The best and worst laundry detergents, according to Consumer Reports
With almost too many options to choose from, Consumer Reports is here to help you sort through the noise.
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We’ve hit laundry detergent overload. Go to the store to pick some up, and you’ll be faced with dozens of options—pods, liquid detergent, sheets, powder, all with a million different permutations.
Luckily, experts at Consumer Reports did some extensive testing to help us figure out which to buy.
“The best detergents from Consumer Reports’ tests do a stellar job of removing common stains like body oil and dirt, but they can also tackle tougher ones, like grass and blood,” it wrote. “The worst detergents? They’re barely better than water when it comes to removing stains from your laundry.”
Continue reading to see which will make your clothes shine—and which won’t be much help in getting out stains.
1 / 7
Best liquid laundry detergent for tough stains
Screenshot: Tide.com
For tough stains, CR suggests the Tide Plus Ultra Stain Release. “This liquid did a top job removing body oil, salad dressing, chocolate, and plain old dirt from our test samples,” it said. The only downside is it’s more expensive than many others.
2 / 7
Best value liquid laundry detergent
Screenshot: costco.com
Costco $COST’s Kirkland Signature Ultra Clean detergent impressed CR’s testers. It could easily remove body oil and salad dressing. It wasn’t as good as Tide for blood and grass stains, but came at a much cheaper price.
3 / 7
Best fragrance-free laundry detergent
Screenshot: costco.com
If you want a liquid detergent that’s fragrance free, CR suggests the Kirkland Signature Ultra Free & Clear. It’s great at removing stains, hypoallergenic, free of dyes and perfume, and doesn’t come at too hefty a cost.
4 / 7
Best laundry pods
Screenshot: bjs.com
CR said the Tide Plus Hygienic Clean Heavy Duty 10X Power Pods “lives up to its superhero moniker.” It gets rid of all major categories of stains tested, but you’re paying extra for the convenience of the pod and its strong performance.
5 / 7
Best laundry detergent sheets
Screenshot: https://www.armandhammer.com/
CR declared a tie for best laundry sheets—which are considered an environmentally-friendly alternative to pods and liquid detergent—between Arm & Hammer Power Sheets and Earth Breeze Liquidless Eco Sheets. Both are the best options available, but CR said neither are nearly as effective as liquid detergent of pods.
6 / 7
Best laundry detergent powder
Screenshot: amazon.com
CR was a fan of the Tide Original powder detergent, saying it could remove most, but not all, stains. Plus it comes cheap at just 21 cents a load.
7 / 7
Worst laundry detergents of all kind:
Screenshot: armandhammer.com
CR mentioned a a few of products to avoid, including:
- Dirty Labs Bio Free & Clear liquid detergent
- Arm & Hammer Plus OxiClean 5-in-1 Power Paks pods
- Tru Earth Eco Strips detergent sheets
- Molly’s Suds Original Unscented powder detergent
