What's the difference between powder laundry detergent and liquid?

Question

does one clean better??

Answer 1

No there's no difference.

You want the powder to dissolve before you put your clothes in. So it becomes sort of like the liquid stuff anyway.

Answer 2

some years ago, I had a repairman tell that the biggest part of his work came from buildup of detergent.  So I've used liquid ever since.  Don't know that there's any difference in how clean they get clothes.

Answer 3

one is powder, and one is liquid. KIDDING. i find the powder doesn't always dissolve, so, in my opinion, it doesn't work as well. however, the powder is usually less expensive and lasts longer.

edit: holy c**p, rachel -- i can't believe you had so much of an answer! HA. nice.

Answer 4

there is really not much of a difference except the liquid is concentrated and the powder is cheaper. I use the powder tide. You have to let it dissolve in the running water before adding your clothes or you could get powder clunks. the liquid is more convenient.

According to the Martha Stewart website, "Powdered detergents work best for hard water and for removing mud and clay. Liquid detergents are good for taking out grease, oily dirt, and stains, and work very well as a pretreatment." That's not just Martha's opinion -- we saw this assertion echoed all over the Internet. In addition, most say that powder works better in hot water. Powders are usually less expensive than liquids, but liquids are more popular with consumers, many of whom say liquids are not as messy. (Interestingly, powdered detergents are much more popular in Europe.) In comparison tests, we didn't notice much performance correlation between powdered and liquid detergents, however. A common complaint is that powder formulations can leave residue on clothing. For best results with both powder and liquid laundry detergent, manufacturers recommend that the washing machine be filled with water and detergent before clothes are added (this step might be more essential with powdered detergents). In short, most say it doesn't matter much whether you choose powdered or liquid detergent. According to Good Housekeeping magazine, however, one advantage of liquids is that you can use them to pre-treat stains.