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Laundry Detergent Challenge: Which Brand Performs the Best?

May 3, 2011 by Kimberly Danger 99 Comments

laundry challenge

I’ve always been curious to find out if more expensive detergent brands actually get stains out better than their lesser-expensive counterparts.  So, I decided to put a few detergents to the test with my own quasi-scientific experiment.

laundry detergent challengeI have three bottles of detergent at home:  Wisk, Tide, and Purex.  I sacrificed one of my white towels and stained it with the following:  grape juice, ketchup, dirt, vegetable oil, and red marker.  Next, I cut the towel into strips and wrote the name of each brand on the towel with a black Sharpie.

With the help of my lovely frugal living apprentice Sydney (pictured here) we’ll bring you the results later on this week.  What detergent brand do YOU predict will be our winner?

I have one more towel strip left to wash.  YOUR comments will help me choose a fourth detergent to put to the test.  Which one should it be?  Let me know by replying below.

*UPDATE 5/5*  I will be using All Free & Clear for the 4th test strip.  Results coming tomorrow!  I really wanted to do the homemade laundry soap, but didn’t have time to make a batch.  I plan on doing this test again in the summer to test other detergent brands that were mentioned.  Thanks for all the feedback!

*UPDATE 5/6*  My detergent experiment findings are explained below.

detergent test
After First Wash

For my first test, I ran each strip through the wash by themselves in cold water.  I used half the recommended amount of detergent.  As you can see, the stains still remained.  I really thought that there would be a clear winner, but to me most of the detergents performed about the same.

detertent test
After Second Wash

For my second test, I ran each strip through the wash a second time with another load of clothing in warm water.  I used the full recommended amount of detergent.  Still, there was not a run-away winner.  However, when you put the strips up to a light source it is easier to see the stains.

 

detergent 3

With the stains held up to the light, to me it looks like Tide (far right) and Wisk (second from the right) were the cleanest.  All Free & Clear (far left) seemed to have done the least effective job.  Purex seemed to be in the middle of the pack.  However, I’d say my overall conclusion was that all four detergents were almost equally effective in removing stains and there was no one clear winner.

I plan on doing this experiment again in the summer using homemade detergent as well, so be sure to let me know which other detergents you’d like me to test.  In the mean time, I have four bottles of detergent to use up!

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Filed Under: Cleaning Tagged With: laundry, detergent, product reviews, frugal living




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Comments

  1. Kelsey says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:17 pm

    All!

    Reply
    • Jolene says

      May 5, 2011 at 5:36 pm

      Tide is my favorite, but it is not the least expensive. Use mostly Free and Clear. Interested to see if I am overspending..

      Reply
      • trinity says

        November 19, 2014 at 4:51 pm

        thank you

        Reply
      • Stephen says

        July 12, 2017 at 1:55 pm

        Free and clear has less cleaning agents and isn’t as good as tide. I called and asked. You pay less you get less.

        Reply
  2. Marcia says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:18 pm

    definitely use the home-made detergent (washing soda/borax/fels naptha) for #4…

    Reply
    • Amy Crawford says

      May 3, 2011 at 1:22 pm

      Definitely use the homemade version. Would love to see how it stacks up to store bought detergents.

      Reply
  3. abbey says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:18 pm

    I sooooo want to see the results of this! I’ve been wondering the same thing as I have all these brands plus All, Gain, Arm & Hammer and Xtra in my stockpile…Can’t wait to see!

    Reply
  4. Melissa says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:19 pm

    My vote is for either Xtra (cheapest of the cheap) or All (mid-priced). Maybe All Free and Clear? I don’t know if free and clear really makes a difference in how clean the clothes get..

    Reply
    • Judy says

      May 5, 2011 at 4:48 pm

      Yes! Xtra is cheaper and I would be curious to see those results!

      Reply
    • Kristel Fontenot says

      April 6, 2018 at 1:56 am

      Xtra & Purex work the best out of all of these & thankfully, they’re both very affordable. I grew up in a home where Tide, Gain, & Wisk were the only detergents that “could do the job” unlike any of the other brands on the market, both then & now. Based on the fact that I’ve frequently & continuously used all of these detergents on a regular, consistent basis for almost 40yrs now; I have to give credit where credit is rightfully due. The only real difference that I can honestly attest to regarding all 5 of these very different detergents is that Gain is still known for always having the best scents to date, hands down. Tide is mediocre @ best whe it comes to thoroughly cleaning your dirty laundry; based primarily on the fact that it’s well-known & strongly recognized for its ability to have stayed in the game this long by it having such a long standing, credible, reliable
      reputation based entirelt on the brand name alone, all in itself.
      No matter what detergent I happen to be using @ the time (i.e., Pyrex & Xtra), I always add 1-2 cups of baking soda to the water as soon as it starts to fill up the washing machine before I ever even halfway begin to add any dirty laundry to it o/c. Fantastic scents & name brand longevity might be the best of the best when it comes to some, but personally speaking, I prefer higher levels of quality & successful effectiveness regarding the actual final outcome pertaining to how clean my clothes look, smell, & feel right after they’re finished being washed & dried.

      Reply
  5. Kim says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:19 pm

    Arm and Hammer with OxiClean

    Reply
  6. Elee says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:20 pm

    Pick something super cheap like Xtra (think that’s the name). Will you be washing alone, or adding to a full load (since that’s how most of us wash stained items)?

    Reply
  7. Debbe says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:22 pm

    Gain!

    Reply
  8. Elee says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:23 pm

    I’d be curious about homemade as well, since that’s the recipe for the kind I make when I can’t find it at the store super cheap.

    Reply
  9. Krista says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:23 pm

    PLEASE use the homemade detergent (as above) for number 4!!!

    Reply
  10. Krystal McGarvey says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:23 pm

    Maybe try the winner with oxyclean?

    Reply
  11. Melissa Mulvaney says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:26 pm

    PLEASE do the homemade detegent!!!!

    Reply
  12. Melissa Swanson says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:27 pm

    I’d like to see Cheer tested. My husband is in the military and I can only use certain detergents(Cheer being one) on his uniforms and wonder if it is worth it to buy something else for the family clothes. Thanks =)

    Reply
    • Kristel Fontenot says

      April 6, 2018 at 1:57 am

      So would I :-}.

      Reply
  13. laura says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:29 pm

    Would love you to try a “free and clear” and see if it cleans as well. I have kids with sensitive skin and have to use one.

    Reply
  14. Katie says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:33 pm

    METHOD!!

    Lets see how a more environmentally responsible and safer one performs in comparison to the big brands!

    Reply
  15. Meredith Ticer says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:38 pm

    I vote Arm & Hammer

    Reply
  16. Christina R says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:48 pm

    All with Oxiclean! I have very active outdoorsy 2 sons (9 & 6), 1 daughter (17 months), and a husband whose clothes are often covered with grease and dirt. I would love to see how All with Oxiclean works compared to these other detergents. Thanks so much for this experiment!!!

    Reply
  17. Jana says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:52 pm

    I would love it if you used All Free & Clear for the 4th strip!

    Reply
  18. Lori says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:54 pm

    I vote for Era. It is inexpensive and boasts it can get out tough stains. This is all we used growing up.

    Reply
  19. Monica says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:56 pm

    Era

    Reply
  20. Karina says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:58 pm

    I vote for Method or 7th generation to see how an environmentally friendly detergent cleans compared to all the regular brands.

    Reply
    • Tammy A,llison says

      September 10, 2017 at 10:02 am

      I agree with you on the Method brand. Its a little more than other brands but you do get what you pay for in this product. The scent is also very pleasant, not overbearing.

      Reply
  21. tracey says

    May 3, 2011 at 2:00 pm

    I use Tandil from Aldi. It’s says it compares to Tide. It seems gentle and it cleans pretty well! It’s loads cheaper also!! Only $6 in my area!!

    Reply
  22. Daisy says

    May 3, 2011 at 2:01 pm

    All Free & Clear!

    Reply
  23. Danica Schaeffer says

    May 3, 2011 at 2:03 pm

    All Free & Clear

    Reply
  24. angie says

    May 3, 2011 at 2:04 pm

    I would use arm and hammer with Oxy clean thats my favorite and keeps socks and everything really bright and white.

    Reply
  25. Jean says

    May 3, 2011 at 2:04 pm

    All (free and clear would be a big plus), please.

    Reply
  26. Tamara D says

    May 3, 2011 at 2:17 pm

    Try a free and clear version – any brand.

    Reply
  27. Heidi says

    May 3, 2011 at 2:18 pm

    I vote to try the All free and clear. My family has sensitive skin and allergies to the smells of almost everything. Can’t wait!

    Reply
  28. Wifelife says

    May 3, 2011 at 2:20 pm

    would love to see Gain as it is made by TIDE or a homemade recipe…
    I tried a big bottle of XTRA once..the clothes got clean but also got pilly!

    Reply
  29. Cassandra stone says

    May 3, 2011 at 2:26 pm

    Arm and hammer with oxiclean!

    Reply
  30. Dana says

    May 3, 2011 at 2:50 pm

    How about Norwex for the 4th!

    Reply
  31. kathy Wiley says

    May 3, 2011 at 2:58 pm

    Gain…love the smell 🙂

    Reply
  32. Anna says

    May 3, 2011 at 3:58 pm

    Arm and Hammer with OxiClean

    Reply
  33. Ellie Mae says

    May 3, 2011 at 4:33 pm

    Homemade Version!!!!

    Reply
  34. Serena Resler says

    May 3, 2011 at 4:42 pm

    I would love to have you use ALL Free & Clear for the allergy folks (such as myself and my family). We can’t use anything but Free & Clear.

    Reply
  35. Lynn says

    May 3, 2011 at 4:47 pm

    I vote for a very cheap brand and something with oxyclean in it. This is a great test you are doing It will help me when trying to save money at home.

    Reply
  36. Cortney says

    May 3, 2011 at 4:50 pm

    homemade! 🙂 We wanna see if it does as well as the others! 🙂
    Also, did you wash them all on the same day because the different lengths of time the stains sat treated (or untreated) might make the test unfair.

    Reply
  37. Cassy says

    May 3, 2011 at 5:13 pm

    What a great idea!I think that you should try using one of those really cheap off-brands just to see if there is a major difference. I know that the more expensive detergents tend to leave clothes smelling scented longer, but I still typically go with the cheapest brand!

    Reply
  38. les says

    May 3, 2011 at 6:47 pm

    Consumer Reports says Era w/ Oxi clean is the best detergent under $10 acoording to their test. I emailed P & G about the article & ask for a coupon to try it. They sent me a $1/1 Era 1/1 bounty napkins & a FREE box of Puffs w/vicks coupon;)

    Reply
  39. Melanie says

    May 3, 2011 at 10:01 pm

    Arm and Hammer with Oxi or Cheer Bright and Clean

    Reply
  40. Terri W says

    May 3, 2011 at 10:47 pm

    I’m throwing my vote in for the ALL Free & Clear as well. 🙂 I can’t WAIT to see my favorite though. I used to use Wisk ALL the time, but that was before the ‘reformulation’ so I’m VERY curious!

    Reply
  41. Dana says

    May 4, 2011 at 4:38 pm

    Homemade!

    Reply
  42. Tiffany says

    May 4, 2011 at 10:01 pm

    All Free and Clear 🙂

    Reply
  43. Amanda says

    May 4, 2011 at 11:37 pm

    Please do the homemade detergent. Thanks for experimenting !

    Reply
  44. Gina says

    May 5, 2011 at 11:03 am

    Shouldn’t that be the control?

    Reply
  45. Lisa says

    May 5, 2011 at 12:28 pm

    I vote for Surf. With those $2/1 coupons that come out every so often, I usually get it free so I’d love to see how it stacks up. What a great experiment. I’m definatly trying this too!

    Reply
  46. nora says

    May 5, 2011 at 3:39 pm

    Please use home made detergent for #4.

    Reply
    • melissa barto says

      May 5, 2011 at 5:21 pm

      I think Tide will win, but who knows. I often use All free & clear and I like it. I have tried making my own with the same ingredients listed above and don’t have great results. I always get clumps of the soap in the clothes after washing and don’t see it to be a better alternative if I have to use hot water all the time.

      Reply
  47. Kari says

    May 5, 2011 at 5:01 pm

    Can’t beat Tide! 🙂

    Reply
  48. jen Hernandez says

    May 5, 2011 at 5:18 pm

    Pyrex I hope. I’d like to see something organic. Maybe crunchy clean detergent brand.

    Reply
  49. Pat says

    May 5, 2011 at 5:18 pm

    Tide

    Reply
  50. Jen says

    May 5, 2011 at 6:00 pm

    Homemade or Method

    Reply
  51. Jodi says

    May 5, 2011 at 6:12 pm

    I would love to see the results of the homemade detergent.

    Reply
  52. Jean says

    May 5, 2011 at 6:27 pm

    I voted for the All free and clear!!! Yeah!!! Has anyone tried the new All Free and Clear with Oxy yet? I havent seen it at the store yet, but I havent looked hard. Any thoughts?

    Reply
  53. June says

    May 5, 2011 at 6:28 pm

    Wish you would have tried homemade. I love my homemade.

    Reply
  54. Corrie says

    May 6, 2011 at 2:05 am

    I would love to see how the homemade stacks up. You can easily make it in less than half an hour. I have made both liquid and powder and have helpful tips to make both a lot faster. Let me know if you are interested. I have dry that I would donate to the cause if you were local.

    Reply
  55. Marianne says

    May 6, 2011 at 9:06 am

    I also love Gain….would love to know how it tests!

    Reply
  56. Missy says

    May 6, 2011 at 3:36 pm

    Wow, thats not what I was expecting! I really thought there would a runaway winner! I wonder if you could redo that experiment with some other brands, such as Ajax with bleach, or All with Oxyclean. You know what I mean???

    Reply
  57. kells67 says

    May 6, 2011 at 3:38 pm

    Arm & Hammer w/ Oxy Clean, and it’s not what I consider to be “expensive brand”

    Reply
  58. Tracy says

    May 6, 2011 at 3:39 pm

    Thanks for letting us know! Fun experiment.

    Reply
  59. Nina T. says

    May 6, 2011 at 3:43 pm

    Wow, I’m kinda relieved they’re all about the same as I tend to jump around based on what’s on sale! I would love to see Method & the Arm and Hammer tested….I do make my own detergent using the fels naptha bar (grated), washing soda & borax….that one seemed to work better for me than method. LOVE that you tested this!!!!

    Reply
  60. Yvonne says

    May 6, 2011 at 3:45 pm

    I wonder what oxy clean added would have done?

    Reply
  61. Sonya says

    May 6, 2011 at 4:04 pm

    I would love to see you use a store brand – maybe WalMart’s – as well as some of the laundry additives that are supposed to help get clothes cleaner. Additionally, what about Shout, Spray and Wash and those sorts of “helpers” in a test?

    Reply
  62. shannon says

    May 6, 2011 at 4:09 pm

    I’d like to see Target’s Up & Up. I use Tide, but have been wanting to try the Target brand.

    Reply
  63. Alicia says

    May 6, 2011 at 4:12 pm

    The only problem I see with this, is that it doens’t take into account the effect of some detergents on colored clothes. Wisk and Purex I have found to fade colors really badly. In which case, does cleanliness matter if you lose color?

    Reply
  64. Beth says

    May 6, 2011 at 4:32 pm

    I used the homemade detergent on all my clothes for one month. There was a noticeable difference in the whites and brutes. I ran a load of whites with Tide and compared. I now only use the homemade on dark. At least I save a few pennies there.

    Reply
  65. Misha says

    May 6, 2011 at 4:38 pm

    After years of buying stain spray & countless hours spraying every teeny spot one by one, I now toss in a Tide Stain Release tab into every load. I swear by the stuff! I wonder if it…or other similar products are as effective as we think. I’d love to see those exact strips tossed back into the wash to see!!!! Pretty please!!!!! 🙂 thx

    Reply
  66. Peggy says

    May 6, 2011 at 4:38 pm

    I’d like to see this tested against some of the “organic” detergents too, like Method and Mrs. Meyers. This might be one of those things that being a bargain might or might not be worth it.

    Reply
  67. Melissa says

    May 6, 2011 at 5:20 pm

    I have a smell phobia… sometimes I will smell a detergent and think it smells great, then it comes out of the dryer and I gag at the smell. I used to LOVE Gain, now I can’t stand the smell. Currently, I am on the Tide Mountain Fresh kick. Smell to me, is as important as the cleaning aspect.

    Reply
  68. Terri W says

    May 6, 2011 at 5:43 pm

    I’m pretty surprised there was so very little difference!!

    I’d also LOVE to see them done again with an additive. I use the liquid Tide product and was SHOCKED at how some nastiness from hubby’s workin’ dirtyness was removed. I had NEVER expected it to come clean, to be honest. I still end up with SOOOOOOOOOOO many food stains on SOOO many shirts. I’ve decided lately, my best results seem to be using dish soap (Dawn) on them before tossing in the wash.

    Reply
  69. Mary says

    May 9, 2011 at 2:17 pm

    I am so glad to see an impartial third party run this laundry detergent test! The results came out just as I would have guessed.
    I do hope in the following rounds of tests that you find a winner! I look forward to that day!

    Reply
  70. kay says

    May 12, 2011 at 6:52 pm

    Try Dynamo. It is inrxpensive, concentrated, so no huge bottle to tote around. *Especially at a campground.) Smells great too, very fresh!

    Reply
  71. Wendy says

    May 16, 2011 at 3:49 pm

    I buy Tide because I honestly believed it did so much better. I really don’t see a difference from this side of the computer. I think I just bought my last tub of Tide!

    Reply
  72. Angela says

    May 16, 2011 at 4:55 pm

    Please try Era and the homeade version next time. Never used homeade before and would like to see how well it does and how much cheaper it is compared to store bought. Also, I was wondering if anyone knew if adding Calgon water softner to laundry makes any difference? I live in the country where I have well water and cannot affort a water softner at the moment and when I washed some of my laundry at a laundry mat where the water was softned it seemed like my clothes felt alot softer and not as stiff as when I do it at home. Just don’t want to waste my money if it’s not really gonna make a difference.

    Reply
  73. KAREN says

    May 18, 2011 at 9:19 am

    I use Gain i am allergic many detergent. so im limited to what i can use. i would liek to see Gain in the running too

    Reply
  74. Ruby says

    May 24, 2011 at 8:28 pm

    Awesome. Thanks for doing this experiment. Now I don’t feel bad about my stock pile consisting of all three types. I will show this to my bestfriend who would not stock pile laundry detergent because she swears only by tide … how much money has she been missing out on all the savings! lol

    Reply
  75. Liz says

    June 23, 2011 at 10:36 am

    Hi, I use Melaleuca’s Ecosense brand called Melapower. It is very inexpensive and smells wonderful. Only takes 1/2 an once of detergent for one regular size load. I’d be interested to know how it compares to the rest. It is also made of natural ingredients so it’s good for people who have allergies. Thanks!

    Reply
  76. beanbel says

    June 25, 2011 at 10:10 pm

    we use the melaleuca free b/c it is the only thing that leaves my youngest w/ no eczema! we also use vinegar in the fabric softner spot and dont use the sheets in the drier.

    Reply
  77. Brittany says

    June 28, 2011 at 9:04 pm

    I buy Tide not necessarily for being a better stain remover, but for protecting the integrety of the fabric and color better. Any interest in doing that experiment?

    Reply
    • Kimberly Danger says

      June 28, 2011 at 9:39 pm

      That would be interesting, Brittany, but I think may be harder to analyze the findings. Any suggestions on how to do that?

      Reply
  78. Katrina says

    July 12, 2011 at 12:32 pm

    Thanks for doing this, we use All Free and Clear because most others give me a rash. Good to know I’m not really sacrificing anything huge for comfort 😀

    Reply
  79. Dawnn says

    July 12, 2011 at 12:33 pm

    I love the smell of Tide Sport, so that’s what I’m using most right now. It’s the only thing that gets the stink out of the family’s hockey jerseys and equipment. In the past I’ve used Charlie’s Soap. I’d be interested in seeing how it fares. I have very hard water and the homemade soap recipe with Fels Naptha, Washing Soda and Borax just didn’t do it for me without adding TSP, which is really, really bad for the environment.

    Reply
  80. Ronnie Hicks says

    July 12, 2011 at 12:40 pm

    I have made homemade detergent and it did a decent job. After about a month, though I noticed my clothing started to look really dingy. Perhaps the answer is to switch between using the homemade detergent and a store bought brand to get both the money savings and the longer term cleanliness.

    Reply
  81. Shelly says

    July 12, 2011 at 12:51 pm

    My daughter did a science fair project a few years back with Tide, Arm & Hammer, and Ultra detergent from Costco. Believe it or not, Ultra was the hands-down, stains-out winner! It’s been my go-to detergent ever since.

    Reply
    • Alexis W. says

      August 3, 2011 at 5:22 pm

      Awesome ill b stocking up on those for now on!!

      Reply
  82. Vicki says

    July 12, 2011 at 1:24 pm

    I would like to see a generic brand used, that is what I buy all the time but I always wonder if I should be spending the extra $$ on something like tide…

    Reply
  83. Tamra says

    July 12, 2011 at 1:46 pm

    I use homemade [powder: wash soda/borax/grated fels, would like to see how that holds up and also METHOD

    Reply
  84. Cathleen says

    July 12, 2011 at 6:10 pm

    I’d love to see Arm and Hammer!

    Reply
  85. Alexis W. says

    August 3, 2011 at 5:20 pm

    Wisk seemed to do the best, and ive got some great coups for that too! THANX!!! Very helpful

    Reply
  86. Adam says

    April 27, 2013 at 4:08 pm

    My wife also has a strong aversion to smells like Melissa, on May 6, explained. That’s why we prefer Tide.

    Reply
  87. Cally says

    May 7, 2013 at 11:33 am

    all!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Amazon Grocery Deals: SIX Bottles Laundry Detergent Just $12 Shipped | Mommysavers.com says:
    May 27, 2011 at 8:29 am

    […] sure how effective inexpensive laundry detergents can be?  Check out this article: Laundry Detergent Challenge:  Which Brand Performs Best? This entry was posted in Amazon Grocery Deals and tagged amazon.com, laundry detergent. Bookmark […]

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