Remember those TV ads where someone washed two white T-shirts with different washing powders and one (hint: the brand that’s being advertised) always came out blindingly clean? Well, we’ve been conducting our own version of that in hopes of finding which washing powders really are the best.
We’ll start by saying that we always thought those adverts were questionable – especially as the kids seemed to get their clothes implausibly messy. But after having had three kids of our own, we now know that those ads were probably being generous with just how mucky kids can get. Naturally, as a result, finding a powder that can live up to that hype has become our mission.
Of course washing powders are not all the same. The two key types are biological and non-biological (often shortened to bio and non-bio). But what exactly is the difference?
Biological powders contain enzymes that break down fat, grease and starch, which are often the culprits for the toughest stains. However, some people find these irritate the skin and can leave colours looking a little muted.
On the other hand, while non-bio washing powders don’t contain these enzymes – making them best for people who have sensitive skin – they do have cleaning agents in them, so you might find you need to whack up the temperature a bit on the washing cycle to get your washing looking cleaner.
How we tested
We tested all these washing powders in the same machine in a hard-water area. Following the dosage described on the packet, we did several washes with each powder, both with colours and whites. Yep, our washing machine has been doing overtime. And thanks to our family of five, some of whom have sensitive skin, we were able to see just how well these powders dealt with real-life scenarios and spills.
We had ample stained clothes to test – from tomato-pasta sauces to Sharpie. We (OK, our kids) threw the lot at it. We wanted to see how bright our whites stayed, how vibrant the colours came out, and, of course, how nicely the clothes smelt afterwards. Here are the washing powders that cleaned up…
Bio-D concentrated non-bio washing powder
We never thought we’d find ourselves saying this about a washing powder (hello to the sweet embrace of middle age), but wow! This eco-friendly washing powder knocked our socks off. Our coloured washes came out vibrant still – and yes, clean. And the whites were brilliant and stain free. Bio-D says this powder is unfragranced, and we aren’t going to argue with that because, well, they’d know – but certainly the clothes came out smelling simply fresh.
The powder is gentle on skin – it’s approved by Allergy UK for its hypoallergenic properties – and it’s also vegan and suitable for use with septic tanks. The powder is biodegradeable and the ingredients are ethically sourced. We love that it’s available in such a large pack too, which is great for big families and the environment. All in all, this powder ticked every single one of our boxes.
Ecover non-bio washing powder
We were thoroughly impressed by Ecover’s washing powder – it performed incredibly well on both whites and colours, much better than most bios. Our whites were brilliant after a spin in this stuff, yet we noticed our colours were still bright. It tackled stains brilliantly, even getting tomato sauce out of clothes that other powders had failed to lift. The smell isn’t overpowering – apparently eucalyptus and lavender – but it smells fresh and clean, and that’s what we’re after.
Ecover is an eco-friendly brand, and this washing powder is made with plant-based, biodegradable ingredients. Plus, it’s suitable for use with houses that are served by septic tanks. The directions are for 30-60C washes, but the brand advises using its liquid version for delicates on silk and wool. A 3kg box should see you through 40 washes, maybe a bit less in hard water areas like ours.
Miele ultra white powder detergent
We loved the crisp, fresh scent of this Miele powder detergent. While Miele has designed this for use in its own washing machines, it will work in any model. And work it does. Our whites were beautifully white after a cycle in this stuff. It is pretty powerful stuff – good for shifting stains, but it does also lift colours too. This powder is pretty powerful, but it’s also pretty pricey too. If you want your whites blindingly white, this could be the answer to your prayers.
Fairy non-bio washing powder
Fairy claims that this washing powder is as gentle on your skin as water. Sadly we didn’t have the lab or chemistry skills required to test this out properly, but certainly, it was gentle on our sensitive skins. It won points for the subtle clean smell too – without any overpowering perfume. It performed well too, getting out almost all stains and our colours didn’t pay the price for that, remaining bright even at 40C. Fairy isn’t messing around with the size of its boxes either, which is brilliant for big families.
Splosh bio washing powder
We love the concept of Splosh – buy a modest tin of the stuff and then subscribe to refills. This is great for busy people who often run out of powder, and the refills come in compostable bags, which reduces waste. Splosh claims its powder is super concentrated so you only need a bit (it comes with a small scoop) – but we reckon you need a little more than suggested (just call us rebels). It did a decent job on our clothes though, cutting through the worst of the stains and leaving them gently fragranced with jasmine.
Sainsbury’s non-bio laundry powder
We were thoroughly impressed by this supermarket offering. It smelled absolutely delicious and left our clothes smelling so good we were secretly sniffing them all day long. It worked hard on our laundry too, leaving even the grottiest of post-nursery clothes, covered in paint and food, clean and fresh. No mean feat, trust us.
The box on this one tears neatly open, although you have to call a number to order a free scoop for it, which we thought was bizarre quite frankly. Despite this though, the Sainsbury’s non-bio really impressed us and we’ll be buying this one again.
Aldi Almat biological washing powder
Well, Aldi has done it again – created something just as good as (if not better than) the premium brands, at a way lower price point. Almat blitzed through the toughest stains and left our whites looking gleamingly fresh. It is pretty powerful stuff though and did also leave our colours a little washed out, so we’d suggest using this on a low temperature. The scent is quite strong on this powder too, which is great if you want that vibrant just-washed smell without the need for fabric conditioner.
Bide laundry powder
As soon as we stuck our snouts into this bag of washing powder we got a gorgeous whiff of bergamot. We know, we know, but this was definitely the most sophisticated of aromas in the washing-powder arena – and we love to see it.
Bide is as eco-friendly as it is non-toxic, plant-based and refillable. In fact, this is made from just four ingredients so you can be certain there are no nasties here. The products are also handmade by a home-manufacturing team (each bag has a label telling you who it’s made by), and the company employ people who have been marginalised, working alongside charities to match with suitable employees.
As for how it performed, the brand recommends to use two dessert spoons to place your powder directly in the drum. This was a messy affair and we ended up tipping it into the draw anyway. The results, however, were a decent wash of our clothes and yes, they smelt incredible too.
