HE Laundry Soap

Laundry detergent for high-efficiency washers

High-efficiency (HE) washing machines -- including all front-loading machines and some top loaders like the Kenmore Elite Oasis -- use less water and energy than traditional machines. These washers require specially formulated HE detergents, which become less sudsy than regular laundry soap. Use of a regular detergent in these machines can leave suds on clothing and in the machine, which can lead to mildew.

SA8 With Bioquest (*Est. 23 cents per load) is one of the best-reviewed HE laundry detergents we found. It can be used in regular or HE machines. Comparison reviews say it excels in cleaning, keeping dirt off and keeping dye off. On RateItAll.com, 20 reviewers give SA8 nearly perfect ratings, and users comment that SA8 doesn't bother those with sensitive skin. It should be mentioned, however, that many of those reviews offer a website where the product can be purchased, leading us to suspect the motive behind these glowing user reviews. Even so, SA8 does well in objective tests. We haven't include SA8 in our Best Reviewed products because it's not sold in stores, but through independent Amway distributors, so it might not be readily available to you; but if you can find it, rest assured it's a great HE laundry detergent.

Tide HE 2X Concentrate with Bleach Alternative (*Est. 35 cents per load), along with other variations of Tide's concentrated HE liquid detergents are highly rated in reviews. User ratings are good as well; most of the complaints we saw were about this detergent's cost. Other good choices in mainstream HE detergents for front-loading washers and high-efficiency top loaders are Cheer 2X Ultra Concentrated Cheer Color Guard for High Efficiency HE (*est. 20 cents per load) and Gain 2X Concentrated Original HE (*Est. 18 cents per load); Cheer and Gain are less expensive but nearly as good in tests. Gain HE is available in two scents, original and apple mango, but there is not a perfume- or dye-free version.

The Cheer HE detergent receives very good marks in testing and it's also less expensive than Tide or SA8 HE detergents. In one test, it didn't repel dye quite as well as others; probably not a problem if you're careful about separating your laundry. We found a handful of user reviews, most of which are very positive.

Some even less expensive powdered HE detergents also receive good user reviews. Country Save HE Laundry Detergent Powder (*Est. 9 cents per HE load) is highly praised by reviewers on Amazon.com. Some reviewers say they started using this detergent for diapers, and then found it works well on all types of clothing. Country Save detergent is fragrance-free and dye-free, and many people with eczema say it helps keep their skin clear of breakouts. Country Save HE Laundry Detergent can also be used in both regular machines or HE machines -- for HE machines you use about half as much, cutting per-load costs to about 9 cents per load.

Another less expensive detergent, All 3X Small & Mighty HE liquid (*Est. 16 cents per load), receives an average of 4.5 stars (out of five) from a couple of dozen reviewers on Amazon.com. In formal comparison tests, it doesn't clean as well as Cheer, Gain or Tide HE detergents, however.

The top-rated environmentally friendly laundry detergent, Seventh Generation Free & Clear (*Est. 26 cents per load), is safe for both regular and high-efficiency washing machines. Seventh Generation and other green detergents are covered further in the Green Laundry Detergents section of this report.