Laundry detergent that removes stains

Persil ProClean Original Liquid Detergent has the best record for getting stains out: 34 of 35 shoppers said stains came out in the wash, and more shoppers weighed in on it than on any other detergent here. Tide Pods Original (18 of 18) and Tide Original Liquid Detergent (29 of 30) follow close behind. Every detergent here did well on stains, even Persil Oxi Liquid Detergent, which has the weakest record at 28 of 34.

  • 199 store reviews counted
  • Target shoppers
  • May 2017 to Sep 2026

Updated . How we count

Did the stains come out? What shoppers said
  1. Persil ProClean Original Liquid Detergent 35 said either way
  2. Tide Pods Original 18 said either way
  3. Tide Original Liquid Detergent 30 said either way
  4. Method Ginger Mango Laundry Detergent 16 said either way
  5. Persil Oxi Liquid Detergent 34 said either way
  6. all Free Clear Liquid Detergent 13 said either way
  7. Tide Pods Free & Gentle 8 said either way

Share of shoppers who stated an outcome for stains. Ranked by the lower bound of a 90% confidence interval, so a product needs both a good share and enough reports to rank high.

Persil ProClean Original Liquid Detergent Best record Persil ProClean Original Liquid Detergent 34 of 35 say stains came out in the wash See price & reviews on Amazon
What stands out

Leftover residue is the complaint that repeats on the pods and on Method. It comes up in 24% of Tide Pods Original reviews, 38% of Tide Pods Free & Gentle reviews and 17% of Method Ginger Mango Laundry Detergent reviews, even though the stains still came out for nearly every shopper who weighed in.

The ranking, product by product

Praise and complaints are the points shoppers repeat most, shown as a share of each product's counted store reviews.

1 Persil ProClean Original Liquid Detergent

Persil

ProClean Original Liquid Detergent

Best for reliable stain removal

34/35 say stains came out in the wash

The biggest group weighed in on this one (35), and 34 of 35 said stains came out, with 51% mentioning a pleasant or faint scent. Price is the main complaint at 8%, and Persil's own site is less glowing at 5 of 8, which we show but don't count.

What shoppers praise

  • Nice or no scent 51%
  • Gentle on clothes 10%
  • Good value 8%
  • Removes odors 5%

What shoppers complain about

  • Too expensive 8%
  • Leaves residue 5%
Where shoppers said it
  • Target 34 of 35
  • Brand site 5 of 8 shown, not counted
2

Tide

Pods Original

18/18 say stains came out in the wash

Every shopper who weighed in said stains came out (18 of 18), but 24% of reviews say the pods leave residue and 10% find the scent too strong. Tide's own site agrees on stains at 5 of 6, which we show but don't count.

What shoppers praise

  • Nice or no scent 21%
  • Removes odors 14%

What shoppers complain about

  • Leaves residue 24%
  • Scent too strong 10%
Where shoppers said it
  • Target 18 of 18
  • Brand site 5 of 6 shown, not counted
3 Tide Original Liquid Detergent

Tide

Original Liquid Detergent

29/30 say stains came out in the wash

A large group weighed in (30) and 29 of 30 said stains came out, with 39% mentioning a pleasant or faint scent and 11% saying they had no itching or skin reaction. Complaints are few, including 5% who say it doesn't clean well.

What shoppers praise

  • Nice or no scent 39%
  • No skin reaction 11%
  • Good value 8%

What shoppers complain about

No repeated complaints yet.

Where shoppers said it
  • Target 29 of 30
  • Brand site 8 of 8 shown, not counted
4 Method Ginger Mango Laundry Detergent

Method

Ginger Mango Laundry Detergent

Best for a scent people like

16/16 say stains came out in the wash

Shoppers talk about the scent here, with 83% praising it, and 16 of 16 said stains came out. 17% say it leaves residue and 9% find the scent too strong.

What shoppers praise

  • Nice or no scent 83%
  • Good value 13%
  • No skin reaction 13%

What shoppers complain about

  • Leaves residue 17%
  • Scent too strong 9%
Where shoppers said it
  • Target 16 of 16
  • Brand site 3 of 3 shown, not counted
5

Persil

Oxi Liquid Detergent

Best for getting odors out

28/34 say stains came out in the wash

This one has the weakest record here at 28 of 34, and 16% of reviews say it doesn't clean well. It still gets credit for odors, with 22% saying it got smells out.

What shoppers praise

  • Nice or no scent 51%
  • Removes odors 22%
  • Gentle on clothes 5%

What shoppers complain about

  • Leaves residue 5%
  • Too expensive 5%
Where shoppers said it
  • Target 28 of 34
  • Brand site 1 of 1 shown, not counted
6 all Free Clear Liquid Detergent

all

Free Clear Liquid Detergent

11/13 say stains came out in the wash

A smaller group weighed in (13), and 11 of 13 said stains came out. 29% say they had no itching or skin reaction and 24% call it good value, while 18% say it doesn't clean well.

What shoppers praise

  • Nice or no scent 47%
  • No skin reaction 29%
  • Good value 24%
  • Removes odors 18%

What shoppers complain about

No repeated complaints yet.

Where shoppers said it
  • Target 11 of 13
  • Brand site 8 of 8 shown, not counted
7 Tide Pods Free & Gentle

Tide

Pods Free & Gentle

7/8 say stains came out in the wash

Few shoppers weighed in on these pods (8), and 7 of 8 said stains came out. 38% of reviews say they leave residue, and 25% say they had no itching or skin reaction.

What shoppers praise

  • No skin reaction 25%
  • Nice or no scent 13%

What shoppers complain about

  • Leaves residue 38%
  • Too expensive 13%
Where shoppers said it
  • Target 7 of 8
  • Brand site 7 of 7 shown, not counted

Where these numbers come from

The 7 products ranked here carry 72,561 reviews at Target. We read the newest reviews of each product (up to a thousand per listing), kept the ones that talk about stains, and counted up to 40 per product, posted between May 2017 and Sep 2026.

A review counts only when the reviewer used the product themselves. We drop reviews written in exchange for a free product or a sweepstakes entry (3 on this page), and products that are no longer sold.

Target also shows reviews first posted on brands' own websites. We show them on product cards but never count them, because brand-site reviews run more positive than store reviews of the same products.

Because we searched for the problem, people who had it are overrepresented. Compare products with each other rather than reading a share as your own odds.

We count what shoppers report. Nothing here is safety advice: use heaters, fans and other appliances as the maker's manual says.

Amazon buttons appear only on products that most shoppers here say fix the problem (at least 60%, with enough reviews to trust it). Everything else gets no buy link.

An AI model labels each review against a fixed list of points, and we spot-check the labels before publishing. We publish counts, never the reviews themselves.

Read the full method

Product pages we read

  1. Persil ProClean Original Liquid Detergent Target (39 reviews counted)
  2. Tide Pods Original Target (29 reviews counted)
  3. Tide Original Liquid Detergent Target (38 reviews counted)
  4. Method Ginger Mango Laundry Detergent Target (23 reviews counted)
  5. Persil Oxi Liquid Detergent Target (37 reviews counted)
  6. all Free Clear Liquid Detergent Target (17 reviews counted)
  7. Tide Pods Free & Gentle Target (16 reviews counted)

Questions buyers ask

Which laundry detergent removes stains?

Persil ProClean Original Liquid Detergent has the best record (34 of 35), followed by Tide Pods Original (18 of 18) and Tide Original Liquid Detergent (29 of 30). Persil Oxi Liquid Detergent has the weakest record here at 28 of 34, with 6 of 34 shoppers saying stains stayed.

Do Tide Pods leave residue on clothes?

Some shoppers say so. 24% of Tide Pods Original reviews and 38% of Tide Pods Free & Gentle reviews mention residue, even though stains came out for 18 of 18 and 7 of 8. Follow the label for how many pods to use per load.

Does all Free Clear Liquid Detergent remove stains?

Usually. 11 of 13 shoppers said stains came out, from a smaller group than the leaders. 29% of its reviews say they had no itching or skin reaction, and 18% say it doesn't clean well. If a rash doesn't go away, it's worth showing to a doctor.

How should I treat a stain before washing?

Check the garment's care label first, then test the detergent on a hidden spot, like an inside seam or hem, before you treat a stain. Follow the label for how much to use, and check the stain before the item goes in the dryer, since heat can set it.

Related problems

Laundry stain remover Stain remover for tough stains Top pick: OxiClean Odor Blasters Stain Remover 329 shopper reports Laundry detergent Laundry detergent with a scent that lasts Top pick: Gain Moonlight Breeze Liquid Detergent 357 shopper reports Laundry detergent Laundry detergent for sensitive skin Top pick: all Free Clear Liquid Detergent 265 shopper reports

HiveTried earns a commission when you buy through the "See price & reviews on Amazon" buttons. It never changes the ranking: the order comes from buyer reports only, and a product gets an Amazon button only when buyers here say it works.