Laundry Detergent Options Explained

Laundry detergent comes in a variety of forms, including liquid, powder, and pods. Liquid detergents are often preferred for their convenience and ability to dissolve easily in water.

The most common types of laundry detergent are enzyme-based and non-enzyme-based. Enzyme-based detergents contain biological enzymes that break down protein-based stains, while non-enzyme-based detergents rely on surfactants and builders to clean clothes.

Some laundry detergents are specifically designed for high-efficiency (HE) washing machines, which use less water and energy than traditional machines. HE detergents are formulated to produce fewer suds and are designed to work well in cold water.

If you have sensitive skin, you may want to consider using a fragrance-free or hypoallergenic laundry detergent to minimize irritation.

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Tide Free & Gentle Liquid Laundry Detergent is the top pick for its ability to tackle a wide variety of stains and odors.

It's an excellent cleaner, handling sebum, tough stains like blackberry and mayonnaise, and even pig blood with ease. In fact, it was one of the best at removing blood, even after the stain sat overnight.

Tide Free & Gentle Liquid Laundry Detergent is free of dyes and fragrances, making it a great option for those with allergies or sensitivities. It's also a certified EPA Safer Choice product and carries seals from the National Psoriasis Foundation and the National Eczema Association.

Persil Original Liquid Detergent Everyday Clean is a close second, but its strong scent may be polarizing. It's a powerful cleaner that removed more cocoa stains than any other detergent, but it fell short on peat, butter, and wine stains.

Persil Original Liquid Detergent Everyday Clean has a particularly concentrated formula, requiring smaller doses of detergent per load. It also has a useful measuring cap that's smaller and easier to dose with.

Related reading: Persil Laundry Detergents

Powder detergents are a great option for tackling tough stains like mud, clay, and peat.

They're also effective at removing stains from tannins, such as red wine and tea, and other natural pigments like beta-carotene and turmeric.

Some powder detergents, like our top pick, are designed to dissolve rapidly and completely in cold water.

However, powders can be a challenge to dispense neatly.

Using too much powder detergent can leave behind residue that causes colors to fade more easily.

But fabric care experts say that's not necessarily a problem with the powder itself, but rather with how it's used.

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Tide Free & Gentle Liquid Laundry Detergent is the top pick for its excellent cleaning performance and ability to tackle a wide variety of stains and odors.

It successfully removed sebum, blackberry, mayonnaise, butter, chocolate, wine, and pig blood stains in testing. In fact, it was one of the best at removing blood, even after the stain sat overnight.

Tide Free & Gentle liquid detergent is free of dyes and fragrances, making it a great option for those with allergies or sensitivities.

It's also a certified EPA Safer Choice product and carries seals from the National Psoriasis Foundation and the National Eczema Association.

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This detergent eliminates odors well, thoroughly removing pet messes and funky teenage smells in one cycle.

It's a top performer in stain strip tests and eliminates stains from natural pigments, such as turmeric.

Tide Free & Gentle liquid detergent is also a great option for those looking for a cost-effective solution, with a price per load of 20¢.

If you're a fan of laundry pods, you'll love Tide Pods Free & Gentle Laundry Detergent. It's a good cleaner, but not as well-rounded as our top picks.

Tide Pods Free & Gentle Laundry Detergent did a good job overall of removing or lessening a variety of stains, though not quite as well as our powder and liquid picks. The pods primarily fell short in removing the most challenging stains, especially a combination of animal fat and dye and used engine oil.

These pods are convenient to carry and easy to use, but you sacrifice some cleaning power with pods. They're more versatile than most pods, slightly smaller than other pods we tested, making it easier to adjust your dose up and down accordingly.

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You can't use them to pretreat stains, nor can you precisely measure the amount of detergent you want in the same way you can with liquids or powders. But, they come in a childproof package and contain a bittering agent that would cause someone to spit it out quickly if unintentionally ingested.

Tide Pods Free & Gentle Laundry Detergent is scent-free, which is a big plus for those who prefer a fragrance-free detergent. The price per load is 34¢ for an 81-count package.

Powders can be a challenge to dispense neatly, but some newer powders are designed to dissolve rapidly and completely in cold water.

Powder detergents tend to clean soil-based stains like mud, clay, and peat better than liquids, and they also tackle stains from tannins and other natural pigments effectively due to the presence of sodium percarbonate.

Powder detergents can be considered harsher on fabrics, causing dyes to fade more easily, but this is likely due to residue from using too much detergent rather than the detergent itself.

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Powders are a great option for tackling tough stains, especially those caused by soil, mud, clay, and peat. They tend to be more effective on these types of stains than liquid detergents.

Powders often contain sodium percarbonate, the main ingredient in OxiClean, which is delivered most effectively in powder form. This is why powders can tackle stains from tannins, like red wine and tea, and other natural pigments, like beta-carotene and turmeric.

However, powders can be a challenge to dispense neatly, and they may not dissolve well in cold water. Some newer powders, like our top pick, are designed to dissolve rapidly and completely.

Powder detergent is sometimes considered harsher on fabrics, causing dyes to fade more easily. But fabric care experts say that color fading is likely due to residue from using too much detergent.

Bleaches are a type of laundry detergent that target oxidisible organic stains, which are usually of vegetable origin.

Laundry bleaches don't contain household bleach, but instead use stable adducts of hydrogen peroxide like sodium perborate and sodium percarbonate.

These adducts are inactive as solids, but will release hydrogen peroxide when exposed to water, making them effective at removing tough stains.

The main targets of bleaches are stains like chlorophyll, anthocyanin dyes, tannins, humic acids, and carotenoid pigments, which are often found in vegetable-based stains.

Hydrogen peroxide is not effective as a bleach at temperatures below 60 °C (140 °F), which is why hot washes were traditionally the norm.

The development of bleach activators in the 1970s and 1980s changed this, allowing for cooler washing temperatures to be effective.

Laundry detergent may seem like a harmless household item, but its environmental impact is a growing concern.

Phosphates in detergent became an environmental concern in the 1950s and were eventually banned due to their contribution to eutrophication, particularly with poor wastewater treatment.

The EEC Directive 73/404/EEC stipulates an average biodegradability of at least 90% for all types of surfactants used in detergents.

Some laundry detergents can make wash water acidic, similar to acid rain, and impact the environment in various ways.

The carbon footprint of using laundry detergent is significant, with the carbon footprint of using UK detergent brand Tesco varying from 1.3 pounds to 1.9 pounds per load, depending on the form of the detergent.

For perspective, this is equivalent to about 480 pounds per year for an average American family that does 300 loads of laundry per year.

The toxic effects of chemical components in detergents are also a concern, including toxicity to aquatic organisms and algae, persistence in the environment, and health problems in people, such as cancer.

Some green laundry detergent options include detergents designed to work well in cold water, which can save energy and reduce carbon emissions.

Concentrated formulas are another environmentally friendly option, as they cut down on packaging and the amount of water required to make the detergent.

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Here are some key statistics on the environmental impact of laundry detergent:

Making your own laundry detergent is another option, as it typically uses fewer chemicals and additives, and can save on packaging.

However, be aware that clothing washed with homemade detergent may require bleaching, and it may not get stains out as well as some commercially produced detergents.

Laundry detergent ingredients can vary depending on the expected circumstances of use. Many other ingredients are added to modify the foaming properties, viscosity, or solubility of the solution.

Corrosion inhibitors counteract damage to washing equipment, while dye transfer inhibitors prevent dyes from one article from coloring other items. These inhibitors are typically polar water-soluble polymers that bind to dyes.

Antiredeposition agents like carboxymethyl cellulose prevent fine soil particles from reattaching to the product being cleaned. Commercial or industrial laundries may also use a laundry sour to neutralize remaining alkali surfactants and remove acid-sensitive stains.

Surfactants, which make up about 15% of laundry detergents, are responsible for most of the cleaning performance. They work by absorption and emulsification of soil into the water and by reducing the water's surface tension to improve wetting.

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Dirty Labs Clear Bio is a hyper-concentrated liquid detergent that's an effective stain remover. It's strong, lingering scent can be polarizing, but it comes in a fragrance-free formula as well.

This detergent is free from many potential irritants and comes in a recyclable aluminum bottle. However, it's expensive and may not be the best choice for those on a budget.

One of the benefits of Dirty Labs Clear Bio is that it comes in single-dose pods, which are light and easy to use. These pods take some of the guesswork out of dosing detergent, but they don't allow you to precisely adjust the amount for larger or smaller loads.

The hyper-concentrated formula of Dirty Labs Clear Bio calls for smaller doses than other detergents, which can take some getting used to. It's also worth noting that the detergent comes in recyclable aluminum packaging and with a reusable silicone beaker for measuring.

Laundry detergents may contain a variety of ingredients, including builders, which make up about 50% of the product by weight.

Builders help to remove dirt and stains from clothes, and they can also help to prevent the formation of residue on fabrics. Laundry detergents may also contain surfactants, which are responsible for most of the cleaning performance.

Surfactants work by absorbing and emulsifying soil into the water, and they also reduce the water's surface tension to improve wetting. Anionic and non-ionic surfactants are the most common types used in laundry detergents.

Laundry detergents may also contain enzymes, which are used to break down protein-based stains, such as those caused by milk, blood, or grass. Enzymes are especially useful for removing tough stains like chocolate and egg yolk.

Some laundry detergents may also contain fragrances, which are typically a mixture of many compounds, including terpene alcohols and their esters, as well as aromaticaldehydes and synthetic musks. Fragrances can be a pleasant addition to laundry detergent, but they can also cause skin irritation in some people.

Other ingredients in laundry detergents include corrosion inhibitors, which help to prevent damage to washing equipment, and optical brighteners, which can help to make clothes appear whiter and brighter.

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When adding ingredients to your homemade laundry detergent, remember to avoid a few things that may do more harm than good. Avoid using ingredients that may cause skin irritation or allergic reactions, such as fragrances and dyes.

Opting for fragrance-free detergent can be a good option, but be aware that some fragrance-free detergents may still contain dyes that can cause skin problems.

Fragrances and dyes can also cause discoloration on certain fabrics, so it's best to avoid them altogether.

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Homemade laundry detergent is a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to store-bought detergent. It's made with simple ingredients like Borax, washing soda, and soap flakes, which can be found in most grocery stores.

Making homemade laundry detergent is a straightforward process that requires grating a pure bar soap, mixing it with Borax and washing soda, and storing it in an airtight container. You can make small batches, which is best for preventing clumping.

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A batch of homemade laundry detergent makes enough for 80 loads in a high-efficiency washer or 27 loads in a standard washer, which is roughly equivalent to 11 weeks' worth of laundry detergent if you wash one load daily. You can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the detergent mixture for a pleasant scent.

Here's a quick guide to using homemade laundry detergent:

Homemade laundry detergent is generally not the best stain remover, so it's best to keep an all-purpose stain remover handy and pretreat stains before washing.

Making homemade laundry detergent is a simple and cost-effective process. You can make a batch that lasts for 80 loads in a high-efficiency washer or 27 loads in a standard washer, which is equivalent to 11 weeks' worth of laundry detergent if you wash one load daily.

To make homemade laundry detergent, you'll need to grate a pure bar soap, such as Zote or Castile soap, into 1 cup of flakes. You can also use pre-made soap flakes like Zote Flakes or Ivory Snow.

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Grating the soap is a crucial step, as it allows the soap to dissolve properly in the wash water. The Spruce recommends using a box grater to grate the soap into flakes.

Mixing the ingredients is also important. Combine 2 cups of Borax, 2 cups of washing soda, and 1 cup of your grated soap flakes in a container with a tightly fitted lid. The Spruce suggests using a glass or plastic container that's slightly larger than five cups.

Here's a list of the ingredients you'll need to make a batch of homemade laundry detergent:

Keep in mind that homemade laundry detergent generally won't expire or lose effectiveness unless exposed to excess moisture. If the detergent becomes hard or develops clumps, it's best to discard it and make a fresh batch.

Homemade laundry detergent is effective at removing everyday soil from a load of laundry, but it's not always the best stain remover.

There are no active enzymes in homemade laundry detergent to break apart specific stains.

The laundry detergent market is a fascinating topic, and it's interesting to note that worldwide, powdered and liquid detergents hold roughly equal market share in terms of value.

Powdered detergent is more widely used, with sales measuring 14 million metric tons in 2018, double that of liquids. In many emerging markets, powdered detergent is the preferred choice, including Africa, India, China, and Latin America.

In some parts of the world, powdered detergents have a significant market share, such as in eastern Europe and some western European countries, where they have an advantage over liquids in whitening clothes. According to Desmet Ballestra, powdered detergents have a 30-35% market share in western Europe.

The powdered detergent market is growing annually by 2 percent, as reported by Lubrizol.

Some laundry detergents come in a variety of scents, like Peppermint, which is a popular choice.

People seem to love the smell of Peppermint laundry detergent, as one reviewer noted, "Love it smells so good!"

It's also worth noting that Peppermint laundry detergent is effective at cleaning clothes, as another reviewer mentioned, "Cleans good".

Laundry sheets are a relatively new alternative to laundry detergent pods, but they're not as effective as they claim to be. They use the same petroleum-based PVA/PVOH that encases pods.

Most laundry sheets don't contain enzymes, which are a key ingredient in effective cleaning. Four out of five brands we tested don't have enzymes.

Laundry sheets are also terrible cleaners, and they don't offer any advantage over pods in terms of convenience or environmental impact. They're basically a waste of time and money.

Tide Evo tiles, on the other hand, are a solid, fibrous detergent that cleans better than most solid detergents we tried.

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Tide Pods Free & Gentle Laundry Detergent is a convenient option for those who prefer pods. They are easy to use and carry.

They are good cleaners, but not as well-rounded as our picks. These pods did a good job overall of removing or lessening a variety of stains.

Tide Pods Free & Gentle Laundry Detergent primarily fell short in removing the most challenging stains, especially a combination of animal fat and dye and used engine oil. They are more versatile than most pods, being slightly smaller than other pods we tested.

You can't use them to pretreat stains. You cannot precisely measure the amount of detergent you want in the same way you can with liquids or powders.

They are scent-free, which is a plus for those with sensitivities. The packaging is secure, with a childproof package and a bittering agent that would cause someone to spit it out quickly if unintentionally ingested.

The price per load is 34¢ for an 81-count package. This is a reasonable price for a convenient and effective option.

Laundry Detergent Scents can be a great way to add some personality to your laundry routine. The Cozy comfort of Lavender & Lime scent is a popular choice for families who value a healthy and relaxing atmosphere.

This scent is specifically designed to be gentle on skin and fabrics, making it a great option for households with sensitive members. Love it smells so good, and it's a sentiment shared by many who use the Peppermint scent.

Peppermint is a refreshing and invigorating scent that can leave your clothes smelling clean and revitalized. It's a great choice for those who want a laundry detergent that not only cleans well but also leaves a pleasant aroma.

People swear by Rustic Strength's laundry detergent for its ability to make clothes smell fresh and wonderful.

Many customers have reported using the detergent to reduce or eliminate their allergies and sensitivities, as one customer mentioned they no longer coughed after switching to Rustic Strength.

The alpaca dryer balls are a game-changer for customers who want to save money and reduce static cling in their laundry.

Some customers prefer the unscented option, while others love the variety of scents available, like orange/lemon and fresh linen.

The detox laundry bundle is a popular choice for customers who want to deep clean their clothes and feel the freshness last longer.

One customer even mentioned using the hand soap in a small container to carry with them in their purse, so they can avoid harsh-smelling soaps in public restrooms.

Rustic Strength's products are known for being gentle on skin and the environment, with one customer raving about the plain Jane hand soap being "so gentle" with "NO scent!!".