Doing the laundry is a painful task, and no one wants to spend more time or money on it than they have to.
If you choose the wrong laundry detergent, you'll lose out by having to possibly rewash your laundry or wasting money on a product that just isn't worth it.
The laundry aisle has become increasingly crowded and it's easy to get overwhelmed by all the options. Powder or liquid? Capsules or sheets? Cheap or expensive?
To make it easier to choose, we'll tell you what you need to know, plus the best products to buy.
On this page:
- Best type for overall cleaning performance
- Best type for your budget
- Best type for ease of use
- The top rated capsules
- The cheapest top rated laundry powders
- The cheapest top rated laundry liquids
- The top rated laundry sheets
How to decide which laundry detergent to buy
The criteria for choosing a laundry detergent will differ from person to person.
For most of us, the deciding factors are price and performance.
Perhaps you just want the most effective detergent, regardless of the price. Maybe you need something that won't strain your budget and you're okay with a slightly lower performing detergent as long as it saves you money.
Or if you want it all, you might be looking for something that hits the sweet spot between cost and cleanliness.
For most of us, the deciding factors are price and performance
Depending on what's important to you, there are some other considerations you might like to take into account, like how easy a product is to use, and the environmental impact.
We'll tell you which type of detergent is best for getting your clothes clean, lightening the load on your budget, being a cinch to use, and having a lower environmental impact.
Best type for overall cleaning performance
Capsules/pods
In our most recent laundry detergent testing, four of the five top scoring products were laundry capsules (also known as pods).
Capsules perform well because they're concentrated and contain enzymes.
They're also easy to use: you don't need to measure them out like you do with powders and liquids, so there's no risk of spills. This makes them easier for people who have arthritis or other conditions that make juggling detergent and a measuring scoop or lid difficult.
The downsides are that they can be more expensive than some powders and liquids (but not always), and you're locked into the dose that's in each capsule – so you can't use less for loads that aren't too dirty, or if you're trying to save money by using a smaller quantity of detergent per wash.
Also, they do sometimes contain fabric softener, which you might think would be a good thing – except that our experts don't recommend using fabric softeners. But there are plenty of capsules that don't.
Best type for your budget
Powder and liquid
We're generally big advocates for following the instructions, especially when it comes to appliances. But laundry detergents? Not so much.
While the pack might say to use a full scoop or more of detergent per load, our experts have found that you can get just as good a wash by using half as much.
That'll halve your detergent costs – and also stop detergent building up in your machine and leaving residue on your clothes.
You can get just as good a wash by using half as much detergent
Every detergent is priced differently, so if you want to make the most of the savings, you'll need to choose a reasonably-priced powder or liquid.
The most expensive laundry detergent in our review is Omo Powder Ultimate, which costs a huge $1.44 per wash. But that's for a full scoop – if you halve it, it'll cost you 72 cents per wash.
But you'd be better off going for Omo Ultimate's more basic cousin, Omo Powder, which scored 81% in our tests and is recommended by our experts. It costs 83 cents per wash, or just 41.5 cents if you use half a scoop instead.
CHOICE tip: Our reviews also include best buys – products that didn't quite make the cut to be recommended but perform well and represent great value for money. They cost less than 30 cents per wash, so if you use half the recommended dose you'll be paying less than 15 cents per wash.
Best type for ease of use
Capsules and sheets
With no measuring required and no risk of spills, capsules and sheets make putting on a load of washing easy – just toss them in the drum and you're done.
They can make life easier for people with arthritis and other dexterity challenges since you don't need to juggle a heavy bottle and measuring cap, or a box of powder and a scoop.
And because they're so simple to use, you can even get the kids started on doing their own laundry without having to worry about laundry liquid or powder getting spilled everywhere. (Note: older kids can safely use capsules and sheets but keep them out of reach of younger children – they can be mistaken for sweets and if ingested, can cause chemical burns, inflammation, vomiting and diarrhea.)
Many laundry pods performed well in our testing, but unfortunately laundry sheets didn't
Many laundry capsules performed well in our testing, but unfortunately laundry sheets didn't – so while they might make life easier in terms of adding detergent to your wash, they can make more work for you because you may have to re-wash items that don't get clean the first time around.
Pick of the pods: Omo 3 in 1 Capsules Ultimate.
The top rated capsules
If you have a front loader and you've decided to go for capsules in your laundry, these are our top picks, which all come recommended by our experts.
- Omo 3 in 1 Capsules Ultimate: CHOICE Expert Rating: 77%
- Omo 3 in 1 Capsules Sensitive: 76%
- Biozet Attack Plus Eliminator Power Capsule: 75%
- Omo 3 in 1 Capsules Active: 73%
Have a top loader? Unfortunately capsules aren't the pick of the bunch.
Not one single laundry capsule product was recommended by our experts for use in a top loader– and in fact some of them were among the lowest scorers of the lot.
It was powder for the win in for top loaders, so unless you need an easy-to-use option, laundry capsules aren't the way to go for your top-loader.
Unless you need an easy-to-use option, laundry capsules aren't the way to go for your top-loader
However, if you're committed to using pods in your top loader, these are the ones to choose:
- Omo 3 in 1 Capsules Ultimate: CHOICE Expert Rating: 55%
- Omo 3 in 1 Capsules Sensitive: 54%
- Woolworths Clean Ultimate 3 in 1 Laundry Capsules: 54%
- Coles Ultra Concentrate Laundry Capsules: 53%
- Omo 3 in 1 Capsules Active: 53%
- Woolworths Clean Tropical Bloom Laundry Capsules: 53%
Wondering why we give different scores for front loaders and top loaders? We explain here: how we test laundry detergents.
Active Expert powder will lighten the load on your budget and your washing.
The cheapest top rated laundry powders
If you think using a powder detergent will suit you best, it's likely because they can be a lot more affordable than capsules. If budget is a guiding factor in your decision making, these products hit the sweet spot between price and performance. Our experts have named them as the best buys in our tests. And don't forget that using half a scoop will halve the cost per wash listed below.
To see the powders that simply scored the highest (regardless of price), head to our test results and filter by powder. (The Omo Powder was the top scorer in our test for front loaders, but at 83c per wash, it's significantly more expensive than these budget buys.)
For front loaders
Active Expert Laundry Powder Expert
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 74%
- Cost per wash: 16 cents
Coles Ultra Concentrate Laundry Powder
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 71%
- Cost per wash: 24 cents
For top loaders
Aldi Almat Laundry Powder
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 61% (Recommended)
- Cost per wash: 18 cents
Active Expert Laundry Powder Expert
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 60% (Recommended)
- Cost per wash: 16 cents
Aldi Trimat Advanced is the best budget liquid for your laundry.
The cheapest top rated laundry liquids
Liquid laundry detergent is another good option for the budget conscious, largely because you can choose how much you use. If you prefer liquid over powder, here are our experts top picks that strike a balance between cost and performance.
To see the liquids that simply scored the highest (regardless of price), head to our test results and filter by liquid. (The Omo Ultimate Liquid was the top scoring laundry liquid for front loaders, but at 95c per wash, it's significantly more expensive than these budget buys.)
For front loaders
Aldi Trimat Advanced Laundry Liquid Concentrate
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 73%
- Cost per wash: 26 cents
For top loaders
Unfortunately laundry liquids didn't perform well enough in top loaders to be recommended by our experts – the highest scoring liquid only scored 54%.
If you're looking for the best liquid for your top loader at a reasonable price, these are the two that hit the mark between being reasonably priced and delivering okay-ish results.
Coles Ultra Concentrate Laundry Liquid
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 54%
- Cost per wash: 32 cents
Aldi Trimat Advanced Laundry Liquid Concentrate
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 51%
- Cost per wash: 26 cents
Worse than water: Restor laundry detergent sheets.
The top rated laundry sheets
Well, this is awkward: not one single laundry sheet product did well in our testing.
And in fact most of them were the lowest scoring products of all, barely performing better than plain water. Yep, that's right: you might as well use no detergent at all rather than laundry sheets.
One in particular was particularly poor. Restor Fresh Linen Laundry Sheets scored just 44% when tested in a top loader. Plain water scored 45%.
Laundry sheets do have some positives, though. They create fewer carbon emissions than other detergents because they're concentrated, lightweight, and aren't packaged in plastic.
They're also very easy to use: like laundry pods and capsules, you just pop them in your machine and you're done.
And as they are compact and won't spill or leak, they could be handy if you're travelling and will need to do laundry along the way; a few laundry sheets in a ziplock bag could be worth slipping into your suitcase, as long as you're not washing anything too grubby.
Laundry sheets are a great idea in theory, but in practice we've found them disappointing
Laundry sheets are a great idea in theory, but in practice we've found them disappointing. With further development they could be a good alternative to traditional laundry detergents – and as rumour would have it, some manufacturers are working on laundry sheets containing enzymes, which may deliver better results.
For now, though, we suggest you dodge detergent sheets.
If you want a more environmentally friendly option, here's what to look for:
- Low-phosphate detergents: check the packaging for a 'P' (which means low phosphorus) or better yet, 'NP' (which means no phosphorus).
- Detergents that aren't packaged in plastic, or that use recycled plastic packaging.
- Buy in bulk to reduce packaging waste.
- Check the Shop Ethical rating of laundry detergents in our review.
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Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
