We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
The top 5 best bio laundry detergents
Ever wonder which detergent really is best for removing stains? Luckily the GHI has put no less than 14 liquid and gel bio detergents to the test to see which really are worth their suds!
It’s all too easy to pick a detergent off the shop shelf and stick to it, or even just to buy in whatever is on offer at the time! This is because it’s difficult to know how well they will actually perform in the wash… at least until now.
The GHI has washed over 600kg of laundry to take the guesswork out and reveal the best bio liquids and gels. From stain removal to brightness of colours and whiteness, these winners can do it all! Switching can save you money too in the long term too – by as much as 25p per wash!
Bio winner
Score: 90/100
As our winning bio detergent, Lidl’s Formil Bio Laundry Gel offers exceptional stain removal on both cotton and polycotton fabrics. It also scored near to full marks for colour fading, showing little change across the spectrum of colours tested. It provided brilliant white retention on cotton and nylon materials. Available in a 24 wash-sized bottle, this gel is also easy to dose, thanks to the provided measuring cap, not to mention it’s great value for money at 8p per wash!
Only available to buy in store
Price: £1.99
Runners-up
Score: 89/100
Scoring the highest for getting rid of stains on polycotton, with an impressive 87% removal rate, Persil’s Bio Liquid offers brilliant stain removal results. This liquid detergent is easy to dispense and comes with its own measuring cup, which should be placed directly in the drum. The bottle remains clean after continual use and you can see the level of detergent remaining via the measuring scale on the side. In terms of colour fading, the majority of colours remained bright after repeated washes, although yellows did fade slightly. At 33p per wash, it’s one of the most expensive detergents we have tested. Although for this steep price you do get ease of use and superb stain removal results, so it’s worth the investment!
Available from tesco.com
Price: £8
essential Waitrose Biological Liquid
Score: 88/100
Available in a 27-wash bottle, the essential Waitrose Biological Laundry Liquid scored highly across the board for its performance. It delivered excellent results for stain removal, particularly on notoriously hard-to-remove blood stains, shifting 95% of these from polycotton and 75% from cotton, and scored among the highest for colour fading. As a result, it placed third overall in all tested bio liquid detergents and would easily suit the majority of households, particularly at the value price of 12p per wash!
Available from waitrose.com
Price : £3.30
Score: 87/100
Tesco’s Bio Laundry Gel comes in an 18 wash-sized bottle, which means each wash costs just 11p to fund! Supplied with its own measuring cap for easy dosage, this detergent stands out for keeping colours bright and whites white across the board! It also achieved a particularly good score for stain removal on polycotton, ridding 83% on average of all stains. With its reasonable price point, it would certainly suit most households as it will handle stains well while protecting colours and whites.
Available from tesco.com
Price: £2
Score: 84/100
Ariel’s Washing Gel Original is available in 16, 24 and 38 wash sized bottles. This biological gel features a measuring cap which should be placed at the back of the drum for best performance. We found it to be particularly effective at stain removal on cotton, scoring the second highest of every detergent we tested! Colours also remained bright and bold after continual washes, and whites showed little signs of greying. It’s essentially an all-around performer which is effective at stain removal and will not damage your colours, though it’s not the cheapest at 29p per wash.
Available from sainsburys.co.uk
Price: £4
As the Household Advice Editor, Katie looks after all things cleaning and decluttering. She started out as a Junior Tester in the Good Housekeeping Institute 10 years ago, so she’s tested plenty of appliances in her time too, including dishwashers and washing machines. Nowadays, she focuses on keeping our cleaning content up to date and accurate, testing relevant products and learning about the latest methods and trends along the way.
The best weighted blankets, tried and tested
15 best memory foam pillows to buy in 2025
The best mattresses for 2025, tested
19 best mattress protectors to buy in 2025
