Best Laundry Detergents

Types of detergents

Whether you’re meticulous about separating whites and colours, or you like to throw everything in the machine, there’s a wide range of liquid and powder detergents to choose from.

While we’re by no means going to end the powder vs. liquid debate once and for all, understanding the differences between detergents will help you find something that suits you, your washing machine, and your laundry.

Powder detergent

Laundry powder is the most commonly used detergent, but there’s a lot to consider about this tried and true product.

Liquid detergent

While it hasn’t quite overtaken powder as the most popular detergent of choice, laundry liquid is still widely used because it’s easy to use and is great at doing its job.

Laundry pods

A laundry pod is a pre-measured, concentrated dose of detergent liquid that is encased in water-soluble packaging. These capsules dissolve when they come in contact with water or moisture.

Factors to consider when buying a detergent

Top and front loader detergents: what's the difference?

The main difference between front and top loading detergents is the lather formula they contain.

Front loading washing machines use less water and spin more than top loader machines, so front loader detergents are designed to stop the development of too many suds. Using a top-loading washing detergent in your front loader can damage your machine’s motor and cause it (and potentially your whole laundry room) to overflow with foam.

If your detergent specifies what kind of machine it’s designed for, you should follow that. You shouldn’t use top and front-loading detergents interchangeably - this could not only damage your machine, but it also just won’t clean your clothes as well.

Laundry detergents for sensitive skin

Finding a detergent that works with sensitive skin or with a skin condition such as eczema, psoriasis or dry skin can be difficult. There are plenty of detergents that claim to not aggravate your skin, and these either substitute irritant ingredients or omit them altogether. However keep in mind that just because a detergent is labelled as suitable for people for sensitive skin, that doesn’t mean it will work for you.

Below are a few ingredients and things to consider when you’re shopping around.

Enzymes

Used for speeding up dirt removal, enzymes are a common additive in most laundry detergents. While different enzymes are added for different purposes, in that they each target certain kinds of stains, the one thing they have in common is that they can aggravate your skin. Scanning the ingredients of detergents will help you avoid laundry detergents with enzymes.

Optical brighteners

Optical brighteners are irritants that are added to detergents to help make your clothes appear whiter and brighter. They don’t clean your clothes in any way, and are better avoided if you have sensitive skin. Luckily, there are plenty of laundry detergents without optical brighteners available to buy, and almost all ‘green’ detergents don’t have them.

Fragrances

Fragrances in detergents don’t help clean your laundry, and sensitive detergent formulas are generally expected to be fragrance-free. Avoiding perfumes as well as colourings altogether is a safe bet for sensitive skin and sensitive noses.

Changing how you wash

There are also washing practices that you can follow to help curb the risk of irritating your skin. Rigorous rinsing is an effective way to ensure there are no traces of detergent left behind on your clothes or in your machine. If you do notice there’s soap on your clothes or in the corners of your machine, you can program an extra rinse cycle to your wash to help get rid of any residue.

You can also try experimenting with the amount of detergent you use - using less detergent may leave your skin better off and will also reduce the environmental footprint of your washing.

Laundry detergents for babies

Babies, especially newborns, have sensitive skin and often soil their clothes, which makes finding a detergent even more difficult. If you’re worried that regular detergent is too harsh on your baby’s skin, there’s a wide range of baby laundry detergent available for you to try out.

When doing your baby’s laundry, practising the same washing as you would for sensitive skin - that is, using less detergent and thorough rinsing - is a good way to keep your bub comfortable and happy.

Environmental friendliness

When you look on supermarket shelves, you’ll see plenty of packaging that includes words like ‘green’, ‘eco’ and ‘natural’. This means they have no or fewer chemicals which are damaging to the environment. Rather than taking these words at face value, looking out for certain ingredients can help you be sure that you’re mitigating the harm your laundry does to the planet. Here are some to keep an eye out for.

• Phosphates: Most laundry detergents contain phosphates, which help to soften water and remove dirt, oil and grease. Laundry detergents with phosphates are more polluting for our waterways, so if you’re also shopping with the planet in mind, try looking for laundry detergents which have a ‘P’ on their packaging, meaning low phosphorus (<7.8g/wash) or ‘NP’, meaning that there’s no or less than 0.5% phosphorus content.
• Sodium: Washing powders often also contain sodium, which can damage the quality of soil that comes into contact with liquid waste. Because it’s used as a bulking agent and to help detergent bubble up rather than for cleaning purposes, looking for a detergent with a lower sodium content can help save the environment with little difference made to the freshness of your laundry.

Price

Per wash, laundry powder is the cheapest detergent type available. You can expect to pay anywhere from $7 to $22 for 2kg of powder, which can last you up to 40 washes depending on the amount used per wash. Liquid detergent will set you back between $6 to upwards of $20 for a 2L bottle, and will usually last you up to 25 washes.

There are almost always deals on different detergents at major supermarkets, so doing your research pays off - literally.

Wrapping up

There’s no laundry detergent that suits everyone. Between different smells, price points, stain removal abilities and varying degrees of eco-friendliness, the right detergent looks different for everyone.