8 Detergent Brands to Avoid

Companies and Brands

Laundry aisle at a store — Courtesy of Mike Edmisten via 24/7 Wall St.

Published: February 27, 2024 9:30 am

No one likes doing laundry. It is a mundane and never-ending household chore, especially when multiple people live in a household. Don’t you feel like the clothes hamper is never empty, regardless of how many loads of laundry you wash? It can feel like the world’s worst magic trick!

While we can’t get you out of laundry duty, we can make the chore a bit easier. Choosing a quality laundry detergent is a critical part of ensuring the laundry process is effective and as painless as possible. Lower-quality detergents may require you to rewash clothes to fully remove stains. This assumes, of course, that these inferior detergents can remove the stains at all. Many of them cannot.

24/7 Wall St. set out to find detergent brands that are substandard when it comes to stain removal and overall effectiveness. We consulted seven different consumer product review websites, blogs, and vlogs. Using an aggregate scoring system, we found eight detergents that you will want to avoid.

In the course of our research, we also discovered plenty of good, along with a few great, detergents. The detergents that scored the highest for overall effectiveness were Persil and Tide. Every reviewer we consulted had nothing but positive things to say about these two brands. They have the power to remove even the toughest stains and leave clothes feeling fresh and clean.

Here is a look at the detergents on the opposite end of the spectrum. These detergents can make laundry day even worse than it already is.

8. Laundry Detergent Sheets

Woman holding a laundry sheet — A woman holding a laundry sheet

Parent Company: Various

Laundry Sheets Review

A woman putting a laundry sheet in a washing machine

This first entry admittedly bends the rules since it is not a single brand, but rather a new category of detergent product. The results from our survey compel us to mention it here, though.

Laundry products are always evolving. Once upon a time, powdered detergent was the standard. Then, along came liquid detergent. More recently, laundry pods have grown in popularity. Now, detergent sheets may be poised to become the next big thing in laundry. However, the product needs to be improved before it will be widely accepted.

Detergent sheets are marketed as a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional laundry detergents which contain harsh chemicals, microplastics, and other additives. Detergent sheets are made of concentrated detergent that is held together with a resin and dissolvable paper. There is no question that these sheets are better for the environment. However, the reviewers in our survey found that these laundry sheets, regardless of the brand, could not compete with the performance of traditional detergents, especially when faced with heavily soiled clothes.

Hopefully, this eco-friendly laundry alternative will become more effective through further research and innovation. A functional laundry detergent that is better for the environment is something we should all support.

7. Gain

Parent Company: Procter & Gamble

Gain Review

Gain is most well-known for its variety of scents. There is no denying that clothes washed with Gain detergent will emerge from the laundry room smelling quite lovely. However, that scent masks a sadder reality. Gain is not as effective at stain removal when compared to the top-tier brands of laundry detergent.

It is far from the worst detergent on this list. If you love the scent of Gain and you don’t often encounter tough stains, you may be perfectly happy with the product. For heavily soiled laundry, though, you’ll want to opt for brands such as Persil or Tide.

6. Xtra

Source: Courtesy of Mike Edmisten via 24/7 Wall St.

Parent Company: Church & Dwight

Xtra Review

Xtra is an inexpensive detergent, especially compared to brands such as Tide. The reviews in our survey were mixed. Some found Xtra to be an adequate detergent, while others had nothing good to say about it. One reviewer went so far as to say that Xtra is “barely a detergent” at all.

One common complaint was that the liquid detergent appeared to be watered down. Whites may appear dingy after being washed with Xtra. Some reviewers found the scent of the detergent to be off-putting.

5. True Living

Parent Company: Dollar General

True Living Review

Source: Courtesy of Mike Edmisten via 24/7 Wall St.

True Living is a line of home goods sold exclusively at Dollar General. Products ranging from tissues to food storage to all-purpose cleaners are sold under the True Living brand, typically at lower prices than major brand competitors. However, the brand’s laundry detergent falls short of the mark.

True Living detergent did not remove stains nearly as well as the top brands in our survey. It did, however, fare better than the detergents that follow on this list. True Living could be a viable cost-saving option if your laundry needs are light. However, if you are in a battle against heavily soiled laundry, you may end up rewashing your clothes, thus eliminating any potential savings.

4. Purex

Purex "Mountain Breeze' laundry detergent — Purex “Mountain Breeze’ laundry detergent

Parent Company: Henkel

Purex Review

Purex "Natural Elements" laundry detergent — Purex “Natural Elements” laundry detergent

This is where the free fall in detergent quality really begins. Purex is a discount detergent from Henkel. One reviewer in our survey calculated that Purex liquid detergent costs just 9¢ per medium-sized load, placing it among the most affordable detergents on the market. This detergent is no value, though.

Purex did a terrible job removing basic stains such as lipstick and coffee. Its low price point might tempt you to give it a try, but even moderately soiled clothing may not come clean with this detergent. Skip this brand.

3. Era

Parent Company: Procter & Gamble

Era Review

Era detergent is manufactured by Procter & Gamble. Interestingly, P&G also makes Tide, which was the best detergent in our survey (alongside Persil). While Era and Tide share the same parent company, the effectiveness of the two detergents could not be more different.

Era was among the worst detergents for removing even the most basic stains. And if you encounter tougher stains such as blood or grass, forget it.

2. Arm & Hammer

Arm & Hammer laundry detergent — Arm & Hammer liquid laundry detergent

Parent Company: Church & Dwight

Arm & Hammer Review

Arm & Hammer Power Paks laundry detergent

You have probably used Arm & Hammer baking soda to deodorize your refrigerator or freezer. It is a highly effective way to keep those appliances smelling fresh. And that is just the beginning of the many uses for Arm & Hammer products. However, when it comes to laundry detergent, this familiar brand fails in a big way.

Specifically, the brand’s detergent pods were noted for their utter failure to remove stains. The so-called “Power Paks” are not powerful at all, especially against stains such as chocolate and coffee. They are sold at a cheaper price point than most other detergent pods, but it is not a bargain if the product doesn’t work.

The liquid form of Arm & Hammer detergent fares better than these pods, but it still falls far short of other brands in stain removal. Some reviewers also noted the scent was too overpowering.

1. Sun

Henkel produces multiple brands of laundry detergent — Henkel produces multiple brands of laundry products, including Sun detergent

Parent Company: Henkel

Sun Review

Source: nicht angegeben / Wikimedia Commons

Henkel manufactures Sun detergent.

This budget brand is manufactured by Henkel, the same company that produces Persil which took the top spot (alongside Tide) for the best detergent brand on the market. While Sun costs significantly less than Persil, the results of the two brands are vastly different.

Sun detergent received the lowest scores among any brand in our survey. The detergent performed very poorly against chocolate, grass, coffee, and ketchup stains. (Speaking of ketchup, here are the ketchup brands you should never buy.) Some reviewers suggested that using Sun detergent was no better than washing clothes in plain water.

Sun detergent is increasingly difficult to find, while Persil is found in virtually any store that sells laundry supplies. Henkel clearly knows that, despite its name, the future of Sun detergent is not very bright. Persil, on the other hand, is the king of the laundry room.