What's Best: Liquid, Powder, Pods, or Sheets for Laundry Detergent? (2024)

When you shop for laundry products, the different brands and formulas of laundry detergent may seem overwhelming. Liquid, powder, single-dose pods, and sheets all promise to make your laundry clean and fresh.

Which type of laundry detergent should you choose, and how do they compare? We give you the pros and cons of powder vs. sheet vs. liquid vs. laundry pods to help you make the choice that fits your laundry needs.

Comparing Types of Laundry Detergent

All of the types of laundry detergent can be used inanywash water temperatureand both top and front load washers;just look for the "HE" (high-efficiency)symbol to be sure.

What to Look For

Whether you decide on liquid, powder, pods, or sheets, remember that price isn't always the best indicator of how well a detergent will clean your laundry. The key is to look at the list ofingredients on the product label. The more active ingredients listedin the formula—like enzymes that break down stains and surfactants that lift the soil away from the fabric and suspend it in the water—the better the detergent will perform.

Powder vs. Liquid Detergent

Laundry Pods vs. Liquid

Sheets vs. Liquid

Single Dose Laundry Detergent Pods: Pros and Cons

What We Like:

• Lightweight to carry or shipand require very small storage space.
• Convenient and simple to use.
• Consistent measuring eliminates overdosing.
• Longer shelf-stability.
• Less packaging waste for landfills.
  

What We Don't Like:

• Most expensive detergent cost per load of laundry.
• Designed for average soil and load size. Heavily soiled clothes and large loads can require two pods and increase costs significantly. Pods cannot be adjusted for small loads or hand-washing single items.
• Cannot be used for pretreating or spot-treating stains.
• Hazard for children, pets, and vulnerable adults if swallowed.
• Outer packaging is seldom recyclable.
  

Best For:

• Convenience
  

Liquid Laundry Detergent: Pros and Cons

What We Like:

• Easy to use as a stain pre-treater or spot cleaning.
• Particularly effective on oil and grease stains.
• Less expensive than single-dose pods.
  

What We Don't Like:

• Easy to under or overdose because the measurement lines on most detergent bottle caps are difficult to read.
• Plastic laundry detergent bottles provide an enormous strain on landfills and some cannot be recycled in all communities.
• Bottles can be heavy and messy to use.
• The amount of water in liquid detergents limits the stability and effectivenessof some cleaning ingredients, likeoxygen bleach.
  

Best For:

• Removing oily stains
• Use in cold water
• Areas with hard water
• Septic tank systems

Powder Laundry Detergent: Pros and Cons

What We Like:

• Lowest cost per laundry load of any type of laundry detergent.
• Recyclable packaging.
• Effective laundry detergent for areas with untreated hard water.
• Works well to remove mud, grass, and ground-in dirt.
• Stable formula for extended shelf-life.
  

What We Don't Like:

• Detergent must be stored in a completely dry area to prevent caking.
• May not dissolve well in extremely cold water leaving residue on fabrics.
• Can cause clogs in septic systems.

Best For:

• Cost-savings
• Removing mud and grass stains
• Hard water laundry

Laundry Detergent Sheets: Pros and Cons

These biodegradable strips contain concentrated detergent that is released when the sheets dissolve in the washer.

What We Like:

• Easy to use and store
• Limited packaging

What We Don't Like:

• Not effective in removing tough stains
• More expensive than other detergent formulas
• May not dissolve completely in cold water

Best For:

• Hand-washing small amounts of laundry
• Lightly-soiled laundry
• Travel

What About DIY Liquid, Pod, and Powder Detergents?

If you wouldrather make your laundry detergent, there are recipes available for liquids, pods, and powders. As with commercial products, there are some pros and cons to any homemade laundry detergent.