How To Do Your Laundry

Detergent Brands

Below you'll find a listing of some specific detergent brands. This list is not by a long shot complete, but is intended to provide some partial commentary regarding some specific brands that are available for the purpose of helping you to decide in what circumstances you may want to use a specific detergent. These comments are based on my experience with the detergents as they are sold in my area and used with the equipment available to me in the local water. Information regarding product content is either based upon product labeling or upon observations of the product's functioning during use and may not in all cases be correct, although I try to be as accurate as I can be. Your results may vary based on a wide variety of factors including your equipment, your water, and how the manufacturer may have varied their product to adjust for local conditions.

In other words, this is here to help you think about what products you may wish to try so you can make up your own mind about their quality. Don't expect me to decide for you.

Brand Liquid/Powder Enzymes? Comments

All Powder No Because this detergent apparently doesn't have anything to damage protein based fibers, it's a particularly suitable choice for washing your woolen or silk garments. It also seems, at least in my area, to have particularly large amounts of anti-sudsing agents - I have been able to use as many as four scoops of All in a particularly dirty load of laundry without causing excessive sudsing. This also makes it a good choice for use in front-loading and horizontal axis washers.

All with Color-Safe Bleach Powder No This detergent offers the advantages of standard All, as well as a color safe bleach. I choose this detergent for my white shirts, some of which have silk parts. On the down side, it has fewer loads per box, which means that its per-load cost is slightly higher than regular All.

Arm & Hammer Powder Yes This detergent seems to have an abnormally low amount of perfume in it. One consequence of this is that it seems to emit an unpleasant odor during washing, although this has never in my experience lingered on the clothes after washing. Persons who don't like a lot of perfume in their detergent may regard this as a feature.

Bold Powder Yes

Cheer Powder Yes

Cheer Liquid Yes

Cheer Free of Dyes and Perfumes Powder Yes

Fab Powder Yes

Surf Powder Yes

Tide Powder Yes

Tide Liquid Yes

Brand	Liquid/Powder	Enzymes?	Comments
All	Powder	No	Because this detergent apparently doesn't have anything to damage protein based fibers, it's a particularly suitable choice for washing your woolen or silk garments. It also seems, at least in my area, to have particularly large amounts of anti-sudsing agents - I have been able to use as many as four scoops of All in a particularly dirty load of laundry without causing excessive sudsing. This also makes it a good choice for use in front-loading and horizontal axis washers.
All with Color-Safe Bleach	Powder	No	This detergent offers the advantages of standard All, as well as a color safe bleach. I choose this detergent for my white shirts, some of which have silk parts. On the down side, it has fewer loads per box, which means that its per-load cost is slightly higher than regular All.
Arm & Hammer	Powder	Yes	This detergent seems to have an abnormally low amount of perfume in it. One consequence of this is that it seems to emit an unpleasant odor during washing, although this has never in my experience lingered on the clothes after washing. Persons who don't like a lot of perfume in their detergent may regard this as a feature.
Bold	Powder	Yes
Cheer	Powder	Yes
Cheer	Liquid	Yes
Cheer Free of Dyes and Perfumes	Powder	Yes
Fab	Powder	Yes
Surf	Powder	Yes
Tide	Powder	Yes
Tide	Liquid	Yes