It’s a given; a good, dependable laundry detergent is essential in every household. Tide Simply Clean and Fresh liquid laundry detergent promises to keep your washing cycles affordable without sacrificing performance and quality. Read our review to learn whether or not this detergent lives up to its promise.
Ease of Use: Mostly good
Under normal circumstances, our household is Tide all the way. We love the performance and smell. So, we were happy to try out this detergent. However, since pods came out, we haven’t looked back. When we noticed this was a liquid detergent, we didn’t relish the thought. We are a family of four, and while the economy size liquid detergent is easier on the budget, the pods are quicker to grab and don’t leave a drippy mess behind. The 4-liter container of Tide Simply Clean and Fresh is huge. It holds enough detergent for 89 large loads of laundry. The container is too heavy to pour the detergent, so it is designed to sit on a shelf on its side and dispenses the detergent through a little spout. The detergent comes with a clear measuring cup with a little divot along the rim for ease of pouring the detergent without making a mess. Once you’ve poured the detergent into the washing machine, you can put the measuring cup over the spout, and it will click in and stay there until the next load of laundry. When we pressed the button to dispense the detergent into the cup, everything went well, and there was no mess. However, when we stopped pushing the button, it quickly releases to cut off the detergent’s flow, so there’s a little splash factor. It’s not huge, but we hate the mess of sticky liquid detergent, so we were mindful of cleaning it up right away. When it came time to pour the detergent into the washing machine, it didn’t all come out, and a lot was stuck to the sides of the cup. Having grown up using this kind of detergent, we knew that you could toss the cap in with the clothes, and it’ll come out squeaky clean, so we did that to avoid a mess. One thing to note is that the container can still leak a few drops of detergent, so if you don’t have the cup over it to catch the drips, expect to find little sticky droplets beneath the container’s spout. Overall, everything was pretty clean and easy to use. The container had clear instructions for the quantity of detergent to use based on the size of your load of laundry, and since we already knew some pro tips, there wasn’t much of a mess.
Cleaning Performance: About average
We used this detergent in a few different loads of laundry. Overall, we think it did well. To test its stain removal, we put a small spoonful of marinara sauce on a baby shirt and, once it was dried and set in, we poured a little of the detergent directly on the stain before tossing it in with the rest of the load (with the full amount of detergent needed for its size). After everything was done and dry, we checked the spot on the little shirt. While the stain was mostly gone, there were still some remnants of it. The spot wasn’t super obvious, but it was enough that someone could probably catch it in the right light if they weren’t looking for it. So, we felt like the clothes were clean, but the detergent fell flat with stains.
Fabric Scent and Texture: Surprisingly good
In normal circumstances, we’re probably a little high maintenance when it comes to laundry. We like everything to smell super fresh, feel soft, and be fluffy. It usually takes three or four separate products to get that result. When we tested this detergent, we didn’t use any extra products and were pleased with the results. All of the clothes came out feeling pretty soft, smelling good, and relatively fluffy. We think the detergent performed pretty well in this aspect. We’d probably still use some scent boosters and dryer sheets with it to get the results we prefer.
Price: Affordable
This detergent retails for around $25 for the 4-liter size. Each large laundry load costs about $.29 to wash—not bad for a scented high-performance detergent. It’s a great option for a family that does a lot of laundry.
Competition: Saturated liquid laundry detergent market
Tide Pods Coldwater Clean: This isn’t the same formula as Simply Clean and Fresh; each pod has added stain remover, odor fighter, and a “coldwater clean” additive (whatever that is). A pack of 61 pods retails for around $20, which comes out to around $.33 per load. For all the extra things you get in a pod, the additional $.04 might be worth it. Unlike the liquid detergent, you can’t adjust how much you put in based on the load’s size, so you can’t stretch out a single pack any longer than 61 washes. Gain Blissful Breeze Laundry Detergent With Aroma Booster: The 3.54-liter bottle of this liquid detergent retails for around $12, so each load of laundry costs around $.15. The formula is similar to Tide Simply Clean and Fresh but claims to have an “aroma booster,” which likely means it has a stronger scent than Tide. If you’re looking for a detergent with similar performance and an even lower price tag, this is a good option. After testing Tide Simply Clean and Fresh liquid laundry detergent, we’d say it’s worth the buy. The main thing it lacks is the stain remover, but there are separate products you can purchase to fill in that gap. It’s affordable, performs well, and leaves your clothes feeling fresh, soft, and clean.
