This $3 Piece of Plastic Has Transformed My Laundry Routine
I have a favorite laundry detergent. It smells nice, it’s easy to find, and the bottle is small enough that I can lift it even when my joints are painin’. Unfortunately, the bottle SUCKS. I have tried to figure out HOW you use this detergent without slowly ending up with a bottle covered in soap, and I just don’t think it’s possible. The best I came up with was getting a silicone potholder to place underneath the bottle, so that the drippy soap wouldn’t get all over the shelf. A few weeks ago I was in Target, about to buy another bottle of this soap that I like, but also drives me truly bonkers, when a miracle happened. It was out of stock. I paced the aisle trying to find something else that I would like as well, and then, in a laundry related come to Jesus moment, I decided it was time to make a BIG change. (I love laundry so please know I’m not being hyperbolic when I say 1) This IS a big change and 2) I feel very passionately about laundry routines.)
I decided it would be more cost effective, less messy, and less stressful to buy a massive container of laundry detergent at Costco. Costco is truly one of my favorite places, and whenever I can incorporate another household staple into my Costco run it feels like a victory (again, I am being completely sincere). BUT, those big ass containers at Costco, while being better for your wallet, the environment, and your mental health, are HUGE and require the right setup. When I lived in an apartment and had to hike down to the basement to do laundry? There’s no way this would work. I stood in the Costco aisle Googling how the hell people use these things. Turns out, there’s a product for that. It’s this piece of plastic that costs $17, and I could probably make a similar device out of cardboard boxes for free. There’s also this clip on plastic shelf, for just $10. Also ridiculous.
But Target came through with this cup caddy from Arm & Hammer, that’s less than $3 and works perfectly. The thing about these massive detergent containers is that they’re meant to hang over the edge of a shelf, or your machine, or a $17 plastic altar. BUT then you get drippy soap all over the place. With this cup caddy is a reasonably priced collapsible plastic shelf that slides under your detergent bottle and holds the cup, so not only are drips kept off your stuff, but it drips right into the cup, so you don’t waste product.
