The everyday details · Melt Laundry
To compare detergent costs properly, divide the delivered price by the doses you actually use. Melt has 60 strips per pack, but a strip is not a fixed number of washes. Your dose can change with load size and soiling.
Start with the pack price
The standard new subscription is £13.50 delivered in the UK. A one-off pack is £15 plus £2.50 delivery, or £17.50 delivered. Before one-off delivery, £15 divided by 60 is 25p per strip. Subscription is 22.5p per strip; delivered one-off is about 29.2p per strip.
Then account for dose
At one strip per wash, those per-strip figures are also the detergent cost for that wash. At two strips they double; at half a strip they halve. These examples explain the arithmetic, not the recommended dose for your clothes. Follow the pack instructions.
Use the same basis for other formats
For liquid, compare the stated dose and usable volume. For powder, compare the required dose and pack weight. For pods, compare the number recommended for your load, rather than automatically counting each pod as a complete wash. Include delivery fees where applicable.
Do not confuse detergent with total laundry cost
Electricity, water, drying and machine wear are separate from detergent cost. This guide does not estimate those costs or claim that one format is always cheapest. Choose a suitable detergent dose first, then make a like-for-like price comparison.
Is Melt 22.5p per wash?
Only when a one-strip dose is appropriate and you use the standard £13.50 delivered subscription price. It is more precise to say 22.5p per strip.
From the journal: Shocking Laundry Statistics And How To Reduce Your Impact On Your Clothes, Your Bills, And The Environment
Guide updated 16 September 2026. Always follow your current pack instructions and garment care labels.