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Best and worst laundry detergents
No one else tests laundry detergents as thoroughly as we do. Our independent lab tests mimic the everyday dirt and stains you get on your clothes and linen, so you can be confident that our Best Buy laundry detergents really will get your grubbiest washing clean.
We review three different types of laundry detergent – liquids and gels, which are good for keeping colours bright, washing powder that shines when it comes to getting whiter whites and laundry capsules that are the most convenient option to use, but tend to be less effective.
Here, we compare bio and non-bio detergents from brands such as Ariel, Ecover and Persil, as well as own-brand laundry products from Aldi, Co-op, Sainsbury's and Waitrose.
How our tests find you the best
We’ve tested 34 laundry detergents
We assess laundry detergents from big names and supermarkets to help you find the best value stain-busting products for your home.
Stain-busting
We pit every detergent against 17 different and challenging stains, including red wine and chocolate, as well as tricky stains like grass and ink.
Protecting whites
Nobody wants a greying work shirt or t-shirt, that’s why we wash four types of white fabric with each detergent to see which ones will help to keep them bright.
We also test...
Replacing clothes costs money, so we wash multiple colour swatches 20 times to check which are best at keeping bright and colourful clothes looking like new.
The laundry detergents we tested
The biggest brands and the most popular 14 laundry detergents are listed below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the laundry detergents test results below.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.
| Laundry detergent | Price | Score | Bio or non-bio | Overall stain removal | Protecting colours | Sustainability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sign up to reveal Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations Unlock tableDigital £8.99 per month, cancel any time. Already a member? Log in | 79% | Bio | ||||
| 79% | Bio | |||||
| 77% | Bio | |||||
| 76% | Bio | |||||
| 75% | Bio | |||||
| 75% | Bio | |||||
| 73% | Bio | |||||
| 71% | Non-bio | |||||
| 71% | Bio | |||||
| 69% | Bio | |||||
| 69% | Non-bio | |||||
| 67% | Non-bio | |||||
| 67% | Non-bio | |||||
| 66% | Bio |
Sign up to reveal
Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations
Unlock tableDigital £8.99 per month, cancel any time.
Already a member? Log in
Dates tested: June 2025. Page last checked: June 2025. Formulations of products may have changed since we last tested them. Overall stain removal: How well the detergent removes a range of stains, such as drink stains (including wine and tea), food stains (including tomato purée, chocolate ice cream, curry and mustard), make-up, everyday stains (including grass, mud, blood, ink and sweat), and grease, fat and oil stains. Keeping whites bright: The brightness of white laundry after six washes in the detergent. Protecting colours: The vibrancy of coloured fabrics after 20 washes in the detergent. Our test measures this on 14 different types of coloured fabrics. Sustainability: We check the ingredients used in each detergent to determine how harmful they are to the environment and aquatic life, we check how well filled the packaging is and we assess its recyclability. We're not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available. Bios need to score 71% to be Best Buys, non-bios need to score 67%.
All of the capsules, liquids and powder laundry detergents we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.
Only logged-in members can view the best liquid and gel laundry detergents from our tests.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.
Aldi Almat Bio Washing Powder
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Available from Aldi (£3.79)
Most recently tested June 2025
Washes per pack 40
Cost per wash 9p
Ariel Original Washing Powder
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Most recently tested June 2025
Washes per pack 50
Cost per wash 21p
Ariel Laundry Gel
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Most recently tested June 2025
Washes per pack 24
Cost per wash 27p
Ariel Platinum + Extra Stain Removal Pods
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Most recently tested June 2025
Washes per pack 29
Cost per wash 30p
Ecover Non-Bio Lavender & Eucalyptus Laundry Powder
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Most recently tested June 2025
Washes per pack 40
Cost per wash 36p
Fairy Non-Bio Washing Powder
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Most recently tested June 2025
Washes per pack 40
Cost per wash 21p
What's the best and cheapest way to dry clothes indoors? See our top tips to save money
Lidl Formil Bio Laundry Liquid
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Available from Lidl (£4.49)
Most recently tested June 2025
Washes per pack 50
Cost per wash 9p
Lidl Formil Non-Bio Washing Powder
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Available from Lidl (£3.85)
Most recently tested June 2025
Washes per pack 40
Cost per wash 10p
Method Wild Lavender Laundry Liquid
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Most recently tested June 2025
Washes per pack 39
Cost per wash 28p
Morrisons Lavender Laundry Gel
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Available from Morrisons (£2.25)
Most recently tested June 2025
Washes per pack 24
Cost per wash 9p
Persil Bio Washing Powder
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Most recently tested June 2025
Washes per pack 42
Cost per wash 18p
Sainsbury's Bio Laundry Powder
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Available from Sainsbury's (£4.75)
Most recently tested June 2025
Washes per pack 40
Cost per wash 12p
Tesco Tropical Sunshine Bio Washing Powder
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Most recently tested June 2025
Washes per pack 40
Cost per wash £12p
Waitrose Essential Non-Bio Laundry Powder
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Available from Waitrose (£3.30)
Most recently tested June 2025
Washes per pack 27
Cost per wash 12p
More laundry detergents from our tests
Here’s how the rest of the 34 laundry detergents from our test measured up, listed in alphabetical order.
| Laundry detergent | Price | Score | Bio or non-bio | Overall stain removal | Protecting colours | Sustainability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldi Almat Non-Bio For Sensitive Skin Washing Powder | Aldi (£3.79) | Non-bio | ||||
| Asda Moonflower & Lavender Capsules | Asda (£3.33) | Bio | ||||
| Asda Tropical With Essential Oils Powder | Asda (£4.74) | Bio | ||||
| Bio-D Fragrance Free Laundry Liquid | Bio-D (£6.12) | Bio | ||||
| Bold All In One Spring Awakening Capsules | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50021041 | Bio | ||||
| Co-op Sensitive Skin Non-Bio Capsules | Co-op (£3.85) | Non-bio | ||||
| Daz Universal Whites & Colours Washing Powder | SQUIRREL_TEXT_50021042 | Bio |
Dates tested: June 2025. Page last checked: June 2025. Formulations of products may have changed since we last tested them. Overall stain removal: How well the detergent removes a range of stains, such as drink stains (including wine and tea), food stains (including tomato purée, chocolate ice cream, curry and mustard), make-up, everyday stains (including grass, mud, blood, ink and sweat) and grease, fat and oil stains. Keeping whites bright: The brightness of white laundry after six washes in the detergent. Protecting colours: The vibrancy of coloured fabrics after 20 washes in the detergent. Our test measures this on 14 different types of coloured fabrics. Sustainability: We check the ingredients used in each detergent to determine how harmful they are to the environment and aquatic life, we check how well filled the packaging is and we assess its recyclability. We're not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available. Bios need to score 71% to be Best Buys, non-bios need to score 67%.
How we test laundry detergents
We thoroughly test washing powders, capsules, liquids and gels in the Which? lab, so you can be confident that the detergent you buy will not only remove tough stains, but will leave whites white and colourful clothes bright.
We test each detergent six times in order to answer all the crucial questions about laundry detergents.
- How well does the detergent work on different types of tough stains? We apply stains to laundry in 5cm-diameter circles before washing, then measure stain-removal power after washing using a photospectrometer. In total, 17 different types of stain are tested, including drinks (such as red wine, tea, coffee, fruit juice), food (such as tomato purée, chocolate ice cream, curry, mustard) make-up, grease, oil and everyday stains (such as blood, sweat, ink, grass and mud).
- Does it protect white fabrics? We wash three white pieces of cotton, polycotton, polyester and polyamide to see whether they go grey after six washes.
- Will it stop colours fading in the wash? 14 different coloured swatches are added to our test load and washed 20 times with each detergent to see how badly they fade. All the washing powders we test fade clothes a little, but liquids don't usually fade clothes to the same extent because they don't contain bleach.
- Will it cause pilling on clothes? Pills are the name commonly given to the little balls or 'bobbles' that form on the fabrics of your clothes and linens. After 20 washes, we inspect the fabric to see if items are fuzzy or bobbly.
- How sustainable is it? We check the ingredients used in each powder, liquid, gel and capsule to determine how harmful each product is to the environment and aquatic life, we check how well filled the packaging is and we assess its recyclability. If a detergent receives four stars for sustainability and scores highly enough in our tests (75% for bios and 69% for non-bios) they qualify as Eco Buys.
We regularly revisit the laundry detergents on sale to see if there are any more popular brands that need testing, and when we find them, we do.
Find out more about how Which? is not influenced by product manufacturers or retailers and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent
What are the Ariel and Fairy Big Ones?
Ariel and Fairy 'Big Ones' are certainly big. They're around 70% larger and heavier than typical laundry capsules.
Size matters in detergent tests, so it means that it isn't fair to compare the results of our tests of the Big Ones with the rest of the detergents we've tested.
The Ariel Big One is the bio version of the detergent.
The Fairy Big One is the non-bio version.
Sign up to Which? to find out how the Ariel and Fairy Big Ones fared in our tests, whether it's worth investing in them and what they're like when it comes to removing stains.
Where should you put laundry detergent?
A detergent drawer commonly has three compartments, but it's rarely immediately clear which one to use for what.
The first thing we suggest is reading the user manual for your washing machine (especially if you have one with an automatic dispenser). It's the only way to be 100% confident that you're putting the right substance in the right place.
Generally, though, you can presume that the compartments can be used as follows:
- I symbol = Pre-wash You may wish to add detergent here for particularly stained or dirty loads.
- II symbol = Main wash Put your laundry liquid, gel or powder here.
- Flower symbol = Fabric softener Used less commonly these days, some people still like to finish off the wash with this liquid.
Bio vs non-bio: what you need to know
The key difference between biological and non-biological laundry detergents is the presence of enzymes. Biological powders, liquids and capsules contain enzymes that help break down proteins, fat and starch. This helps remove stains, such as chocolate or burger grease.
Based on our testing, biological laundry detergents containing enzymes are generally more effective at removing stains than non-biological products.
Different detergent ingredients remove different types of stains. In addition to enzymes, surfactant (soap) and bleach tackle different types of stains. Bleach helps remove tea stains, for example, and some surfactants work on greasy stains, such as cooking oil.
But take care if you're washing delicate fabrics, such as wool or silk. Some biological washing detergents state on the packaging that they're not suitable for washing wool or silk. This is because some enzymes can start to break down the protein in wool fibres, damaging the fabric over time. Instead, use wool-safe or delicate detergents specifically made for these items.
And while many people think non-biological washing powders and detergents are kinder to their skin because they don't contain enzymes, there's little scientific evidence to suggest that enzymes can cause skin irritation.
5 surprising uses for laundry detergent
Laundry detergent tips and hacks include anything from mopping floors to cleaning upholstery, as well as getting it to work on carpets and surfaces. We've tested them all, with mixed results.
Just make sure your detergent isn't harmful to anything you're cleaning, especially if it's not being used for its original purpose.
- Mopping floors Mixing a teaspoon of laundry detergent with a couple of litres of hot water created a good amount of suds that cleans up minor dirt and food spillages quite well.
- Cleaning upholstery If there's one of these hacks that we would consider a hidden gem for laundry detergent usage, this would be it – we were very impressed by using detergent to clean sofas. You just have to be careful that it doesn't react badly with the material and it's vital to take care not to oversoak your sofa. You only need half a teaspoon of detergent with a litre or two of warm water and a soft sponge to apply it.
- Cleaning carpets Adding laundry detergent to a carpet cleaner machine is one hack to avoid. It creates too many suds and it can even damage the appliance. Carpet shampoo is much more effective at lifting these kinds of stains.
- Cleaning surfaces Unfortunately, this is another no-no. We found laundry detergent highly unsuitable and it won't be up to scratch for getting your kitchen or bathroom spotless.
- Removing stains The least surprising result of the lot, laundry detergent applied prior to washing is an excellent way to rid your clothing of stubborn stains without having to invest in a dedicated stain remover. Simply apply neat and leave it to work for at least 10 minutes before placing clothing in the washing machine. We found it was very effective on both stubborn red wine and coffee stains.