When choosing detergent, consumers are often spoiled for choice. Stiftung Warentest provides an overview of which detergents are best suited.
Powder or liquid?
According to Stiftung Warentest, the decision between powder and liquid detergent depends on whether you need a colored detergent or a heavy-duty detergent. A disadvantage of powder detergents is that they can leave white residue from softeners on the laundry. In contrast, liquid detergents often use higher concentrations of soaps and surfactants for softening. The use of heavy-duty detergent powder is recommended for white laundry. Liquid heavy-duty detergents are less suitable for white textiles because they do not contain bleach, which works against colored stains and odors and brightens the laundry.
Liquid detergents are recommended for colored textiles. Due to the bleaching agents not included, the authenticity of the colors is retained for longer.
Cheaper detergents are better than more expensive detergents
Stiftung Warentest carried out a comprehensive market comparison and determined Aldi Nord’s Tandil Ultra Plus heavy-duty detergent to be the best detergent, as CHIP reports. The Denkmit heavy-duty detergent powder from dm and the Shetlan heavy-duty detergent Supercompact from PENNY also achieved good results. The study shows that cheap detergents often perform better than more expensive branded products. In general, it was found that powder detergents have better washing performance than liquid detergents, especially in removing stubborn dirt, which is due to the bleach content.
Products like that Lenor 2in1 detergent, Ariel Universal + Actilift + Power, Spee Aktiv Gel, the EDEKA Gut & Günstig Aktiv heavy-duty detergent 3in1 caps, the Netto Priva heavy-duty detergent 3in1 active caps and the Persil 4in1 Discs Universal were only rated “sufficient” according to CHIP. The main criticisms were the lack of washing effect and the lack of textile protection of these products.
Wash not too hot and in eco mode
In addition to choosing the detergent, you can also save money on the washing process itself. One way is not to wash too hot and, if possible, to use eco mode, where consumption is significantly lower than in normal mode. You should also make sure that you load enough laundry into the washing machine and thus use the maximum capacity.
Carl Kusche, editorial team at finanzen.net
