Xtra Detergent Review - Good For The Price But Scent Doesn't Last

by Melissa
(Lancaster, Ohio)

Melissa has provided a Xtra detergent review, of the Tropical Passion Scent and Mountain Fresh Scent.

Melissa says:

Okay, I am going to admit I am a product "switcher" when it comes to laundry, especially since I have lost my job. A year or so ago I would have told you I prefer Tide and Gain to all other detergents, but that is not the case anymore.


I buy what I can afford that performs well. But, sometimes I am skeptical and have avoided some brands thinking they won't be worth carrying home. And, honestly Xtra detergent was one of those brands.

So, about a month ago I was at the grocery store, and I needed some detergent, but everything was so high priced. I thought, "I am going to wait and hit the dollar store on the way home." Then I turned the corner to an end-cap and there was Xtra. The store had it on sale, two 75 ounce bottles for five dollars and they were offering a 1.00 dollar off coupon so that made it actually two for three dollars. I stopped for a minute and thought "I will give it a try, and worse case scenario I will use it only in towels and sheets." So I picked up 2 bottles, one was Tropical Passion and the other was a Mountain Fresh scent.


One of the first things I noticed was that Xtra detergent is made by the Arm and Hammer folks (Church & Dwight). That made me feel a little bit better.

I got the detergent home and decided to use it. I loaded my washer, and added the water, detergent and fabric softener.

I noticed there weren't many suds. That usually tells me the detergent is weak and not going to work well. I was thinking I wasted my money at that point. But, I let them finish washing. Much too my surprise, when I took the laundry out and examined it and put them in the dryer they looked clean and smelled clean.

I was very happy. I can't say it left any fragrance when they were dry. The clothes had no scent at all coming out of the dryer. I was a little disappointed then. However, for a buck fifty a bottle it will be okay and I will spritz on a little perfume if I want scent.

While, I might not recommend Xtra for heavily soiled clothes full of grease and so on, but I think for general laundry this detergent is a hidden little gem. It performs fairly well, it doesn't seem to fade your clothes and I had no allergies to it. I would say it would do the trick. It does seem a little thin and watery, and doesn't suds well but I don't think that affects the performance that much.

I say give it a try for yourself. It is not expensive and costs a whole lot less than Tide.

Taylor says:

Melissa, thanks for this Xtra detergent review.

I used to think that lots of suds make a detergent work better, but I am coming to learn with research that this is not necessarily the case, so I wouldn't worry to much about the lack of suds. ***Update - here is an article on low sudsing detergent can work just as well as one with lots of suds.***

However, there are all kinds of ingredients that go into detergent, so some do seem to clean better than others.

I'm glad you found something that will work for you at a good price. That can be very important.

You may also be interested in trying some homemade laundry detergent recipes, since these are quite inexpensive, and when you add some of your own essential oils recipes to add to the detergents you can make whatever scent you want.

Does anyone else have an opinion about Xtra detergent? If so, you can share your Xtra laundry detergent review here.

***Update: A couple of people have shared their comments with me about the fact that the scent of this detergent does not last, so I thought I would share them with you here.

First, an SR101 reader stated:

I don't like too much detergent perfume anyway. Personally, I like a laundry soap that comes out with no smell. Between soap, softener, dryer sheets, and all the things like shampoo, etc. we end up with way too many scents on us.

Further, another reader, Jill, shared this experience with the detergent. Jill said:

I had an allergic reaction to this detergent. I had terrible itching allergy to this detergent, and had to see a doctor. That seems like its too much perfume to me!

End update ***

In addition, you can share your other laundry detergent reviews here, telling me which detergent you find to be the best. I am especially interested in low cost detergent reviews, since I know money is very tight in this economy right now for many of us.

Xtra Laundry Soap Too Watery

by Michelle P.
(Green Bay, WI)

Michelle provided this Xtra laundry soap review.

Michelle says:

I bought Xtra liquid laundry detergent to try because it was much cheaper than my regular brand and I needed something to fit my budget this week. The local store I shop at had it on sale for $2 a bottle, otherwise it is usually $3.19 for the 68oz bottle.

The Tropical Passion scent smells good but the scent did not stay on the clothes after washing and drying, just like another reviewer mentioned.

I noticed when I was pouring the liquid in the measuring cup that it looked like mostly water. It did not have the creamy thicker look like my usual brand.

I did not have any stains on my clothes so I don't know how this detergent works for that but my guess is not very well.

I think this product is mostly water and not a good cleaner. I would not recommend it and I would not buy it again.

Taylor says:

Thanks Michelle for your Xtra laundry soap review.

Has anyone else used this detergent, in any scent, and want to share a review? If so, you can share your Xtra laundry detergent review here.

You can also share laundry detergent reviews here, for any brand, telling me what you think about them, good or bad.

Xtra Mountain Rain Detergent Ruined My Clothes

by Joan Suski
(Silver Creek, NY)

Joan says:

I purchased your product because of the price. Never again.

You need to know it ruined a new pair of slacks, husband shirt, summer tee shirt & 4 kitchen towels! All have large white spots on them!

There is no mention of Clorox on the bottle. I will tell others to be aware! I feel I should be reimbursed for this damage, especially for the brand new ladies slacks!

Taylor says:

Joan, I am sorry you had this bad experience with Xtra detergent. I know it is never a good feeling to ruin perfectly good clothing.

I would like you to know, however, that I am not in any was associated with the manufacturers but run an independent website which collects reviews of laundry detergents. Therefore, you should definitely call the customer service number on the back of the bottle of detergent and share this problem you've experienced with the real manufacturers. They should know about this.

On that note, have any other readers experienced similar problems with this detergent? If so, please share your reviews and experience here, or read additional information about this brand.

***Update - another reader has also written in with a similar experience, of it causing bleach marks on the clothes, this time with the Tropical Passion scent. Here's his story:

Eddie Hackett says:

I just want to say I purchased a bottle of your Xtra laundry soap, purple bottle -- Tropical Passion, and it was the worse experience of my life.

I washed a load of my work clothes and to my surprise they came from the washer all covered in white spots, like I poured bleach over them.

I was not impressed. Had to throw the whole lot of clothing out.

Would I buy it again? NEVER.

I hope in a way the company sees this. The only thing I found it useful for after that was cleaning the toilet and scrubbing floors.

Just a little peed off here in Prince Edward Island, Canada.

***End Update

Adequate For Basic Laundry Needs, But May Fade Clothes

by Cristopher
(Vinton, IA, USA)

As with many other reviewers, cost is what primarily drove me to try Xtra. I've found that, although it is suitable for cleaning my everyday work clothes when they are lightly soiled from general wear, it does not work well for stains or heavier-soiled clothing. In those cases I not only had to use more Xtra, I also had to add some Clorox 2, which pretty much eliminated the cost advantage.

Although I have tried both the Calypso Fresh and Tropical Passion scents, I cannot fairly comment on how good the "after" scent is because I always use liquid fabric softener (a necessity because I air-dry all of my laundry), which I've noticed tends to overpower or replace any lingering detergent scent on my laundry regardless of what type of detergent I use.

Ultimately though, I had to stop using Xtra after it started making my laundry fade. I switched to Tide Coldwater, and haven't turned back since.

So, if you do decide to use Xtra, make sure you keep an eye on your laundry to make sure it doesn't start to fade. Also, you might want to keep a jug of Clorox 2 or similar on hand for more heavily-soiled laundry that the Xtra can't handle by itself.

Xtra Detergent Good Value Up Front But Only With Oxiclean Version Worth It

by Jared
(South Dakota)

Jared shared his review of Xtra detergent, including sharing a review of a version of this laundry soap I didn't realize that the company had before -- one with Oxiclean in it.

Jared says:

I used to buy XTRA all of the time when I was on my own as a bachelor. My dad used XTRA as well and I figured it was a pretty good value for the money.

Well, now that I'm married and I've wisened up a bit as the "laundry guy" of the house, I've started trying the more expensive brands - Era, Gain, Cheer. I've bought XTRA a few times in between then when it is on sale.

I have generally found XTRA to be a good value up front, but I'm reminded every time that my clothes don't smell nearly as nice compared to when I'm using Gain or Cheer.

The detergent is also more watery. And while you don't need much detergent for basic loads, soiled loads require more cleaning power. With XTRA, you are required to use a cap full or more, which results in less of a value. This takes the number of loads from 50 down to about 30. (This is how they make their money.)

The only XTRA that I have been consistently impressed with (and haven't seen for awhile) is the OXI Clean XTRA. It comes in a blue bottle with a yellow cap. It smells great and is a very good detergent.

Forget the Scent-sations, the smell doesn't last outside of the bottle. And the normal XTRA is just flowery water.

If you are going to go with a budget detergent, Era is the best value on the market! Period! If you can't get Era, then All, Sun, Purex, and this Oxy XTRA are great values as well.

Taylor says:

Thanks so much for your review of this detergent, as well as lower cost laundry detergents in general Jared. I think, in this economy, that people need more low cost laundry detergent options.

I had never heard of Xtra with Oxiclean in it before, but it makes sense, since this detergent is made by Church & Dwight, the same company which makes Oxiclean and Arm & Hammer detergent.

Looking on Xtra's website though, I don't see this detergent listed. I don't know if that is because they've phased it out, or it is so new they haven't added it yet to the list. Since you say you can't find it anymore I am guessing they've phased it out. That's too bad, but the Arm & Hammer brand still has Oxiclean added to several versions of their detergent, and they are also pretty low cost. You can read reviews of Arm & Hammer detergent plus Oxiclean here.

***Update: I believe they still make it, and that the company's website is just not very up to date. An SR101 reader wrote in with their quick thoughts of this particular version:

The only place I find Xtra with Oxiclean is at the Dollar General store. Walmart doesn't carry it.

I do agree that it is way better than the other Xtra varieties. I use it quite a bit. Era with oxi is my favorite but this gets the job done too!

Xtra Detergent: Recommended For Limited Purposes Because It's Cheap

by David
(North Florida)

Dave has shared how he uses this detergent in his home, and what he does and does not use it on.

Dave says:

Not surprisingly, in this price range, one can't expect much. That being said, this detergent definitely has its uses.

I'm the sole caretaker of an elderly parent, and as such my washing machine is seldom idle. My meager income demands that I spend as little as possible whenever possible, and that makes Xtra a good choice for someone in my position...that is if you understand the limitations of the product.

First, never use this detergent on anything particularly important or delicate. It will, as some other reviewers have mentioned, cause discoloration if you breathe the wrong way, or the barometric pressure changes.

It's also woefully inadequate when it comes to heavily soiled items, like my grease stained post auto repair garments. For that sort of thing, stick with Tide, Wisk or Target's "Up and Up" brand. "Up and Up" is as effective as Tide at half the price (Consumer's Reports).

I recommend Xtra (but only if your budget demands it) used in combination with household bleach for cleaning towels, sheets, blankets and pillows. Unfortunately, its not good for much else.

Taylor says:

Thanks Dave for giving us these tips on how you use this detergent.

I've been meaning to try Up & Up myself since I read that Consumer's Report article. I'll have to get it on my list of detergents to try soon, thanks for the reminder!

I Use Xtra ScentSations For Cleaning All Over My Home

by QueenKleen
(Pittsburgh)

This stuff is a best kept secret. I love the scent (especially Spring Sunshine) and it does a great job cleaning.

I actually have been using it to clean around my house and it cleaned some filthy grease off of my walls, it cleaned my plastic refrigerator handle very well, it cleans my floors, stainless steel sink, tub, so well that it sparkles.

I have used the Tropical Island scented detergent on my clothes in the past and it seemed to work well. I like using hot water with this but I used warm water to soak some dingy clothes and it really works. I don't find that the Spring Sunshine scented one is thin at all rather it is kind of thick.

Try using it to clean around the house. It rinses so clean. I even used it in my toilet.

I paid $1.50 for 45oz. Inexpensive but it really works as an all around cleaner.

It Didn't Work At All!

by Lisa
(Fayetteville, NC)

I bought this detergent, thinking of the amazing low price. Big mistake.

It was like I never even washed my clothes!

My hubby and I were not pleased to say the least, considering when I tried it, my washer was down, so we paid money to wash at laundry mat!! :(

Xtra Laundry Soap Review - A Great Value

by Kirsten
(Kansas City, Missouri, USA)

Kirsten has provided this Xtra laundry soap review, of the Tropical Passion scent.

Kirsten says:

Xtra is the only detergent I buy. It is always half the price of leading detergent brands, and is therefore a great buy for any family.

There are a variety of scents available. My favorite is Tropical Passion, which contains a fun blend of scents that I prefer.

Even though Xtra is lower in price it isn't thin like some of those detergents can be. Instead, it is a thick liquid soap that covers laundry well and washes away clean.

I like that Xtra rids my family's clothing of dust, dirt and most grime.

In my opinion it is the perfect combination of thick scented soap that does not leave a soap residue behind.

The only thing I would change about the product is the bottles. Like all laundry detergent the bottles are thick plastic and should be refillable so they don't create so much waste.

Taylor says:

Thanks Kirsten for your Xtra detergent review.

As you can see you aren't the first person to review this detergent, but there seems to be some disagreement about whether it is thick or too watery.

Of course, as I said above, just because a laundry detergent is watery does not necessarily mean it does not work well. At least to a certain extent that is a marketing gimmick.

However, results don't lie, so I would love to hear even more people's opinions and experiences with Xtra laundry detergent.

So, has anyone else used Xtra and want to share your own review? If so, you can share your Xtra laundry detergent review here.

In addition, you can share your laundry detergent reviews here for any brand, telling me what you think about it and how it has worked for you.

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