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Got tough stains? Consumer Reports' top-rated detergents could do the trick

Consumer Reports put 57 different detergents, including liquids, powers and pods, to the test to see how well they cleaned up body oil, dirt, blood, chocolate, win and tea. Testers compared the detergents to stains washed with just water.

Posted Updated

By
Monica Laliberte
, WRAL consumer reporter

Doing laundry can be a drag, but it needs to be done.

One thing that can make the chore even more tedious, though, is having to wash a load again because the detergent didn't work the first time around.

Consumer Reports put 57 different detergents, including liquids, powers and pods, to the test to see how well they cleaned up body oil, dirt, blood, chocolate, win and tea. Testers compared the detergents to stains washed with just water.

"If you just washed it with water you can see that the water is not really very different from the original (stain)," said Consumer Reports' Rico de Paz.

Some of the lower-rated detergents, including Trader Joe's Liquid Laundry HE or Xtra Scentsations, cleaned only slightly better than plain water in Consumer Reports tests.

The top-scoring detergents, though, worked well at removing body oil and dirt. Tide Plus Ultra Stain Release and Persil Pro-Clean Power Liquid 2-in-1 were both rated highly, and both were recently reformulated. But neither is cheap; Consumer Reports said some people might not need that type of cleaning power.

"If you're not up against tough stains, like grass, or you don't have a bunch of grungy clothes to wash, there are a lot of lower priced detergents that will do the job really well," de Paz said.

Member's Mark Ultimate Clean from Sam's Club or Kirkland Signature Ultra Clean Free and Clear from Costco were both good options in Consumer Reports tests, and All Stainlifter detergent worked well for half the price of Tide.

Consumer Reports said another money-saving tip is to pre-treat stains with detergent instead of buying a special stain remover.

Pay attention to how much detergent you use, too, because Consumer Reports says using too much, which is not only a waste of money but can leave streaks in dark laundry.

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