Best Laundry Detergent

Updated on September 13, 2010
W.W. asks from Daly City, CA
22 answers

I use the kirkland laundry detergent from Costco, but it doesn't seem to get stains out of the clothes. What detergents get the stains out the best?

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D.H.

answers from San Francisco on

I used to use Kirkland, but Tide works much better. It costs a little more but is worth it. For the reall stains, oxyclean spray stain remover does a really good job. I have a son in kindergarten and his uniform is a white shirt and khaki pants...I use a lot of the oxyclean!

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W.H.

answers from Phoenix on

I'm a Tide user - my husband is a veterinarian and comes home with all kinds of stains ;-) (worse than my 3rd grade son!) I will add in a scoop of baking soda and/or oxyclean.
I do still have a couple things that have permanent or very slow-fading stains though so it's not 100% but much better than the generic detergents.

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M.E.

answers from San Francisco on

I like Tide and Gain. In general, I usually use brand name detergent. It sometimes seems as if the store brands don't work as well.

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L.G.

answers from San Francisco on

We use one of the Costco eco-friendly, high efficiency detergents but add in a scoop of OxyClean with every wash. Seems to really help with the stains.

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T.A.

answers from Toledo on

I use Tide! I used to use Shout or Spray & Wash for stains but sometimes I would miss them before washing and drying them and then the stains would be set in. So now I add a Tide Stain Release gel tab in each load of laundry and it has yet to fail me (knock on wood!)!!!!

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A.H.

answers from New York on

i love tide powder.. a bit expensive but it works sooo good... also you can use clorox II not bleach... you can use it on whites and colors... if my kids are really dirty.. i use a lestoil... it smells really bad.. but it works like magic.. put it on clothes especially grass stains.. leave on for about 1 or 2 hours.. then wash.. it works really good.... i buy a cheap liquid and use 1/4 to 1/2 cup tide powder.. i love how my clothes look..

L.M.

answers from Dover on

MelaPower! Better for you, the environment, and your clothes.

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*.*.

answers from San Francisco on

Rockin' Green...after Tide gave my kids a rash I had to switch to something without all those crazy chemicals in it. It cleans everything from our cloth diapers to stained kids clothes. Also, thanks to our shrinking ozone layer if you lay something out in the sun that is stained (preferably wet from the washer) the UV rays will remove the stains. The SUN is the best stain fighter out there!

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J.L.

answers from San Diego on

I have always used tide with bleach for whites, and liquid tide for darks. Love em both

M.P.

answers from Provo on

I love gain for the smell but for stains Rockin' Green. It's mostly advertised for cloth diapers (which obviously stains a lot) and a lot of mom's are super satisfied with it when it comes to stains. AND there are a ton of great smells! I'd suggest it.

M.R.

answers from Rochester on

I like the homemade stuff--Fels Naptha bar soap, washing soda, and borax (you can find many variations online for recipes) and it took out blackberry pie stains last Thanksgiving. You can add essential oils if you want some smell, but I haven't done that yet. Also great for sensitive skin (my youngest has eczema).

V.C.

answers from Dallas on

I have used Shaklee's Basic L or Liquid L for over 15 years and love it. I was sold when I took baby no one's clothes out of storage (they had been washed with Tide) and found they had formula stains all over them. Without even trying to remove the stains, I washed them in Basic L and all the stains were gone. I also love that it is nontoxic and had no awful chemical smell. I didn't realize how much Tide stunk until I quit using it.
Let me know if you are interested.

Victoria

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J.M.

answers from Tampa on

I use Sears detergent because I'm allergic to everything else. It comes with fabric softner too :)

J.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

Tide! Mmmm and I lovvveeee the smell. =)

K.I.

answers from Spokane on

I use ALL or ERA...they both work great and smell fantastic!

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I'm loyal to Tide with Bleach Alternative. I pre-treat with it for bad stains & never have anything get through with a stain.
For rugs, rags, etc, I use Tandil from ALDI.

L.C.

answers from Houston on

I use All free and clear with Oxiclean free stain-fighter liquid (the powder makes me sneeze every time) on all of our clothes. On things I think will stain, I spray with Shout before washing. It works pretty well, but every now and then there will be a stain that sets in. Once it's been dried in the dryer, its really hard to get out a stain - for me anyway : )

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L.C.

answers from Dayton on

I LOVE GAIN!! I say that in all caps because I just really, really do love it. It gets my clothes clean, removes most stains, and smells so darn good! And they have the fabric softener, dryer sheets and even dish soap. LOVE IT!!

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J.B.

answers from Dallas on

You can get stains out of the clothes by using a biodegradable laundry detergent that will not only be safer for the environment but also better for your clothes. Many detergents work by basically eating away at your clothes - look at all the lent you have in your dryer. I have seen an article that Tide is the #1 polluter of our water ways (ie the dead zones).

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J.C.

answers from Omaha on

Sears sells a highly rated (personal reviews and consumer reports) detergent at a amazing price. We buy one box about every 6 months and it is only $25. This a amazing savings. Ultra Plus ™ 26.4 lb. Powder Laundry Detergent w/ Stain-Fighting Formula

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_03209898000P?vNa...

I also use oxyclean on tough stains. I have found I can get almost anything out if I soak it in a bucket of oxy clean for 3-5 days. Be careful because colors will bleed. Also cheaper clothes (walmart and children's place clothes have started to fall apart after being soaked that long but good quality clothes like Gymboree and Hanna Andersson have survived many many soaks)

edited to add: I didn't mention that I have 7 kids and they wear fresh clothes each day (I do a lot of laundry). I know another large family which goes through only about 1 box a year. For those who have smaller families this would go even farther.

L.C.

answers from Kansas City on

i buy mine online. I just havent found an over the counter laundry detergent that works the way that i need it too. Plus buying online is cheaper. I dont know if you are comfortable buying online, but if you are, drop me a message. Ill send you over all the info on where i buy mine.

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A.T.

answers from Stockton on

I love HE Wisk for my front loader and HE OxyClean. The new Resolve/Spray-n- Wash spot treater works great too.
Also many stains come out with a good soak in cold water and detergent for a few hours - especially tomato, blood & grass stains. All you need is a big bucket!
Tide makes me break out in a rash - but it does clean well too. ;)

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