Consumer NZ has ranked 55 laundry detergents found in NZ stores and identified four that are worse than just water when it comes to getting clothes clean.
Each detergent was given a score out of 100, based on its ability to remove a few different types of stains, including everyday filth, grime on collars and cuffs, grass stains, olive oil, and tomato stains.
With a rating of 26, the worst laundry detergent on our shelves is ‘Re-stor: Concentrated Laundry Detergent Sheets Tropical Breeze’ coming in at a pretty hefty price of $12.50.
Surprisingly, the worst-ranked washing aid comes in at almost double the price of the number one detergent.
‘Persil: with a touch of Comfort’ takes out that honour of the number one spot - achieving a rating of 91 and at an affordable price of $6.50.
This lack of a link between price and quality comes down to how the products are advertised, James Le Page, the consumer product test team leader at Consumer NZ, told Stuff.
“Laundry detergent can have persuasive marketing , with everything from ‘natural elements’ to being an ‘odour fighter’ or ‘plant powered’. Our advice is to look for independent results to find out how well a detergent performs.”
Consumer NZ warned customers to keep away from four detergents - giving them a ‘Don’t Buy’ label - as they all rated worse than a simple wash with just water.
They also recommended 11 detergents in total, here are the five best.
Remember this article and Consumer NZ’s work next time you need to shop for some detergent and keep the kids' clothes clean this winter!
