The best laundry detergents, tested by our cleaning experts

Score: 95/100

Leaving clothes smelling fresh, clean, and residue-free, Persil claimed the crown as our best non-bio detergent. It poured easily from the bottle and can be added to the drawer or straight into the drum using the measuring cap. Dosage instructions are written on the back of the bottle for ease, but note that some panellists needed more detergent than recommended to get high-quality results in hard water areas.

For a non-bio detergent, it's stain removal was excellent – non-bio formulations don’t contain chemical enzymes, so typically don’t clean tough stains as well as bio options. And our lab results showed excellent white retention for nylon and polycotton fabrics. There was very little colour fading either and most of our panel found it even cleaned well at low temperatures.

Score: 94/100

Best-known for its ‘miracle’ pink paste (read our Pink Stuff cleaner review for more info), it makes sense that The Pink Stuff’s laundry detergent also impressed on cleaning power. The fresh, fruity smell was a hit with our panel, and one person told us it even left a mud-covered football kit looking “as good as new”. Plus, it washed well at low temperatures – result.

Our experts and panel found the dosage instructions easy to follow and liked the handy table which explained the right amount of detergent depending on the soiling level, water hardness and laundry load.

Score: 94/100

This supermarket buy is another high-scoring non-bio liquid. The liquid poured without making a mess and the cap has clear measuring lines for dispensing the right dosage.

All panellists were satisfied with the cleaning ability – even when used at low temperatures – while our experts found it was best for removing food mess on cotton rather than tough makeup stains. There were mixed opinions on the scent too; some loved the freshness, while others needed to use a fabric softener to get that long-lasting impact.

Score: 93/100

If you like the convenience of pods or capsules, this is our top pick. The pods come in a sturdy, moisture-resistant box with a click mechanism to prevent any small, prying hands getting hold of them, and there’s plenty of information available about dosage, fabric restrictions and best placement.

On test, it delivered impressive stain removal on both cotton and polycotton and our whites remained fresh and bright. Our lab equipment registered some colour fading, though.

One panellist who lives in a hard water area found two pods were needed to get the same results, so it’s something to think about if you have hard water – especially as they come in at the higher end at 22 pence a wash.

Score: 89/100

Enjoy having your laundry detergent delivered straight to your door with Smol’s handy subscription service. The brand offers a free nine-wash trial (just pay £1 for postage) and then you can decide how often you want your capsules delivered – it’s as simple as that!

Smol is also B-Corp certified, selling plastic-free capsules in cardboard packaging that comes from sustainable plantations (FSC-approved), so these are a great option if you’re looking for a more environmentally friendly pick.

But let’s get to performance. The pods effectively removed coffee and baby food from our laundry, but tea proved troublesome, leaving some faint stains behind. Our panellists said the pods gave their laundry a clean, fresh scent, though.

Score: 87/100

Washing powders are known for their impressive cleaning and stain removal and this Aldi Non-Bio powder didn’t disappoint. It lifted baby food and coffee stains effectively and every panel member said they were satisfied with the end result – i.e. clean, fresh laundry with no residue left behind.

Nylon and cotton clothes stayed white, but black items started fading after repeated washes.

We also tested Aldi’s Bio Washing Powder, which scored 78/100 on test.

Score: 91/100

Daz’s liquid formula is our best-performing bio detergent. In testing, it removed a large majority of stains (we create a worst-case scenario) and kept our whites bright and fresh across a range of fabrics.

Performance dipped slightly on cool washes, but our panellists were pleased with its everyday cleaning power and the overall ease of use when dosing and adding the detergent to the washing machine. Opinions varied on the fragrance – panellists loved the scent but were disappointed it didn’t last longer.

Score: 87/100

Boasting a tropical, floral scent, these laundry capsules were a hit with our panellists who said their clothes smelt beautifully fresh, even after tumble drying. The pods come in a thick, sturdy box with a clicking mechanism for child safety and most of our panel could easily figure out the right dosage depending on their laundry load and washing conditions.

In the lab, whites stayed bright, and colours barely faded. However, for a bio detergent, our experts thought this lacked oomph when it came to stain removal. All our panellists were happy with the everyday cleaning power though, so you may just need to give the toughest stains some extra attention.

Score: 86/100

Every member of our panel said they’d recommend these laundry pods to friends and family thanks to the cleaning power, easy to follow instructions and fresh scent.

One panellist even found the capsules capable of tackling well set-in stains. “We put a very dirty oven glove in the washing machine, and it got rid of all the dark stains!” they told us. In the lab though, mud and grass stains lingered on polycotton, and our cotton load had some faint tea marks.

For those in hard water areas, more than one pod was needed to get the same results, which isn’t ideal, particularly when these capsules have a relatively high cost-per-wash.

Score: 85/100

This bio liquid detergent was praised for its effective stain removal in both the lab and by our panel. Our expert tests found it cleaned coffee, food stains and blood from cotton and polycotton fabrics particularly well, while our panellists were pleased with the consistency of the results at home.

Despite many living in hard water areas, our panel also found it very economical, with the recommended dosage still delivering fantastic results (something other detergents struggle with).

While the bottle has an ergonomic handle for pouring, the liquid was tricky to dispense without making a mess. The scent wasn’t overly long-lasting either, although our laundry smelt fresh when it first came out of the machine.

Score: 85/100

Laundry sheets are a newer form of detergent that can offer an eco-friendlier approach to washing thanks to their plastic-free design. These were a hit with our panel, who liked the mess-free format, compact packaging and simplicity – just pop the recommended number of sheets into the drum and you’re good to go.

Our experts found them effective at removing most household stains, but there were mixed opinions from our panel with some saying they targeted stains well and others finding they needed more than the recommended dose to shift tough stains.

Cotton and polycotton whites faded a lot after extensive washing too, but most of our panel said they’d still use these sheets again.

Score: 81/100

Designed to prevent colour fading, these laundry pods put in a mixed performance when tested in the lab. Our experts noticed fading with a few different shades, particularly when it came to orange and brown fabrics. However, when used for washing whites, the detergent impressed, maintaining brightness and vibrancy across different fabrics.

Their stain removal was effective too and our panel loved the easy-to-use format. A few found the packaging difficult to open due to the safety mechanism though, and panellists would have liked the fragrance to last longer.

We also tested Aldi’s Bio Laundry Capsules, which scored 79/100.

Score: 80/100

Claiming to renew dark colours and fibres while also gently cleaning your clothes, Dylon’s liquid detergent was certainly put through its paces in the lab. Our team used it over 10 washes and noted a clear improvement in some darker colours – particularly navy blue and brown. Our black clothes weren’t revived as much though, and we didn’t see a notable reduction in the pills and fuzz on the fibres.

The detergent scored well when it came to stain removal, with some panellists praising its ability to tackle tough, set-in stains.

One niggle is that the cap has no measurements to help with dosing and the wide spout makes it tricky to pour without causing a mess – something to keep in mind, particularly if you find it tricky to hold heavy bottles steady.

Score: 78/100

For getting rid of stains like baby food, makeup and blood, Persil’s Bio Liquid Detergent is a failsafe buy. It worked brilliantly on these stains for both cotton and polycotton loads, although tea spills seemed to linger across both fabrics.

The detergent didn’t retain whites that well either, leaving our nylon, cotton and polycotton less vibrant. Coloured fabrics fared better though, maintaining their brightness.

There was also a divide when it came to fragrance – some found it harsh with a chemically smell, while others praised the clean, fresh fragrance that remained after drying.