shelf in the laundry cupboard.  Or you can keep the large supply safely out of reach, while you keep a handful of pods in a small child-proof container you can keep on the dryer.