Detergent keeps laundry clean and smelling good. But not every Reinemacher is worth a recommendation. As the tests by Stiftung Warentest, ÖKO-TEST and AllesBeste show, the own brands are often ahead and stand up to branded detergents.
A detergent should not only smell good and clean the laundry effectively, it should also be environmentally friendly at best. As a consumer, you not only have to decide whether to use eco-detergents or conventional products, but also what type of detergent to use: liquid, powder or gel pad?
We have therefore selected and summarized various tests for you: The experts from Stiftung Warentest, ÖKO-TEST and AllesBeste, for example, tested detergents more closely. However, the criteria were partly different, partly only certain types of detergent were tested. ÖKO-TEST has made the ecological aspect a priority in the detergent test. The experts concentrated on liquid detergents and their environmentally harmful substances. Overall, the result was poor, only one detergent was able to meet the criteria almost completely and was chosen as the test winner.
Stiftung Warentest has mixed the test products: 24 heavy-duty detergents, including 14 powder, 6 liquid and 4 combination products were tested. According to the experts at Stiftung Warentest, you should always prefer powder to other variants. The test shows clearly: washing powder offers the best washing performance.
Our partner AllesBeste has also tested heavy-duty detergents, just like our colleagues from Stiftung Warentest. In addition to the cleaning performance, the fragrance, price, handling and ingredients were also assessed. The testers also came to the same conclusion: powder detergents generally perform better than liquid detergents or gel pads.
Detergents in the test: the winners and losers at a glance
Stiftung Warentest:
Discounter beats brand: test winner with a grade of 1.8 (good) is the Tandil Ultra Plus detergent Aldi south (almost 3.85 euros per 2.025 kilograms). Other discounter brands can also get good points in the detergent test (“test” issue 11/2021). Other winners include:
- Rossmann Domol heavy duty detergent
- Edeka Good & Cheap Ultra Heavy Duty Detergent
- Lidl Formil Ultra Plus
- Net Priva heavy-duty detergent Ultra
To the big ones losers in the case of liquid heavy-duty detergents and caps count among other things Lenor 2in1 detergent, Ariel Universal + Actilift + Power, speech Active gel and Edeka Good & Cheap Active Laundry Detergent 3in1 Caps.
-> To the detailed report
ECO TEST:
In the detergent test by the experts from ÖKO-TEST (07/2020 issue), there are more disappointed than happy faces. Because out of a total of 19 common liquid detergents, only one scored “good”. Test winner is the Ecover universal detergent Ecover (view on Amazon). At 30 cents per wash, this is not exactly cheap, but it is effective and environmentally friendly. 12 detergents get a solid “satisfactory”.
Six detergents were only rated “sufficient” and are therefore – in comparison – among the losers in the detergent test. The liquid laundry detergent Aprilfrisch from Lenor and also each a mean of speech and Persil.
-> To the detailed report
All the best:
The test winner of our partner AllesBeste also proves that cheap discounter goods can keep up with the well-known competition. The Tandil heavy-duty detergent Ultra Plus from Aldi south put themselves at the top. In addition, the testers raved about another inexpensive own-brand product, the Gut & Billig ultra heavy-duty detergent Edeka, which can almost keep up with the test winner. Among other things, a more expensive branded product was less popular: Das Persil Universal 4in1-Disks is rather average in terms of cleaning performance.
>To the detailed report at AllesBeste
The best washing machines
For clean laundry, not only the detergent is crucial, but also the right washing machine. The right washing machine can also save a lot of money, for example by using water sparingly. We show you the best four models here in a quick overview. You can find more information in our detailed purchase advice.