Consumer Reports tough tests cut through the hype and get straight to which detergents deliver the cleanest laundry and which are wash outs.
That's how much laundry Consumer Reports' Pat Slaven did to find the best laundry detergents.

She tested more than 50 liquids, powders, and pods. Also in the tests - two laundry systems that claim to clean without detergent - the 300-dollar pureWash and the 400-dollar Wash It. Both mount on the wall above your washer and inject ozone into your wash water. All the detergents and the laundry systems were rated on how well they eliminate a variety of stains.

Pat Slaven, "We have a palette of soil and stains that include blood, wine, dust sebum, which is ring around the collar, tea, chocolate ice cream, grass." The detergent-less systems couldn't handle the stains. They were only slightly better than just plain water. And when it comes to detergents, some didn't shine, including Tide's lower-priced Simply Clean and Fresh. Far better and top rated, Tide's Ultra Stain Release, a liquid, and Tide Plus Bleach Alternative, a powder. Both are for high-efficiency machines.

The tests found some other winners that are close behind and work in any type of machine - Member's Mark Ultimate Clean from Sam's Club and Wisk Deep Clean. They cost about half as much per load.

