You may notice that ratings for top loader detergents are much lower than for front loader detergents. Whether you have down-filled comforters, sleeping bags, winter jackets, pillows, or all of these, the right cleaning steps will ensure they stay silky soft and freshly scented. They're certainly convenient with no messy pouring or measuring required – but other benefits are limited. Coming in at fifth place is Aldi Laundrite Laundry Powder, which, although just missing out on being recommended by our experts, offers some serious value for money at only 11 cents a wash. But while it's true bacteria and viruses can survive on clothes, there's not much evidence that people actually get infections from clothes.

Although we do recommend eight capsule products, on the whole they don't perform as well as liquids or powders. You're more likely to catch something directly from the people around you, especially those coughing and sneezing, or from your hands. Germs can also get onto outer clothing if you handle contaminated food or brush against a soiled object. With that in mind, choosing a high performing detergent is even more important for people with top loaders," says Matthew. Ariel Professional Washing Powder Antibacterial is a professional detergent specially formulated to deliver 5-star cleaning results for professionals: excellent stain removal, deep down cleaning, brilliant whiteness, great freshness and efficiency at low temperature.The CHOICE laundry lab has conducted its latest round of testing detergents, analysing more than 70 popular laundry powders, laundry liquids and laundry capsules for their cleaning prowess – or lack of. Use our handy guide below, based on our extensive experience testing laundry detergents, to decide what you need.

For those that want to be extra sure, such as frontline workers, you may want to wash at 60°C and with a powder detergent (it contains oxygen-based bleaching agents which will kill COVID-19). Washing your hands regularly is likely to be significantly more important than clothes washing at preventing most infections. For items that might need an extra hygienic clean, such as bedding, towels, or underwear, high temperatures such as 40-60°C are usually recommended to reduce the risk of germs that are lingering on the fabric. Powder detergent - great for extra bright whites and heavily soiled items, but tends to fade coloured fabrics.Note, regular detergents are not designed or tested against antibacterial or disinfection activity even if they contain active oxygen bleach. Once again, Omo was a standout in our test, with the Omo Expert Anti-bacterial Power (70%) ranking as the best, and the Omo Ultimate Powder (65%) taking out third place.

Under normal conditions, simply following the care label of the items and the dosage instructions on the detergent packaging will give you the hygienic results you need.The good news is that cleaning away coronavirus (which is rather obviously a virus and not bacteria) is pretty straightforward. People with existing medical conditions should follow the recommendation from their medical professional. Laundry detergents help us maintain good hygiene by removing the soils, grease, stains and dirt from clothing. viruses* and bacteria, it works even at 20°C or a quick wash, so is effective without damaging your coloured clothes or fabrics. If you want to ensure you effectively kill germs in laundry, Persil’s clothes sanitiser is a must-have.