Procter & Gamble will compress laundry detergents to make packages smaller across all its brands by early next year.

For years, manufacturers of all types would offer their products in huge bottles to trick you into thinking you were getting more of their product. But the reality was that they would just dilute their formulas to fill up those big bottles. That practice will now be challenged by one of the industry leaders.

Why exactly is Procter & Gamble looking to bring compacted detergents to market? Because it means more money in their pockets. There are huge costs associated with packing and transporting bulky bottles or cartons of detergent.

"The new detergents will clean the same number of loads in a detergent carton that is smaller," The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "The compacted formulas and smaller cartons also allow for reduced fuel consumption for transport and a reduction in packaging."

So be sure to look at how many washes a package of detergent offers going forward, not the size of the box or bottle.

If you have an HE washer, those machines require even smaller amounts of detergent to get your clothes clean. You're not being better to your clothes by putting more detergent into an HE machine; you're just wasting money.

• Don't do all of your laundry on warm. Americans do this all the time. Sort clothes out and use different temperatures for different loads.
• Load the washer in proper order. For a traditional washing machine, this means start your water first, add your detergent second and add your clothes third. For a front-loading washer, you must load you clothes first, then add detergent and start the water.
• Don't wash your clothes every time you wear them. Something might not be dirty after wearing it just once or even twice. Americans do this more than anyone in the world, and it wears out our clothing.
• Buy a front loading washer. They are more expensive, but they save energy and get your clothes much cleaner. They also don't damage your clothes as much.