Powder vs Liquid vs Capsul Detergent
We've tested three common types of detergent, liquid, powder and capsul. We have looked at how easy it is to use, price per wash, flexibility and packaging
Powder
The original and still standing strong option, with the best price to wash ratio. It's fairly easy to use, but many dose wrong and there's risk of not all the powder completely dissolvingBenefits
- Cheapest option
- Can be used for pre-wash
- Often environmental friendly packaging
Drawbacks
- Powder residue after wash
- Easy to wrongly dose
Liquid
As liquid is already broken down, it can be easily mixed into the water and moved around the clothes with little risk of leavine residue. Making it very good at penetrative clothes and stains, often giving a better result than powderDue to being a liquid, it needs a more solid container. In some countries they come in milk cartons, while in other they come in thick plastic bottles. So how environmental friendly they are, depends on what kind of packaging is available for the brands you buy in your area
Benefits
- No risk of powder residue
- Normally cleans better than powder
- Can be used for pre-wash
- Environmental friendly packaging available; cartoons and refill bags
Drawbacks
- Often comes in plastic bottles, making unnecessary waste
- More expensive than powder
Capsules
Easy to dose, no mess and you just out one first in the bottom of the washing machine drum
Which is also the biggest weakness of the product. As it goes straight in the drum, you lose the option to pre-wash both in the washing machine and by hand
Due to the capsules being in a plastic pack that will break down once it becomes wet, it has the most pacacking of all the options. The capsules come in a sturdy plastic box and each capsul is covered in plastic, that will break down to microplastic
Benefits
- Easy to use
- Pre dosed
- No mess
Drawbacks
- No option for pre-wash
- Most waste
- Microplastic
- Most expensive
Verdict
Based on these three options, liquid is the most versatile option. It's not as cheap as powder, but with the often superior cleaning result it's a strong contestant. If you have a autodispenser washing machine, then your only option is liquid detergentCapsules is without a doubt the easiest option, with similar cleaning result to liquid. But it's also the most expensive option and the only one that you can't use for pre-wash
Powder is the best value for money, with normally the most environmental friendly packaging. If you are dosing correctly, it also gives a pretty decent cleaning result
All three options has their own strength and weaknesses, so it comes mostly down to your budget and preferences
Our verdict: Consider your options
