The Best Laundry Detergents

W hen it comes time to do the laundry, you want to choose a detergent that will keep your clothes clean and comfortable. Even the most popular detergents have vastly different approaches, and each brand may offer different ingredients, formats, and scents. There are plenty of detergent brands to choose from, and this guide will help you choose one that fits your needs. Tide Tide has been in use since the 1950s, and it is truly a household name. It comes in liquid and powder forms, as well as pre-measured Tide Pods. Tide also offers detergents with extra ingredients like scents and fabric softeners. However, the basic Tide formula is always the same, and it is extremely effective at cleaning laundry and removing stains. Although Tide is fairly expensive, the brand offers Cold Water and Simply Clean & Fresh variants, and both variants can save you money. Purex Purex is an affordable but popular laundry detergent. The brand offers liquid- and powder-based detergents, and each Purex product introduces plenty of added ingredients. One of the best features of Purex is the fact that many of its formulas include Clorox 2, a bleach with very effective cleaning agents that can be safely used with almost any fabric. More basic Purex formulas also exist – although they are less effective in terms of cleaning, they cost less than formulas with Clorox 2. Gain Gain is another popular detergent brand. The brand’s main selling point is its focus on offering a wide variety of scents to customers with different tastes. Gain is sold as liquid detergent, powdered detergent, and pre-measured doses – plus, separate “scent enhancers” are also available. Gain products typically have mid-range prices and are relatively affordable. Although the brand rarely contains ingredients that effectively remove stains, Gain is the best choice if you want your laundry to smell great.