We tested dozens of laundry detergents and found that Tide Ultra Oxi Powder and Tide Free & Gentle Liquid tackled the widest range of stains with ease. Back to top. Meet your guide.

“The dirt and germs come off the clothes and go into the water,” Richardson, the author of the bestselling “Laundry Love,” explained. “They get trapped in the surfactant [compounds in detergent that ...