Consumer group CHOICE has tested more than 70 popular laundry detergents, revealing which ones will actually clean your clothes and which products perform no better than water.
CHOICE tests laundry detergents in both front and top loader machines against all kinds of stains, including grass, makeup, chocolate ice-cream, blood and baby food.
"Omo is the clear winner in this year's testing, taking out the four top spots in our front loader testing, and scoring highest in our top loader testing. The Omo Expert Anti-Bacterial Powder laundry detergent was the standout, performing best in both our front and top loader testing," says CHOICE Director of Reviews and Testing, Matthew Steen.
"If you're keen to avoid a dud detergent, choose carefully. Our front loader testing found Aldi Laundrite Laundry Liquid from the supermarket giant performed the same as plain water, with a result of 50%," says Steen.
Best and worst detergents for front loaders:
Best
Omo Expert Anti-Bacterial Powder
CHOICE Expert Rating: 90%
Price per wash: $1.16
Omo Ultimate Powder
CHOICE Expert Rating: 86%
Price per wash: $1.12
Worst
Aldi Laundrite Laundry Liquid
CHOICE Expert Rating: 50% (Same as plain water)
Price per wash: $0.06
Best and worst laundry detergents for top loaders:
"Omo Expert Anti-Bacterial Powder also scored first place in our top loader testing, with a score of 70%. Front and top loader machines perform quite differently, with top loaders typically doing a poorer job of washing clothes, resulting in lower scores for any detergents tested in them," says Steen.
Our top-loader tests found many dud detergents scoring below 50%. For liquid and powder detergents our bottom two performers were Aldi Green Action Laundry Liquid with a score of 46% and Ecostore 3x Concentrate Laundry Liquid with a score of 47%.
For capsules, four tied for last place with a score of 45% - the same as plain water. These detergents were Surf Tropical 30 Capsules 390g, Surf Aqua Fresh 30 Capsules 390g, Ka Pod 4 in 1 Turbocharged Cleaning Power 30 Capsules 480g and Ka Pod 4 in 1 Anti-dust Mites Laundry Capsules 30 Capsules 480g.
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