I haven't ordered anything online yet, but I like using the Target website because I can usually find out if something is carried at my local Target, and where to find it. (I say usually, because sometimes really cheap items don't turn up in a search, but are there in the store.)

I certainly could see myself buying something that would be shipped to the store.

I've always used Tide with bleach, but only do an average of 3 loads a week, so if it's .25 vs .10 a load for a cheaper brand that's less than $2 a month savings.  I figure clothes are expensive and if Tide occasionally gets a stain that I didn't see it's worth it.

Still, I wonder if I'd really notice a difference if I switched...  The premium detergents seem to compete by cleaning the little wash clothes with specific stains that Consumer Reports uses.  And that hardly resembles my typical laundry.

Past all the other issues with making your own laundry products (possible build up from soap, hassle of assembling the product, etc), I have to question whether a DIY "detergent" would work very well. I haven't done tests, but I'd hypothesize that even a passable but not great budget commercial detergent would be better than the standard homemade formula that I see quoted all the time.

Only one way to find out, I suppose, and that's to try a switch.

In my experience, I have had mixed results. I think one possible factor is the washing machine quality. I've valued Tide and the like more and more as the washer quality went down. And I was happier with budget detergents as the washer quality improved.

I also think a lot depends on the nature of the laundry. When its just freshening up something (say, a shirt that has been worn but has not been stained), Tide may be overkill.

At one point, I had an idea that one could keep several detergents around, and just select the best for a given load. A load of shirts that only need freshening? Grab the budget detergent. A load of stained kitchen towels? Grab the Tide.