What's Best: Liquid, Powder, Pods, or Sheets for Laundry Detergent?

When you hit the laundry products aisle or shop online, the many types and brands of detergents may seem overwhelming. From liquid and powder to single-dose pods and sheets, all promise to make your laundry clean and fresh.

Which type should you choose, and how do they compare? We give you the pros and cons of powder, liquid, sheets or laundry pods to help you make the choice that suits your needs.

Liquid, Pods, Sheets, or Powder?

Liquids, pods, sheets, and powders can all be used in any wash water temperature and almost all brands are now formulated to use in high-efficiency front load or top load washers; just look for the "HE" (high-efficiency) symbol to be sure. You may actually have a hard time finding a detergent without the symbol, but rest assured that you can use the laundry detergent in a standard top load washer.

Whether you decide on liquid, pods, sheets, or powder, remember that price isn't always the best indicator of how well a detergent will perform in cleaning your clothes. The key is to look at the list of ingredients on the product label. The more active ingredients listed in the formula—like enzymes that break down stains and surfactants that lift the soil away from the fabric and suspend it in the water—the better the detergent will perform.

Single Dose Laundry Detergent Pods: Pros and Cons

You may wonder if it's better to use laundry detergent or pods. If you are looking for convenience, then detergent pods top the list. Laundry detergent pods or pacs appeared in 2012 as one of the biggest changes to laundry products in more than 50 years. The single dose pacs ("pods" a term trademarked by Tide) contain little chambers of highly concentrated detergents (liquid or powder and sometimes both) in a small polyvinyl film packet that dissolves when it comes into contact with water in your washing machine. These chambers release the active ingredients at the right time during the washing cycle.

Pods are the fastest growing segment of laundry detergent and already outsell powder laundry detergents. The segment is also evolving. For example, some of the best laundry pods now come with fabric softeners built in, along with stain removers, brighteners, or scent boosters.

While the most convenient to use, especially if you must use a community laundry room or laundromat, they are also the most expensive to use per load of laundry. However, pods won't work in washing machines that have automatic detergent dispensers.

At home, pods may have a small advantage in some households where overdosing on liquid or powder detergent is a common problem. It may be cheaper in the long run to use pods that are already measured out to avoid overdosing on other types of detergent.

Liquid Laundry Detergent: Pros and Cons

Since liquid laundry detergents hit store shelves in the mid-1950s, they have become the most popular detergent format. They are easy to use, distribute well in wash water, and come in a huge variety of scents. But as with most products, there are both pros and cons.

Powder Laundry Detergent: Pros and Cons

Powdered detergents have been around since the 1930s and are less expensive to use than liquid or pods per load. When you look at store shelves, there are very few left as more consumers have moved to liquids and pods. 

Retailers have had a hand in this because the large boxes of powder take up valuable shelf and warehouse space. While the cardboard boxes are more environmentally friendly than plastic bottles, they are heavy and impact the environment with more transportation costs.

Laundry Detergent Sheets: Pros and Cons

In an effort to reduce shipping costs and the use of plastics, manufacturers have developed laundry detergent sheets or strips. These biodegradable strips contain concentrated detergent that is released when the sheets dissolve in the washer. Examples are Tru Earth Platinum Eco-Strips, ECOS Laundry Detergent Sheets, and EC30 Laundry Sheets.

What About DIY Liquid, Pod, and Powder Detergents?

If you would rather make your laundry detergent, there are recipes available for liquids, pods, and powders. As with commercial products, there are some pros and cons to any homemade laundry detergent.