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There are few household appliances that will get more use than your washing machine. Finding a laundry detergent that works with your washer to keep your clothes fresh and stain-free is essential. To help you select the detergent that’s right for you, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the best laundry detergents on Amazon. Here are our top five recommendations.
Top 4 Laundry Detergents
- Best Laundry Pods: Tide PODS Laundry Detergent Soap
- Best For Families: Gain Laundry Detergent Liquid Plus Aroma Boost
- Best For Babies: Dreft Stage 1: Newborn Hypoallergenic Liquid Baby Laundry Detergent
- Best For Sensitive Skin: Tide Free & Gentle Liquid Laundry Detergent
Best Laundry Pods
Tide PODS Laundry Detergent Soap
- $23.44
- $38.99
- 40% off
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- Comes with 96 pods
- Dissolves in hot and cold water
- Contains stain and odor fighters
- Has a concentrated formula
What Customers Are Saying
Reviewers who liked the pods said that they were convenient and had a pleasant smell. Negative reviewers said they didn’t clean clothes thoroughly. Some customers even said that they got stuck to their clothing.
Best For Families
Gain Laundry Detergent Liquid Plus Aroma Boost
- $35.71
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- Comes with two 2.2-liter bottles of liquid detergent
- Works in all washing machines, including with cold water
- Offers six weeks of freshness from wash to wear
- Contains perfume microcapsules
What Customers Are Saying
Customers who liked this detergent said that it was long-lasting, had a pleasing scent, and didn’t cause skin irritation. However, other customers said that the product was too watery and that its bottle leaked easily.
Best For Babies
Dreft Stage 1 Newborn Hypoallergenic Liquid Baby Laundry Detergent
- $35.71
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- Comes with two 1.5-liter bottles of liquid detergent
- Doesn’t leave behind harsh residue
- Contains protein-removal enzymes
- Recognized as the #1 pediatrician recommended detergent
- Has a hypoallergenic formula
What Customers Are Saying
Happy customers liked this detergent because it provided freshness, accommodated sensitive skin, and removed tough stains. Those who were dissatisfied didn’t like its strong scent or its leak-prone lid.
Best For Sensitive Skin
Tide Free & Gentle Liquid Laundry Detergent
- $12.97
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- Comes with one 2.7-liter bottle of liquid detergent
- Recognized by the National Eczema Association and National Psoriasis Foundation
- Has a hypoallergenic and dye-, perfume-, and phosphate-free formula
What Customers Are Saying
Customers who left positive reviews said that the product had eco-friendly packaging, didn’t cause skin irritation, and was easy to use. However, some customers said that there wasn’t enough detergent in the bottle considering its hefty price.
Buyer’s Guide
There are many factors to consider when deciding which laundry detergent is best for your everyday needs. Keep reading to learn about them.
Type of Detergent
There are three types of laundry detergents.
Liquid
Liquid detergents are preferable for removing stains, such as oil and grease, and washing fabrics in cold water. However, they can be tough to measure, and they’re difficult to transport because their bottles are bulky.
Powder
Powder detergent is normally the cheapest and most environmentally friendly option. Powdered detergent is also preferable for customers who plan to wash clothes with untreated hard water or those who need to remove basic stains, such as grass and mud. However, powdered detergents often don’t dissolve fully in cold water, which can leave residue on your clothes.
Pods
Pod detergents are lightweight and premeasured. The cons of pods include that they’re more expensive than liquid and powdered detergents and that they’re designed for average-sized loads.
Type of Washing Machine
Almost all detergents work with standard washing machines. However, if you have a high-efficiency (HE) washer, make sure the detergent you buy is compatible with it. Oftentimes, detergents will be compatible with non-HE washing machines or both non-HE and HE washing machines.
Eco-Friendliness
Liquid detergents often come in large plastic bottles that add trash to landfills if your area doesn’t accept them as recyclable items. Detergents that use an excessive amount of chemicals can also be bad for the environment. Plant-based detergents are becoming more common, but they can sometimes be less effective.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I determine how much detergent to use?
Consider the type of washing machine, the size of the load, and the concentration of the detergent when determining how much detergent to use. For HE washers and 2X-concentration detergents, use two tablespoons. Use one tablespoon of 4X detergent and a quarter of a tablespoon of 10X detergent with HE washers. The typical rule of thumb with non-HE washers is to use half of the amount recommended by the manufacturer, as manufacturers typically overestimate how much is needed to clean your clothes.
What is the difference between unscented and fragrance-free detergents?
Unscented detergents sometimes use additional ingredients to mask the smell of their ingredients. However, fragrance-free detergent doesn’t have additional ingredients to mask its smell.
How dangerous is it to ingest laundry detergent?
Laundry detergent is filled with chemicals that can cause stomach pain, vomiting, wheezing, and other symptoms that could lead to hospitalization. Be sure to keep your detergent in a safe place that’s only accessible to adults to avoid potential sickness. If the detergent is ingested, call Poison Control immediately.
Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team
This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Reviews Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations.
We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.
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