As of: February 10, 2024, 3:57 p.m
By: Andrea Stettner
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Heavy-duty detergent can be found in every drugstore department, but what do you actually need it for?
Isn't a color detergent enough for washing clothes?
Heavy-duty detergents, color detergents, mild detergents and many more – the number of detergents in German drugstores is hard to keep track of.
While color detergent still seems necessary for colored laundry*, many consumers cannot understand what a heavy-duty detergent is needed for.
Below you will find out which items of clothing it is suitable for, when powder is the right choice and what useful side effects a heavy-duty detergent has on your washing machine.
Also read:
This is why you definitely need more than one detergent for your laundry.
Heavy-duty detergent: Which laundry should I wash with it?
Heavy-duty detergent is suitable for white laundry and light-colored laundry with heavy soiling.
In contrast to color detergents, most heavy-duty detergents contain bleach and optical brighteners.
These ensure that white laundry stays white and does not turn gray.
This is exactly what would happen over time if you only used a color detergent for white laundry.
Heavy-duty detergents also wash particularly cleanly.
Its ingredients such as enzymes, surfactants and proteases have a powerful effect on stains and heavy dirt.
The bleach it contains also kills germs particularly well, which is why heavy-duty detergents are ideal for towels or washcloths.
A heavy-duty detergent quickly eliminates unpleasant odors that have settled in the textiles.
The following are ideal for heavy-duty detergents:
white towels, washcloths
white bed linen, sheets and fitted sheets
white, insensitive clothing such as cotton T-shirts, socks, underpants
cleaning rags
Also read:
Wash bed linen correctly and hygienically - this is how it works.
A heavy-duty detergent is not suitable for every laundry.
But what do I need it for?
© Joko/Imago
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For which laundry is heavy-duty detergent not suitable?
However, a heavy-duty detergent is not suitable for colorful laundry as it can bleach the colors of clothing.
Unlike heavy-duty detergents, color detergents do not contain any optical brighteners or bleaching agents and are therefore gentle on the colors.
A color transfer preventer also protects against discoloration.
This encloses the dyes that are dissolved in the washing water and thus prevents the colors from sticking to other items of clothing.
White clothing made from delicate fabrics such as wool or silk should also be washed with a delicate or wool detergent.
Wool would become matted with heavy-duty detergent and silk fabrics would quickly become unsightly.
For example, the following items of clothing are not suitable for heavy-duty detergent:
all colorful textiles
Silk blouses
Sheer tights
Lace underwear
Wool clothing (such as wool sweaters, virgin wool baby suits or wool hats)
You can find everything about household and garden tips in the living newsletter from our partner Merkur.de.
Which heavy duty detergent is better – powder, liquid or gel pods?
Various detergent tests such as those by Stiftung Warentest have shown that heavy-duty detergents in powder form usually achieve better washing results than liquid heavy-duty detergents or gel caps, discs or pods.
Liquid heavy-duty detergents do not contain bleach, as they do not last long in liquid form.
In addition, insoluble zeolites, which are contained in heavy-duty detergent powder as a water softener, are missing.
Instead, more surfactants are supposed to ensure cleanliness, but they are less effective, as the Hamburg consumer advice center informs.
However, at low temperatures, heavy-duty detergent powder can prove to be a disadvantage: the bleaching agents contained in the powder often only develop their full effect at temperatures above 60 degrees.
At 30 degrees or 40 degrees, heavy-duty detergent powder can form white residue that sticks to the laundry
.
Also read:
Liquid or powder?
How to choose the right detergent.
Heavy-duty detergent also cleans washing machines
But a heavy-duty detergent isn't just good for white laundry.
Your washing machine also benefits from the germicidal effect of the bleach contained in the powder.
In order to curb the proliferation of bacteria and counteract the biofilm in the washing machine, the Hamburg consumer advice center recommends washing at 60 degrees every two weeks with a heavy-duty detergent that contains bleach
.
This ensures a hygienically clean washing drum without unpleasant smells.
Also interesting:
Cleaning the washing machine: These remedies help against the smelly drum.
Heavy-duty detergent instead of hygienic dishwashing liquid
If you regularly use heavy-duty detergent powder, you don't need to worry about the hygiene of your laundry.
A wash cycle at 60 degrees with a heavy-duty detergent powder is enough to eliminate possible pathogens and odor-causing bacteria.
This means you can safely do without hygiene rinses for laundry disinfection.
These harm the environment anyway and also promote the spread of multi-resistant germs, which is why the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) strongly advises against the regular use of disinfectants in detergents.
Read here what you can do if your laundry smells sour.