How to choose a laundry detergent

Front or top loader?

First a quick warning – don’t use detergents formulated for top loaders in front-loader machines. They create more suds which can cause issues in front loaders.

Which to choose?

• If you have an auto-dosing machine, choose a liquid.
• If you want convenience, your loads tend to be a similar size every time you wash, and you aren’t too worried about the cost, then choose capsules.
• For all other scenarios, we recommend sticking to powder or liquid, but check our test results before you choose which one. Liquids do tend to be a bit more expensive though.

What our testing shows

The following graph shows the highest and average dirt-removal scores from our testing for each detergent type. The average price per wash for the different types increases from left to right.

Dirt removal performance by type

Powder

* We only have the cost per wash for 5 of the 20 powders we tested, as many manufacturers don’t state the dosage.

The current top-two performing detergents in our test are powder, and powder remains the detergent of choice for many households.

However, the average overall score in our tests for all powder detergents is 58, with a wide range of scores around that, so we recommend checking our results.

Powder is the cheapest per wash of all the detergent types, but bear in mind that for a top loader you’ll need to use more detergent (usually around double the amount needed for a front loader) as they use way more water.

Pros

• Cheap.
• Can vary the dose based on load size.

Cons

• Some powders can clump together in their packs if they get damp, then leave residue on clothes.

Liquid

Liquid detergents aren’t, of course, susceptible to the clumping or dissolving issues that powders are, and it can be easier to measure their doses.

Liquids receive a range of scores in our testing, so check our results before you buy – not all liquids perform the same! Liquids are generally more expensive than powders too.

Pros

• Easy dose control using a measuring cap.
• Work with auto-dosing machines.

Cons

• More expensive per wash.

Capsules

Laundry capsules contain a concentrated liquid detergent inside a film that dissolves in water. You place them directly into the drum of your machine before you add the washing – don’t put them in the detergent drawer!

On average, capsules perform the best in our tests, and our third-top tested detergent is a capsule.

Pros

• Convenient – just chuck a capsule into the drum, with no need to measure out a dose.
• Best dirt-removal performance, on average.
• Never have to clean the detergent drawer!

Cons

• Most expensive of all laundry detergent types per wash.
• No dose control – so no good for smaller loads where you don’t need as much detergent, which can lead to residue on your clothes.

Laundry sheets

Last, and certainly least, are laundry sheets. These perform terribly in our tests (two out of the bottom three detergents tested are sheets), so are very hard to recommend.

Laundry sheets consist of a dissolvable sheet impregnated with a small amount of detergent – and herein lies the problem! The sheets don’t contain enough detergent to remove dirt effectively. Like capsules, they are placed into the drum prior to adding the washing.

Pros

• Convenient – just chuck a sheet into the machine.
• Never have to clean the detergent drawer!

Cons

• Terrible cleaning performance.
• Dose control is limited to tearing up sheets or adding extras.