How to Choose Laundry Detergent

Spend a little time in the laundry detergent aisle of the supermarket and you could find yourself overwhelmed. Decades ago, soap was soap, but today you can choose detergents made specifically for babies, high-efficiency washing machines, dark clothes, delicate items and for houseolds wanting to be environmentally friendly. Plus there's the whole liquid vs. powder debate. Here's how to choose a laundry detergent.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Choose whether you want a liquid or powder detergent. Liquids are best for oily, deep stains while powders are better at getting out loose dirt. Powder detergent usually is cheaper.

2. Consider any health concerns. If you have infants in the house or people who are sensitive to odors or dyes, get a "free" or hypoallergenic formula such as Dreft or All Free.

3. Check your washing machine manual to see if a specific type of detergent is recommended. High-efficiency washing machines, often found in apartments, may need a special HE formula detergent.

4. Buy detergents formulated for dark clothing, bleach-enhanced detergents for light clothing and detergents with brighteners for colorful clothes if your laundry tends to look faded. Detergents with "bleach alternative" may be a good choice to brighten clothes regardless of the fabric color.

5. Pick organic, environmentally conscious detergents if this is an important priority to your family. You can find these products in stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joes. Several mainstream brands of detergent also make environmentally friendly detergents.

6. Select handwashing detergents for delicates--or for use specifically with your washing machine's delicate cycle. Infant detergents also can work well with delicate clothing items.