Best and worst laundry detergents 2026

We've tested laundry detergents from big brands such as Ariel, Ecover, Fairy, Method and Persil and from leading supermarkets including Aldi, Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco to find the best options for you on washday.

Only the powders, liquids and capsules that do a brilliant job of removing stains, keeping whites bright and preventing colours from fading are Which? Best Buys.

We look for how well bio and non-bio detergents remove a range of everyday food and drink stains, what they're like with make-up stains and how they deal with fat and grease. Plus we check the chemical composition of the detergents and assess each one for sustainability. 

In this year's round of tests, we've also tested laundry detergent sheets from Dr Beckmann and The Green Co., as well as the Ecoegg, to see how these alternatives compare with conventional laundry detergents.  

The best laundry detergents  

The biggest brands and the most popular 15 laundry detergents are listed below in alphabetical order

Only logged-in Which? members can view our results.

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The laundry detergents we tested

The laundry detergents we tested are listed in alphabetical order below. 

Only logged-in Which? members can view the best laundry detergents from our tests.

Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations.

Aldi Almat Bio For Brilliant Whites Powder 

Available from Aldi (£3.89) (Available only in-store )

Most recently tested May 2026

Washes per pack 40

Cost per wash 10p

Ariel Original Powder

Most recently tested May 2026

Washes per pack 50

Cost per wash 21p

Ariel Original Gel

Most recently tested May 2026

Washes per pack 38

Cost per wash 24p

Ariel Platinum + Extra Stain Removal Pods       

Most recently tested May 2026

Washes per pack 44

Cost per wash 27p

Ariel The Big One Original Capsules

Most recently tested May 2026

Washes per pack 29

Cost per wash 55p

Dr Beckmann Fresh Blossom Bio Sheets

Available from Dr Beckmann (£7.60)

Most recently tested May 2026

Washes per pack 40

Cost per wash 19p

Eco Egg Fragrance Free Laundry Egg

Available from Eco Egg (£9.99)

Most recently tested May 2026

Washes per pack 70

Cost per wash 14p

Ecover Lavender & Eucalyptus Bio Powder 

Available from Big Green Smile, (£4.95), Ethical Superstore (£5.26)

Most recently tested May 2026

Washes per pack 10

Cost per wash 61p

What's the best and cheapest way to dry clothes indoors? See our top tips to save money

The Green Co. Non Bio GreenSheets

Available from The Green Co. (£14.95)

Most recently tested May 2026

Washes per pack 64

Cost per wash 23p

Lidl Formil Non-Bio Powder  

Available from Lidl (£3.85) (Available only in-store )

Most recently tested May 2026

Washes per pack 40

Cost per wash 10p

Method Concentrated Berry Splash Laundry Detergent

Most recently tested May 2026

Washes per pack 33

Cost per wash 23p

Persil Bio Powder 

Most recently tested May 2026

Washes per pack 42

Cost per wash 18p

Sainsbury's Bio Powder

Available from Sainsbury's (£4.95) 

Most recently tested May 2026

Washes per pack 40

Cost per wash 12p

Tesco Tropical Sunshine Bio Powder

Most recently tested May 2026

Washes per pack 40

Cost per wash 12p

Waitrose Colour Bio Powder

Available from Waitrose (£3.35)

Most recently tested May 2026

Washes per pack 27

Cost per wash 12p

More laundry detergents from our tests

Here’s how the rest of the laundry detergents from our tests measured up, listed in alphabetical order. 

Which? Don’t Buy laundry detergents

Our tests uncover the best and the worst. If a product performs so poorly that we think you should avoid it, we call it a Don't Buy. 

We've tested two laundry detergents that we've named Don't Buys. Both score terribly in our stain removal tests, and our worst overall scorer struggles to keep whites bright, too.

To find out which they are, and which laundry detergents earned our Best Buy and Great Value recommendations, log in or join Which?.

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 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 from 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), it qualifies as an Eco Buy. 

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. 

Why you can trust us: at Which? we're free from manufacturer and retailer influence. Find out more about our impartiality and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent

Should you wash your clothes with laundry sheets or an Ecoegg?

While the vast majority of laundry detergents on the market are still powders, liquids and capsules, there are alternatives to consider. We tested laundry sheets from Dr Beckmann and The Green Co. this year, as well as Ecoegg's Laundry Egg to see how they compare to more traditional detergent products.

Laundry sheets are placed in the main drum of your washing machine at the start of the wash and dissolve over the course of the cycle to release the detergent. The egg contains pellets of detergent that you top up between washes. Like the sheets, you simply pop it into the drum before you start the wash. Neither option is overly expensive, costing around the same per wash as most traditional solutions on test.

Both of these alternatives are usually marketed as ethical washing options. So, as well as testing them for how well they remove stains, we also contacted each manufacturer to find out more about the chemical composition of their products and evaluate their sustainability on the same criteria as traditional detergents.

Log in to find out how these three alternative laundry detergents fared in our tests and how they compared with more traditional powders, capsules and liquids. 

Where should you put laundry detergent?

A detergent drawer commonly has three compartments, but it's rarely immediately clear which 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. Not a single non-bio detergent met the Best Buy standard in our most recent testing.

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.

1. 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.
2. Cleaning upholstery If there's one of these hacks that we would consider a hidden gem for laundry detergent use, 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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 it 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.