by Rita Onyx
Many people do not realize just how complex the process of choosing a good laundry detergent can be. I’ve had several events where the detergent simply does not do the job – especially when it comes to colored clothing or stains on my shirt.
I prefer a laundry detergent that does more than just wash off some dirt that collects on my clothes. My detergent should be powerful against stains and help my clothes retain a deep color. If this is your goal too, then these are the products I recommend.
Tide PODS Free and Gentle
“We started using these free and clear pods mostly for our toddler. We were using one of those “natural” laundry detergents in the market made for babies but as our daughter started eating regular food, those weren’t getting all the stains out. It was time for us to switch to something more powerful. I was still worried about her baby skin but also wanted to buy one kind for the entire family, so we decided to give Tide a try, and boy am I glad we did!”
“Not only do these do a great job cleaning our girl’s clothes but they also are great for my hubby’s sweaty workouts clothes, our dog’s muddy towels, etc etc. These rarely leave a stain uncleaned, dissolve well, and while they’re fragrance free, they do a good job of getting unpleasant odors out of dirty clothes.” — Amazon Customer
Purex Liquid Laundry Detergent Plus Clorox
“Purex has always been my favorite laundry detergent. I love that it is a product that cleans my clothes, leaves a pleasant scent, and good value for the price.” — Stella
Tide Pods 3 in 1 Original
“These are ideal for children, teens and young adults who do their own laundry. Clean, already measured out in this squishy pod. When my teenage daughter wanted to be independent and do her own laundry, she would use the wrong amount of soap at times. So, I switched to these Proctor & Gamble Tide PODS. We like to switch it up a little sometimes and get different scents. The best part of this is when we give hugs to family members, we always get compliments on how good we smell. A win, win!” — Carolyn
Tide Hygienic Clean Heavy 10x Duty Power PODS
“I live in an apartment building with a laundry room down the hall from me, I had such a hard time carrying those heavy detergents back and forth (I used liquid) so I thought I would try the pods, these are perfect! I can put the tide pod into my basket and it doesn’t add to the weight. They work great too, Tide works good on stains and doesn’t fade my clothes. Very happy with my purchase!” — Amazon Customer
Tide Free & Gentle Liquid Laundry Detergent
“This is the only brand that’s best for my family. I have tried others. Some brands are overly perfumed which gave me headaches or irritated our skin. This was perfect for both skin and our clothes. Tried it once and never tried anything else.” — Terri
all Liquid Laundry Detergent
“Wonderful and affordable detergent! Have been using this detergent (and dryer sheets) for approximately 2.5yrs. Made the switch while expecting our first child and wanted something that would be great for sensitive baby skin. I wash our son’s clothes and linens, as well as, my husband’s and my clothes and linens with this detergent. No plans to switch to something else!” — Amazon Customer
20 Mule Team Borax Laundry Detergent
“20 Mule Team Borax is a product to which I had given zero thought since I saw it regularly on my mother’s laundry shelf, well over 50 years ago. I bought a box recently for making “slime” with my granddaughter. After that I just placed it on my laundry shelf and forgot about it. Recently, I happened to notice that the box had on it the words “detergent booster.”
“I had just tossed a load of my husband’s work clothes in the washer, and I thought, “okay, why not?” I added a handful to the washer, and let me tell you, those clothes later came out of the dryer super clean and as fresh smelling as if I had just pulled them off the clothesline. I use this product every time I wash a load of laundry now. I am in the habit of rinsing my laundry twice, and that along with the borax has made everything cleaner and fresher smelling than ever before. I laid in a supply of four boxes, and I plan never to be without this washday product again.”
“If you bought a box for your kids to use for making “slime,” consider using the remainder with your laundry.
I think you will be pleased.”
Gain Aroma Boost Laundry Detergent
“The scent is really nice and is exactly like the ones you buy at a regular store. Good value for money! It comes in a pair so I’ll have another when I’m done which saves me time and money. I love it! Thank you!!” — Amazon Customer
Arm & Hammer Plus OxiClean Odor Laundry Detergent
“I love this detergent. It’s a great value for your money and cleans well. This particular version contains enzymes (most arm and hammer detergents don’t, have to look for versions with oxi as they do contain enzymes) and really cleans well. I don’t have to pretreat most items when using this detergent. I don’t wash anything in cold (yuck, wouldn’t wash dishes on cold why would I wash laundry in cold) so may be why I have success with this detergent.” — Amazon Customer
Seventh Generation Free & Clear Unscented
“This Seventh Generation concentrated detergent works well in my front-loading HE washing machine to get out dirt. I love that it’s both free of scent and friendly to my septic system. As long as I measure using the cap and not the guide inside my washing machine, I get the correct amount to clean even large loads. Even though I don’t have young kids or dogs at home, my husband does a lot of DIY projects around the house, and I spend a lot of time in the garden. This cleans all those work clothes as well as it does more ordinary laundry.” — Debbie Lee Wesselmann