Liquid laundry detergent

Out of liquid laundry detergent? Maybe not. You can pry the spout off with a butter knife or screwdriver to get the last bit of liquid from the bottle. There's usually enough for at least one more load of laundry - two if you're sparing. When that's used up, add a little water to the bottle and use it to clean floors, tubs, sinks, woodwork - whatever needs it.

Use less detergent this way

Use less detergent and get your clothes cleaner, too? Yes. All you have to do is allow a 10 to 15 minute soak between the first minute or two of agitation and the rest of the cycle. Be sure the detergent is dissolved. Try using a little less detergent, and if clothes come clean then, use even a little less next time until you see a problem, then increase it just a little. Always measure!

Clean your floor for free

Catch a bucket of hot soapy water from the washer when it spins the first time and use it to mop your floor. It works well for cleaning woodwork, too. You can probably find other uses for it if you look around. Saves on water and cleaner.

Use less; save money

Never use more than you need. Just because it says on the box that you need a full cup, doesn't mean that you really do need it. Half a measure of laundry detergent, a quarter of an inch of toothpaste and a half teaspoon of dish detergent are examples of what is usually enough, rather than what the manufacturer says is enough.

Save on dish detergent

It happens to everyone who cooks: You need just that bowl or pan to make something in and it's dirty! Instead of using a squirt of dish soap to wash just one or two things, keep a squirt bottle or soap dispenser on your counter filled with half dish detergent and half water. It just takes a tiny bit to wash one item and using it straight from the detergent bottle almost guarantees overuse.