When it comes to laundry products, I am always on the lookout for sales and savings. I am also particular about choosing laundry detergents that are eco-friendly and effective. So when it comes to saving money and saving the environment, it's an added bonus when you can save time, too, by having a detergent that works the way it should the first time you use it.

The ARM & HAMMER® Laundry product line can help make sense of managing household finances. Not only are the majority of their products environmentally friendly, they are affordable and provide lasting quality. Two of the products that I had been sent for review instantly caught my attention. Both of them are from the ARM & HAMMER Essentials® line.

2.03L/35 wash loads – SRP: $4.99 - $5.99 3.12L/55 wash loads – SRP: $6.99 - $7.99

First, the ARM & HAMMER Essentials® Liquid Laundry Detergent is not only dye free but also phosphate free as well. They make a perfume free version, which is what I would prefer to use, especially with my children's clothing, but their Mountain Rain scent is pleasant and light. Just the other day, my mother washed my son's outfit after he had an accident and used a brand of laundry detergent that contained a perfume so strong, it fills the room. When my son wore the same shorts, it would leave a lingering scent on my arm after I had picked him up. With ARM & HAMMER detergent, I am not bothered by the scent at all. It's also good to know that their "New Clean Rinse" formula leaves less residue. Call me crazy, though. I still find myself adding an extra rinse cycle when doing a load of my kids' laundry.

Did you know..? ARM & HAMMER Essentials® Liquid Laundry Detergent is:

• Perfect for home and cottage, these detergents are safe for septic tanks and contain biodegradable soaps.
• The biodegradable plant based soaps boosted with baking soda have the cleaning power to tackle stains providing clean, white, fresh laundry at a fraction of the cost of the leading liquid detergent
• These detergents are dual high efficiency compatible which means they can work effectively in standard machines and today’s technologically advanced high efficiency washers. 

SRP: $4.99 - $5.99

They also have their new ARM & HAMMER Essentials® Lavender & Linen Fabric Softener Sheets which contains biodegradable softening agents and natural essentials oils which come in 100% recycled paper board packaging (35% post consumer content. I find the scent of the dryer sheets a bit strong when you take them out of the box but when I use them in the dryer, it's not nearly as strong.

I was also able to try out the ARM & HAMMER plus OxiClean and plus OxiClean Power Gel. These are both surefire ways of effectively treating those difficult stains since OxiClean is the leading stain fighter in Canada. My friends first introduced me to OxiClean and swore it would remove some of the toughest stains and they were right. It's nice to have a laundry detergent that has OxiClean already in it. The Power Gel is also great for pre-treating stains as well. I use both of these sparingly as I would rather reserve them for fighting the really tough stains or my husband's work clothes.

To help make sense of saving cents, ARM & HAMMER has provided this laundry list:

• Go the Distance and look for products that provide more savings like ARM & HAMMER Essentials® Liquid Laundry Detergent that works out to $0.17 per wash load versus Tide Original at $0.21 per wash load.
• Stock Up when it comes to laundry items when they are on sale. This will help to cut down on overspending out of convenience as detergent and dryer sheets are items you’ll always use in your household.
• Cost for Quantity is always a good checkpoint. Try Arm & Hammer Essentials® Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets that offer 100 sheets per package – 20 sheets more than the leading brand for the same price. Match it with ARM & HAMMER® plus OxiClean® which is 66 per cent of the cost of the leading detergent on a per wash load basis.
• First Time’s a Charm when using products that fight stains the first time. Try using ARM & HAMMER Power Gel plus OxiClean® as it sticks and ensures the elimination of persistant stains.

You can visit www.armandhammer.ca for more laundry tips and to find out how you can save up to $10.75 in ARM & HAMMER in the Savings Centre.

Disclosure: I was sent samples of ARM & HAMMER laundry products to facilitate this review. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.