By Seven Weaver Producer
Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports
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Stumble It!Consumer Reports knows a little bit about getting the laundry done. Testers did more than 100 loads to find top-performing detergents.
In all, they washed more than 2,000 cotton squares stained with seven hard-to-clean substances, including red wine, grass, blood, and chocolate. Of the 34 detergents tested, there were liquids and powders for top-loaders and for high-efficiency front-loaders. Also included in the tests were more concentrated detergents, like 2X and 3X formulas.
Consumer Reports says tests turned up big differences. Some detergents did better on certain stains than others, but you want a detergent that’s going to do the best job on most stains. After washing, testers ran the cloths through a machine to measure leftover stains, if any. The best detergents did a good job on a variety of stains.
In the end, Consumer Reports top rated two detergents. For top-loading washers, testers recommend 2X Ultra Tide with a touch of Downey. And for front-loaders, 2X Ultra Tide with ColorClean Bleach Alternative did an excellent job overall.
While front-loaders are more energy efficient, testers found that you can cut down on the amount of energy you use with your top-loader by using another liquid detergent from Tide, its 2X Ultra Concentrated for Coldwater. While it doesn’t clean quite as well as the top-rated detergents, it does a very good job without using hot water.
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Copyright © 2004-2008 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.
