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

FAQs

What's Best: Liquid, Powder, Pods, or Sheets for Laundry Detergent? ›

Both laundry detergent sheets and pods are quick, convenient, mess-free, and pre-measured (inciting major benefits over liquid and powder detergent). Pods and sheets not only perform better because they are measured correctly, but also because they have more concentrated cleaning ingredients.

The short answer is, No – neither the sheets nor the pods are better than the other, but each can help serve a different purpose based on your washing machine's settings and your laundry needs.

If you value convenience over costs, then a laundry pod is best. If you have kids with lots of outdoor stains, then a powder detergent is best for removing those stains. Liquid laundry detergent works well on oily stains and if you are washing in cold water.

The short answer to this question is yes. Not only do laundry detergent sheets “work,” but they are just as effective as their liquid and powder counterparts, with additional benefits.

Powerful cleaning agents that can be included in powdered detergent formulas, but not liquid forms, work to help remove mud, grass or clay stains. Liquid detergent is best used for grease or oil stains on your day to day items, because of its ability to help release and break down stains in fabrics.

Simply put: If you use laundry sheets, you're more likely to have to wash stained or smelly laundry multiple times and/or with hot water to get it even tolerably clean. That makes using laundry sheets inconvenient, and it likely negates any positive environmental impact.

Powder detergents are most effective at removing dirt, mud, blood and grass stains. Also, you can control what additives and how much that you use to remove all stains. Laundry pods are the most convenient and space-saving detergent out of the three different types.

Limited Cleaning Power:

While they may work well for smaller loads, they may not be as effective for larger or heavily soiled loads. Their compact size limits the amount of detergent that can be released during the wash cycle, potentially leaving your clothes less clean than desired.

For front load washers, you'll likely need to use high-efficiency detergent, which is formulated for HE washers. HE detergents are specifically designed for low-water washing in front load washers and help prevent oversudsing.

Of course, laundry pods aren't superior to regular detergents in every way by far. They are much more expensive than both liquid and powder detergents. Some can cost as much as 50 percent more. Powders are the most inexpensive of the options, followed by liquids, then pods.

Why are laundry detergent sheets better? ›

A single sheet is packed with concentrated detergent and fully dissolves in the wash cycle. There's no heavy jug of liquid detergent to lift or drippy measuring cup required. And the lighter weight and minimal packaging mean it takes even less energy to ship, making it a more eco-friendly laundry detergent.

The most eco-friendly option is laundry detergent sheets—dissolvable paper-based strips pre-dosed for one load. Sheets dramatically reduce plastic waste compared to pods and jugs. Their lightweight paper construction also cuts down on transport emissions versus transporting water-heavy liquids.

Even the best detergents can't remove every stain completely. But laundry sheets as a group didn't perform well—netting scores that range from mediocre to lousy. “In fact, they had lower performance as a group than our lowest-performing liquid or pod/packs detergents,” Handel says.

Most appliance experts say that liquid detergents are generally better for washing machines vs. powder detergent. If powder detergent doesn't dissolve completely with each load, it can clump up and cause blocks in hoses and drains that can affect your appliance's performance.

In addition to plastic, many laundry detergent sheet brands use filler ingredients such as starch. This leaves residues on your clothes and can clog up your washing machine over time. Some leading brands also have up to 14 ingredients in their laundry detergent sheets!