5 Surprising Things We Learned About Laundry Detergents

By Carolyn Forte

You might think that after all the laundry detergents we've tested at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute there really wouldn't be much we didn't know about them. Not true. Every time we undertake a comprehensive product evaluation we learn something new, even in a category we've tested many times before. Here's what our most recent investigation of 74, yes, you read right, 74 liquid, powder, and single-dose laundry detergents taught us:

1. Detergents are doing a better job in cold water than they used to As consumers have dialed down wash temperatures and opted for more cold water cycles to save energy, detergent manufactures have responded. Many of our test detergents, even those not specifically formulated for use in cold water, did a good job removing stains from the cotton and polyester swatches we washed in cold water. If you're thinking of switching to low temperature washing, give your usual detergent a try. If the results aren't satisfactory, consider a cold-water detergent. The best one in our test was Ultra Tide Coldwater Powder.

2. Plant-based detergents have improved

Cleaners touting an environmental message have become much more mainstream as I'm sure you've noticed in your local supermarket or mass retailer. And fortunately, most of them also work much better that the "green" formulas we tested years ago did. For this study, we included 22 plant-based products in our evaluation and 16 did a very acceptable job removing our tough stains. The best overall was Ecover Zero Laundry Powder.

Related: The Top Washers From Our Test

3. Convenience doesn't always cost more Six of the detergents in our test were the new single-dose packets. Like those for dishwashing, the packets couldn't be easier to use. With them, there's no more measuring and no more messy spills. Simply place one packet (two for heavily soiled loads) in your washer's drum, add your clothes and start the cycle. In our tests, they dissolved in both hot and cold water. One of our favorites, Arm & Hammer's Toss N' Done Power Paks did the job at just 33 cents for a heavily-soiled load, significantly less than other powders and liquids we tested.

4. Detergents with bleach don't necessarily remove more stains Detergents with bleach additives save you a step by eliminating the need to add a separate all-fabric or color-safe bleach. But in our tests, these formulas didn't actually remove our stains any better than their non-bleach counterparts did. What these ingredients will do is help keep whites white and colors bright, but don't buy them just to remove stains. In most instances, they won't do that any better than a regular detergent will. To really help with stains, you'll have to add bleach separately.

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5. And one fact we already knew... No detergent gets out every stain Not one of the 74 detergents we tested removed every stain from every fabric. And we didn't expect them to. Detergents can only do so much, especially when stains are set in. That's why it's really important to blot stains as soon as they happen, to pre-treat or presoak them before washing, and to keep stained items out of the dryer. Air dry any garment you've treated for stains until you are certain that the stains are completely removed.

To see which detergents topped our test, check out our report on the best laundry detergents. For 24/7 stain removal advice, consult our online Stain Buster Tool. Need new, energy-efficient laundry appliances? Check out our latest online reviews of washers and dryers.

What laundry detergent do you use at home? Got any great stain-fighting tips? Let me know in the comments!

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