Which Laundry Detergent Works Best on Stains?

When it comes to doing laundry everyone has a favorite detergent that they like to go with time and time again. You might think you've finally found the answer to which laundry detergent works best on stains, only to find out that another laundry detergent works equally as well. It seems that popular laundry detergent choices include Tide, Eco Saver and Seventh Generation laundry detergents for green picks and Costco Kirkland laundry detergent for budget friendly. The business of laundry detergents has a surprising amount of science packed into the bottle. With most laundry detergents containing some or all of the following ingredients such as surfactants to remove dirt, enzymes for stain removal, polymers for all kinds of reasons, optical brighteners to make that T-shirt look whiter, water softeners to make sure the surfactants work properly, and on and on. With that said a lot of which laundry detergent you use comes down to effectiveness, smell, and price.

If you've ever used an inexpensive laundry detergent, you might find it works almost as good as the more expensive brands, as they have a lot of the same ingredients. Many people also associate the effectiveness of their laundry detergent with how good their laundry smells afterward. There are also many natural laundry detergent stain removers that you may already have in your kitchen cabinets. Tough stains to get out of clothing can include mustard, rust, coffee, wine and grease. The following are some of the natural laundry detergent ingredients you can try. For antiperspirant stains try blotting the spot with a dampened cloth with a solution of baking soda and vinegar. Then wash as you normally would in the hottest water that is safe to use on the fabric. For glue, stains try loosening the dried on glue first by soaking a clean cloth in some white vinegar and then saturating the glue spot until it's gone. For grease stains try adding baking soda to the wash load or pretreating the grease stain with some baking soda paste (baking soda and water). For grass stains use about a 1/3 cup of white vinegar and 2/3 cup of water and apply the natural laundry detergent to the stain and blot. Then repeat the process as needed then wash as you normally would. For fruit, jam, mustard and coffee stains try rubbing a small amount of white vinegar gently onto the stain and then wash as usual. Chances are you will be pleasantly surprised at just how well these natural laundry detergent stain removers work. The best part is that they are inexpensive, toxic-free and safe to use around your family and the environment.

Baking soda and white vinegar are two ingredients that should be a staple in every kitchen and laundry cabinet. These natural ingredients are usually safe for people who find it hard to tolerate detergents or the fragrances they are scented with. A popular alternative to using powdered laundry detergent is using soap. Soap is an effective laundry cleaner for natural fabrics and leaves laundry like diapers softer than detergent can. That is why you will find many of the homemade laundry detergents using soap as one of the main ingredients. A cup of white vinegar added to the wash can help to keep colors bright. Baking soda can help leave clothes feeling soft and smelling fresh. There are a wide variety of laundry detergents and powdered laundry detergent products out there, trying a few and then combining natural stain removal ideas will have you saving money and finding what works best for you and your family. You don't always need to spend a lot of money to get your laundry looking the best. **