Household cleaning
Dettol Antibacterial Laundry Cleanser dupe
Why pay around £4.99 for Dettol? The bulk active is Benzalkonium chloride (BAC 50) diluted to ~2.4% — 88% less per working litre than a typical shelf pack.
From the retail pack to the active and the mix
1 · Retail
Dettol Antibacterial Laundry Cleanser
1.5 litres · £4.99 typical snapshot
Water, non-ionic surfactant and perfume
2 · Active
Quaternary ammonium compounds (DDAC + BAC)
2.4% on the label
68424-85-1C22H40ClN
Bulk Benzalkonium chloride (BAC 50) diluted to ~2.4%
3 · Mix
48 ml BAC 50 made up to 1 L (≈2.4% QAC bottle strength)
£0.19 per working litre · 88% less than the shelf pack
- Active
- Quaternary ammonium compounds (DDAC + BAC)
- CAS
- 68424-85-1
- Dupe
- Benzalkonium chloride (BAC 50) diluted to ~2.4%
- Saving
- 88% / L
Saving is per litre of working-strength mix versus a typical pack price, not versus the DIY kit total. Shop prices move — always check the listing.
Label teardown
What the pack promises versus what the label chemistry actually is.
The marketing claim
“Kills 99.9% of bacteria even at 15 °C”
The chemical reality
Dettol laundry cleanser is about 2.4% mixed quats (dialkyl dimethylammonium + benzalkonium) — the same cationic family as Zoflora, sold as a scented conditioner-drawer pour. Dilute BAC 50 to 2.4% and you have the biocide without the 1.5 L cotton-breeze tax. It is not PCMX Dettol spray and not bleach.
Active vs filler
2.4% Quaternary ammonium compounds (DDAC + BAC) · 98% carrier / filler — Water, non-ionic surfactant and perfume
- Typical retail
- £4.99
- 1.5 litres
- Estimated active cost
- £0.29
- Scaled from bulk £19.99 / 5 litres
- Indicative markup
- 17.3×
- Snapshot maths, not a live shop price
The Marketing Claim & The Catch
A 1.5 litres pack of Dettol Antibacterial Laundry Cleanser typically retails around £4.99 in household cleaning. That is a UK shelf-price snapshot for the maths on this page — not a live shop quote or a manufacturer RRP. Listings, sizes and deals move. The marketing line is that you are buying a finished lifestyle product, not a weighed chemical.
On the pack: Kills 99.9% of bacteria even at 15 °C; Add two caps to the fabric-softener drawer; and Fresh Cotton freshness.
The catch: Dettol laundry cleanser is about 2.4% mixed quats (dialkyl dimethylammonium + benzalkonium) — the same cationic family as Zoflora, sold as a scented conditioner-drawer pour. Dilute BAC 50 to 2.4% and you have the biocide without the 1.5 L cotton-breeze tax. It is not PCMX Dettol spray and not bleach.
- “Kills 99.9% of bacteria even at 15 °C”
- “Add two caps to the fabric-softener drawer”
- “Fresh Cotton freshness”
Proprietary Blend & Dosage Breakdown
The labelled active is Quaternary ammonium compounds (DDAC + BAC) at 2.4%. Everything else in the pack is water, non-ionic surfactant and perfume.
At 2.4% active, most of what you pay for is carrier and packaging. The brand is selling convenience, fragrance and a label — not a uniquely potent molecule.
Branded working strength is whatever comes out of the bottle. The bulk alternative is 50% Benzalkonium chloride (BAC 50) diluted to ~2.4%, mixed to 48 ml BAC 50 made up to 1 L (≈2.4% QAC bottle strength).
- Labelled active
- Quaternary ammonium compounds (DDAC + BAC)
- 2.4%
- Carrier
- Water, non-ionic surfactant and perfume
- Retail pack
- 1.5 litres · £4.99
The Active Chemical Alternative (Dupe Stack)
The dupe stack is Benzalkonium chloride (BAC 50) diluted to ~2.4% at 50% bulk. Indexed as CAS 68424-85-1, formula C22H40ClN. Buy it as 5 litres for around £19.99 from Amazon UK.
Working strength: 48 ml BAC 50 made up to 1 L (≈2.4% QAC bottle strength). Indicative cost £0.19 per diluted litre — 88% below a typical branded pack on a per-litre basis, before you reuse leftover bulk.
Follow the mixing method and the supplier SDS. Wear the listed PPE. Do not mix incompatible oxidisers, acids or ammonia.
- Gloves and splash goggles. Do not mix with bleach, acids or anionic detergent in a jug — they cancel a quat. Keep off ponds.
- Measure 48 ml of BAC 50 into a litre jug and top up with cold water to 1 litre (~2.4% QAC, matching the labelled laundry-cleanser band).
- Use as the branded bottle: about two capfuls (80–100 ml of this 2.4% mix) in the fabric-softener drawer on a normal wash. Do not pour neat BAC 50 into the machine.
- 5 litres of BAC 50 at 48 ml/L makes about 104 litres of bottle-strength cleanser — roughly seventy 1.5 L Dettol bottles.
- Label the jug. This is a laundry-biocide comparison, not a medicine. Skip it on wool and silk if the care label says no cationic conditioners.
Dilution recipe
1.5 L working batch
Working strength 48 ml BAC 50 made up to 1 L (≈2.4% QAC bottle strength). Educational estimate from the listed ratio — check the SDS before you mix.
Chemical
72 millilitres
Benzalkonium chloride (BAC 50) diluted to ~2.4%
Water
1.43 litres
Carrier / diluent
5% concentrate · 95% water by working volume (solids are dissolved into the water share).
Required PPE
Loading calculator…
Side-by-Side Price & Potency Comparison
Head-to-head comparison
| Measure | Retail brandedDettol | Raw active dupeDupeStack |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Antibacterial Laundry CleanserAmazon UK search — listing, not a confirmed seller | Benzalkonium chloride (BAC 50) diluted to ~2.4% |
| Pack / unit | 1.5 litres · £4.99 | 5 litres · £19.99 |
| Active | Quaternary ammonium compounds (DDAC + BAC) at 2.4%Carrier: Water, non-ionic surfactant and perfume | 50% bulkC22H40ClN |
| CAS number | Not disclosed on pack | 68424-85-1 |
| Working strength | Ready-to-use pack | Dilute 48 ml BAC 50 made up to 1 L (≈2.4% QAC bottle strength) |
| Cost per litre | £3.33 / L typical pack | £0.19 / L mixed from bulk |
| Headline saving | Baseline | 88% cheaper |
| COSHH / PPE | Follow the branded SDS | Gloves. Chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile or neoprene)Eye protection. Indirect-vent splash goggles — not ordinary spectaclesVentilation. Use outdoors or with mechanical extraction |
Active ingredient and cheaper alternative — FAQ
Is this the same as Dettol antibacterial surface spray?
No. Surface Dettol is chloroxylenol / PCMX (CAS 88-04-0). Laundry cleanser is a quat mix (BAC/DDAC, CAS 68424-85-1 family). Different kill mechanism — never treat them as one bottle.
Is this the same as Zoflora?
Same quat family, different job and strength. Zoflora is ~1.87% BAC in ethanol, then diluted 1:40 for worktops. Laundry cleanser is ~2.4% QAC used as a drawer dose (two caps). See the Zoflora teardown for kitchen 500 ppm maths — do not pour patio-strength BAC into a wash.
How do you mix the Antibacterial Laundry Cleanser dupe stack?
Gloves and splash goggles. Do not mix with bleach, acids or anionic detergent in a jug — they cancel a quat. Keep off ponds. Measure 48 ml of BAC 50 into a litre jug and top up with cold water to 1 litre (~2.4% QAC, matching the labelled laundry-cleanser band). Use as the branded bottle: about two capfuls (80–100 ml of this 2.4% mix) in the fabric-softener drawer on a normal wash. Do not pour neat BAC 50 into the machine. 5 litres of BAC 50 at 48 ml/L makes about 104 litres of bottle-strength cleanser — roughly seventy 1.5 L Dettol bottles. Label the jug. This is a laundry-biocide comparison, not a medicine. Skip it on wool and silk if the care label says no cationic conditioners.
DupeStack provides chemical concentration data and educational mixing guides only. Wellness pages compare food supplements, not medicines or prescribed treatments. Always review the supplier Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and comply with UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and COSHH regulations when handling concentrated substances. Mixing and storage are at your own risk. Some links are affiliate advertisements (Amazon Associates, eBay Partner Network, and Awin when those programmes are live). Commissions do not change listed concentrations or calculator output.
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Indicative DIY stack