The Best Specialized Laundry Detergents

By Madaline Sparks
Updated October 23, 2013
Danny Kim
Whether you want one solution for all your delicate needs or prefer a truly tailored approach, these five soap stars—of 40 vetted—give your most precious garments the VIP treatment.*
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Laundry Duty, Simplified

Danny Kim

Whether you want one solution for all your delicate needs or prefer a truly tailored approach, these five soap stars—of 40 vetted—give your most precious garments the VIP treatment.*


*All winners are nontoxic and biodegradable; clothes were machine-washed according to the package instructions.

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Most Versatile

Danny Kim

Earth Friendly Products Delicate Wash

Excellent on all fabrics, it wiped out chocolate stains and even stubborn lipstick on champagne-colored silk.

To buy: $7.50 (25 loads), ecos.com.

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Best for Cashmere

Danny Kim

The Laundress Wool & Cashmere Shampoo

Most cashmere detergents advise only hand washing; this one is safe for the machine. Sweaters emerged soft and fluffy, with a lovely, light cedar scent.

To buy: $19 (8 loads), thelaundress.com.

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Best For Workout Wear (Scented)

Danny Kim

Caldrea Palmarosa Wild Mint Sport Wash

Cleaned stinky sports tops smeared with dirt and grass (and sealed in plastic for a week to ferment!), imbuing them with a subtle floral fragrance.

To buy: $10 (8 loads), caldrea.com.

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Best for Workout Wear (Unscented)

Danny Kim

Sport Suds

Completely eradicated odors and stains from clothes under the same rank conditions as described at left—and did a phenomenal job on smelly sneakers, too.

To buy: $21 (34 loads), sportsuds.com.

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Best for Baby’s Things

Danny Kim

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Baby Blossom

Delicious-smelling, all-natural, and nonirritating, it cleaned bibs stained with peas, squash, and blackberries by our voracious 16-month-old tester.

To buy: $16 (64 loads), mrsmeyers.com.

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